Slow Fashion Inspo: Date Night Outfit Ideas From Our Favorite Bloggers

Valentine’s Day Outfit Inspo

One of the most essential parts of curating a slower wardrobe is keeping our minds open to new outfit ideas. When big events (or dates) arise, it can be tempting to add a few new pieces to our wardrobe. But what usually happens to those single-occasion outfits? Yep, they get tossed to the back of the closet or heaped onto the dry cleaning pile for months.

This year, instead of rushing out to buy a new outfit for Valentine’s Day, we’re shopping our own closets first. We’re turning to bloggers we love to see how they’re styling some of our favorite trends: elegant coats, statement patterns, beautiful blazers, and of course, the Little Black Dress.

These looks are all timeless and mostly seasonless, so if you do find yourself in need of a LBD, we’ve got you covered—we’ve included some of our favorite sustainable and ethical options for each piece. (Better yet? Shop ThredUp, Ebay, or the best option: borrow from a friend!)

Sugar-Coated

Sustainable coats for a cozy night out

Take a note from Hailey Noa and Candice Tay, and layer up with a statement coat over a minimalist outfit!

If you’re in a chilly climate for Valentine’s Day, you’ll more than likely have to put a coat over your favorite outfit. Don’t sacrifice style for warmth! These snuggly pea coats are made responsibly—plus, they’re timeless so they’ll still be in style every winter for years to come. (Gotta maximize that cost-per-wear, am I right?)

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LBD, ILU

Versatile little black dresses

Will we ever get tired of saying how much we love a good little black dress? Probably not. Assa Cisse adds a pop of red with her lipstick and shoes—and we love the layers of texture with her polka dotted tights. Kaméa Chayne keeps it monochrome with a pair of black booties.

Dress it up, dress it down, the little black dress is here to stay. Here are some of our favorite sustainably-made LBDs.

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The Brazen Blazer

Statement blazers you’ll wear day-to-night

Too many blazer puns, too little time. There are an equal number of ways to wear a blazer, too! From jeans-and-a-t-shirt to full business casual, a blazer adds instant personality to any outfit. Even if you have just one high quality blazer, it makes for a classic signature look.

We love the elegant and polished look that April Auger pulled together for the winter months, and we adore Stella Simona’s unexpected red blazer moment.

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Red Like My Heart Eyes

Dress it up or down—a red dress makes a statement

You’ve heard all about the little black dress, but what about a little red dress? Red makes a strong statement, but how you style it makes all the difference.

Leah Thomas wears a thrifted beauty with black booties for a dramatic, ethereal look (our pick from Monsoon London below has some of those same flowy qualities). We love Sara Wegman’s take on this statement piece: paired with sneakers, tights, a cozy sweater and a bold coat in the same color family and you’ve got the ultimate cool-girl-casual outfit.

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My Heart Goes Pitter-Pattern

Say it loud with these patterned pieces

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Patterns make for a playful daytime date outfit, and easily transitions to an eveningwear outfit with something to say. Playing with texture, tones, and pattern can help a somewhat summery pattern become seasonless, like Deborah Gates’s flowy hibiscus print top. We also adore Dominique Drakeford’s head-to-toe pattern that plays with volume to make a graceful and bold statement.

Not quite comfortable with loud patterns? Start small with a scarf or top under a neutral blazer. You may find yourself covered head-to-toe in patterns soon enough!

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Accessor-Eyes On The Prize

Bold & beautiful fair trade accessories

Nowadays, I’m a bit more sheepish about accessories than I was as a teen, because somewhere along the way I became too worried about what matched, what didn’t, and what was too much. I can hardly wear a necklace with statement earrings anymore, and I don’t know why.

So take inspiration from these two accessorizing mavens and layer up over your go-to outfits for a regal look. Balance out a statement piece like a leopard-print skirt with details like dangling earrings, a statement necklace, and a hat like Sonia Kessler does. Or, stick with monochrome and build accents from there, like how Jessica Salazar goes gold with big earrings, a statement bracelet, accent shoes and complementary (and oh-so-cool) sunglasses.