Valentine's Day 2009

Valentine's Day is fast approaching this year, and love is indeed in the air - as you may have noted, Amanda's sister will be married the day after my birthday this month, and Amanda and I will meet again...but for the first time as blogging accomplices. Muahahaha! ;-)

But whether or not you have a husband or beau, if you are a girl, I am sure you've got that feminine love of romance. So, do you know the story behind Valentine's Day? There are actually several "legends" about the mysterious "St. Valentine" - who we talk about without even realizing it each year...and usually, without particularly caring.

One popular legend is that Valentine was a priest who lived in Rome during the 3rd century. The emperor of the time, Claudius II, theorised that single men, who were not attached to a wife or family would serve better in war, because they would not be concerned about living simply to return to their families...so, he outlawed marriage for young men. But it is said that Valentine still performed marriage ceremonies for the young men in secret, and when Claudius discovered this, he ordered that Valentine be killed.

Another legend says that Valentine was a Christian and was persecuted; being interrogated by Claudius II himself. Claudius formed a liking for Valentine, and attempted to convert him to Roman paganism so that he would be allowed to live. Valentine would not convert and, instead, tried to convert the emperor to Christianity. This did not go over well, and he was sent away to be executed.

There is an ending to these legends that seems pretty much the same for both. That is, when Valentine was imprisoned, he befriended the blind daughter of the jailer. It is said that, by a miracle of God through Valentine, the girl was healed, and her sight was restored to her...and on the evening before Valentine was executed, he wrote her a letter (that she was now able to read) which he signed, "From your Valentine".

So, there you have the history behind this day of love. Now, on to fashions of February 14th...

Pink and red are the obvious choices for this day, since they have long symbolized the richness of love. The overt use of the colors may make you not wish to wear them...but the fact is, they are so obvious, that it's classy. And there are so many lovely ways you can mix and match the colors and styles of the day. The Polyvore collage I placed at the beginning of this post shows just a few of the very different looks you can achieve with the same basic colors.

After you've got the pink or red part of your outfit, you can add a dash of class with some of these suggestions:

• Add some ruffles somewhere. Ruffles are feminine, romantic, and very appropriate for a Valentine's Day outfit.

• Try a neck scarf tied into a bow.

• Wearing a white shirt with a pink or red skirt, or a white skirt with a pink or red shirt adds a feeling of purity, innocence and femininity to your Valentine's Day look.

• Black is a color that goes very well with red and pink (especially red). Try the neck scarf suggestion above in black, or add some black jewelry or accessories.

• A fan. Yes...if you can get your hands on one that matches, this is an accessory that would go very well with that red dress of yours - not to mention that it adds that vintage feel. While you're at it, you might as well pick up some elbow-length opera gloves too.

• Add some flowers somewhere. Fake flowers will last longer than real ones, so if you want to wear them all day, fake is probably the way you want to go. Pin them to your dress, sweep them up in your hair, or tuck one behind your ear. Whichever way you go, flowers are always something that will add a little natural beauty to an outfit.