Ah, yes. Valentine’s Day. The day where women everywhere are rushing home from work to make it to their well thought out V-Day plans. These days, it seems like more and more women are putting their career first and their dating life second. We can’t afford to sit around when we have so much work to do. As a result, a lot of us don’t have hours to get ready for a date; we have to be ready to go when we leave work.
Even if you do have time to run home before your date, chances are you won’t have as much time as you want to get ready. So why waste time creating a whole new look when you can just transform your everyday work clothes into a date outfit? Most of the time this transformation is as easy as switching out one piece of your outfit for something a little less business-cas. If you plan your look accordingly, it’s totally possible to make that office attire into an outfit he won’t forget (plus he’ll think it’s hot that his date came straight from the office).
Choose your main work outfit
Before you decide how to best dress up, you should decide where to start. Do you usually wear a dress to work? Or do you prefer a two piece look like pants or a skirt? H&M has a great sleeveless dress option, or you can find a pair of black pants from Express. If you choose pants, make sure you pair it with a professional blouse like this one from Express. Since you want to be comfortable at work, make that your priority rather than focusing on what you’ll be wearing for the date. You can make anything look good, so don’t sacrifice your workday if you don’t have to! Once you decide which outfit to wear to work, then you can work on dressing it up in the evening. Plus it’s always an option to wear a silk cami underneath your work blouse and turn that into a killer date-night outft, like so.
Change your top
If you did choose the blouse/pants option, this concept is simple enough. Bring along a replacement top that can be swapped in the bathroom. This top can be a little more fun. Try to add some color to the outfit if you have a black and white theme for work. Red may be overdone for Valentine’s Day, but it doesn’t hurt to be festive (not to mention it’s pretty dang appealing). If you’re more comfortable in a dress, find a cute jacket to add some pizazz and functionality to your look. You can easily change your look just by adding a different top, so don’t feel limited when you choose your work clothes.
Swap your shoes
One of the easiest ways to switch from professional to fun is to put on a different pair of shoes. While your professional shoes may look formal, they may not be the most impressive pair you own. You can really spice up your look by adding a more dramatic shoe choice that maybe has a little more color or even something that shimmers. If you wear flats at work, take this opportunity to break out your heels. If you feel more comfortable in flats, find a cute pair that matches your going-out clothes. This simple change can make your outfit pop!
Switch your accessories
If you don’t have enough color or sparkle with your previous changes, use your accessories to take your look to the next level. Jewelry can be helpful if you usually go to work with the basics, so find necklaces and earrings that will make people stare. This could be a trendy black choker, or it could be something more elegant like this ribbon necklace. Another way to use accessories to your advantage is to swap your work bag for a more appropriate fashion bag. Find something to complement your outfit or give you an added boost of confidence. Zara has a great heart-shaped bag that fits with the Valentine’s day theme.
