What to wear for a Valentines Day dinner–from sexy and flirty to sleek and sophisticated

Deciding what to wear for a Valentine’s Day dinner is always a bit of a tussle.  Should you really go out and buy something new just after Christmas?  Should you just dig something pretty out of the closet?  Or should you not dress up at all?

The answer will depend, of course, on what you’re going to be doing?  If you’re going out for a special dinner then that’s the perfect excuse to buy something new – if an excuse is ever really needed to buy a new dress….

Finding a new smart/cocktail/evening/dinner dress can be difficult at the best of times.  It needs to fit you perfectly (so look for a bit of stretch) be the right length, and have the look that suits the occasion, which on Valentine’s Day can be many things, sexy, flirty, sophisticated.

I think sequins, unless very subtle, are finished after Christmas – although there are a lot of sequined dresses out there.  Lace works at any time of year, as do ruffles, chiffon, jersey and crepe.

Buy a dress early enough so that if you need to have the length altered you have enough time.  My favourites here are Diane von Furstenberg’s fit and flare black dress, her always a favourite short Zarita lace dress, and Mint Velvet’s soft black crepe sexy wrap midi dress with a zip all the way down the side (and which you can’t have altered).  Then there’s Self Portrait’s irresistibly flirty black lace panel dress.  Oh dear…..