Valentine's Day Outfits for Dinner, Drinks or Home

The easiest Valentine's Day outfit for women is a red or pink midi with sheer tights and a low heel. For drinks, go shorter; staying in, wear a soft sweater dress.

The plan decides the outfit, so this guide goes plan by plan, then covers how to wear red and what to put on your legs and feet in mid-February. The dresses, shoes and tights are Amazon listings: what we say about them is what the listings say, and nobody here has tried them on.

A Valentine's Day dress for a dinner date

A dinner date is the dressiest Valentine's plan, so a midi is the safe length: it looks deliberate at a restaurant table and keeps you warmer than a mini. The BORIFLORS cocktail dress is a square-neck, ruched bodycon midi with a ruffle hem, and the listing says the mesh is double-lined. It's offered in Red and Pink, in X-Small to X-Large, and the listing says machine wash.

Bodycon is fitted from top to hem, so it suits a seated dinner better than a night of dancing. Add sheer tights, the slingbacks below and a small bag, and you're dressed.

A Valentine's date night outfit for drinks

Drinks at a bar, a show or a late dessert allow a shorter, more playful dress. The YMDUCH mini is a sleeveless square-neck A-line with a bow and adjustable straps, offered in Red and Pink, in Small to X-Large. The listing says dry clean only, which matters if you plan to wear it often.

It's mid-February, so a sleeveless mini needs a plan: tights, a coat you keep on until you're inside, maybe a cropped cardigan. If you'd rather have sleeves, the Cosonsen skater mini has long sleeves, a deep V neck, a tie waist and a back zipper. It's offered in Pink and Burgundy, in X-Small to XX-Large, and the listing says machine wash.

A cozy Valentine's outfit for a night in

Staying home is still a date, and a sweater dress is the outfit for it: soft enough for the couch, put-together enough for a photo. The ZESICA sweater dress is a mini with a wrap V neck, batwing sleeves and a waist belt, in a rayon, polyamide and polyester knit. It's offered in Red and Wine, in Small to X-Large, and the listing says machine wash.

At home, wear it with bare legs and cozy socks. If dinner turns into a walk for dessert, add opaque tights and ankle boots. More ways to wear one are in sweater dress outfits.

How to wear a red Valentine's dress

A red Valentine's dress looks best kept simple: one red piece, with black, nude or gold around it. Red and pink together is a deliberate Valentine's look and can be fun, as long as the shapes stay simple. If bright red feels like a lot, burgundy and wine are deeper and easier to wear, and pink is softer for a brunch date.

Black is fine too. Add red in the shoes, the bag or your lipstick if you want a nod to the day.

Shoes and tights for February

A low heel is the easy Valentine's shoe: dressy enough for dinner, low enough for the walk from the car. The DREAM PAIRS slingbacks are pointed-toe pumps in faux leather on a 2.36-inch heel that the listing calls a kitten heel, offered in Red suede and Pink, in sizes 6 to 11.

Bare legs in February only make sense if you're going door to door by car. Otherwise, sheer tights keep the look light. The EVERSWE pantyhose come three pairs to a pack, 20 denier with a control top, in Small to XX-Large, and the listing says hand wash only.

Celebrating with friends the day before is a different party with a different outfit. Galentine's Day falls on Saturday, February 13, and our Galentine's Day outfit ideas cover it.