How are you celebrating this Valentine’s Day? With champaign and a special friend while decked in your finery?  Or planning a less formal night with your sweetie? Either way, I hope you consider the gold and silver threads in your wardrobe for your special evening. Here are three possible looks I dragged out of my closet…

I’ll start with my most traditional and formal look. Perfect for the evening before you head out to that quiet little bistro known for it’s romantic ambiance and chef-created cuisine. Plan a cocktail hour in your good parlor with the darling of your dreams…

Starting with champagne? In my mind, there is only one, technically not real champagne but a domestic sparking wine bottled in a small winery in New Mexico: Gruet. Their classic Gruet Brut is as good as it gets and will stand up to your most finicky of wine enthusiasts. With a box of Chamomile and Lavender Chevre truffles from your favorite local chocolate maker (mine is Laughing Moon) you will certainly make your sweetheart glad for this quiet respite and ready for the wonderful evening ahead…

For my first look, I opted for a floor-length silver full-skirt that shimmers even in the dimmest of candlelight. Topped with a gold v-neck top creates a mix of metals that just says romantic holiday evening ahead!

Playing with the glam I donned vintage rhinestone clip-ons. I also wore both my diamond necklace set in gold, and my silver heart with the tiny pearls. Once again mixing metals through and through!

Of course it helps if you arrange your elegant look in a room with beautiful oil paintings such as this lovely landscape. The pastel colors are brought to life in this burgundy room.

 After your champagne, don’t forget a wrap to wear out. I chose a shimmery silver veil with tiny mirrors sewn though out to keep the silver and gold motif!

For my second look, I went all gold… top and skirt and sandals and shawl and clutch! Even the chase is gold! Overall this outfit is more casual, down to the flip-flops with kitten-heels. But in the end, gold is always golden, and perfect…!

Can I show you a close-up of my skirt? White cotton with an intricate embroidered pattern of gold thread… Lovely, yes?

Can I also say something about my chaise? Gold and so comfy… Why not plot your outfit in coordination with your surroundings, right? The lines just make you feel like lounging all through this night of romance.  You might spend half the evening just snuggling on such a piece of furniture but don’t miss your dinner reservation!

I am lucky enough to live amongst beautiful art, such as this faux-Greek statue my parents bought when decorating their new New Jersey home in the 1960’s. They hired an interior decorator, drove over to the now defunct B. Altman & Company and entered a world of fabulous. Luckily for me, they imagined this swell piece right home with them!

For my third look I chose to be next to this plaster Greek cherub yet wear something far more contemporary: a gold sweater with striped gold tights. A contrast in style and era!

Striped black and gold tights paired with my clunky black booties! Comfy and ah so much fun… Now I’m ready for sushi and sake and a night of dancing with my love…

Of course flowers are an important part of this mid-February holiday. I say fill your home with all the spring you can find; tulip and daffodils will lend color and the promise of new life to your dining room table! A visual reminder of what April will bring…

For my last look I chose a multi-patterned skirt with gold, copper, silver and black. All these mixed metals make a rich ornamentation from which to style your outfit around.

A skirt this rich only needs the luster of silver to make your look edgy and timeless all at the same time. Why not twist up your hair in a french twist and add a string of black pearls around your neck to play the formal against the informal?

I accessorized this outfit with vine-patterned black stockings and some black heels…

Look up in life. Look up and out and see all that is possible. From the sassy skirt to the imaginative art work behind me, I dare to dream… That’s all I want to remember during the doldrums of mid-February, don’t you?

So, now, I hope you are ready to dream up your own Valentine’s Day look!

***Photos by Mj