Galentine’s Day

Valentine’s (Galentine’s) Day Attire

As promised, this blog post is dedicated to my Valentine’s Day outfit.  Well, sort of.  Remember how I said that I had no idea where my BF and I were going or what our plans were?  Given the sheer amount of craziness going on between his schedule and mine, we ultimately decided to have a nice, quiet evening at home.  Contrary to what most people think about New Yorkers, we actually do cook sometimes.  Our menu has been decided, groceries have been purchased, and it’s guaranteed to be a great evening.  I can’t wait!

I had a fabulous outfit picked out already using existing pieces I already own.  I’m not really a “I have to buy a new outfit because it’s Valentine’s Day” kind of person.  No offense to those of you who are.  If you really have your heart set on buying a whole new outfit, by all means please do so.  I also don’t wear pink or red – ever – so I apologize if that’s what you were expecting.  Style is not only about originality but also staying true to who you are.  I’m a girl who lives in black and Valentine’s Day is no exception.  But I digress.  I had this outfit picked out only to find out that we’re staying in.  I guess I’ll just save it for another day, right?  Wrong!  The ladies and I decided to have an impromptu get together at the famous Russian Tea Room yesterday afternoon which was the perfect setting to wear the outfit I was going to wear to dinner tonight.  Galentine’s Day with my favorite ladies and I get to wear a full midi skirt to high tea? Yaaaaas!

You may remember this skirt from my Looking Ahead blog post from a few months ago.  I LOVE this skirt!  I don’t get to wear it as often as I’d like given how cold it’s been lately (also I’m not used to the weather out here just yet) but it’s definitely one of the pieces in my closet that was worth the splurge.  Normally, I wouldn’t spend over $100 on a skirt but since it’s a midi skirt and it’s black and white I consider it an investment piece.  I have tons of full midi skirts and have purchased them from ASOS, Forever 21, H&M, and Nordstrom (their BP section is like finding buried treasure and you can’t beat the prices). I opted to wear a simple black turtleneck (it’s actually a bodysuit) with my skirt since it is freezing in NYC this weekend but I’ve worn it with all kinds of tops – button up blouses, solid tees, and camisoles with a cute cardigan.

Full midi skirts look great on everyone.  If you’re on the shorter side like me (I’m only 5’2″), I would recommend wearing pointed-toe shoes (flats or heels) with these kinds of skirts.  I’m wearing one of my favorite pairs of black leather pumps that have patent leather ankle strap cuffs with my outfit today.  Pointed-toe shoes elongate your legs and make you look taller.  If you’re on the taller side, your options are more flexible because it depends on if you want to elongate your legs or not (I know some taller ladies who don’t).  If you don’t want to elongate those naturally long legs of yours, almond toe or round toe shoes are just fine.

This coat though?!  I’m obsessed with it.  You can’t tell because of the full skirt but the coat itself has a tapered waist and a flared hem too.  It’s collarless too so you can wear a scarf outside of the coat and keep your neck and face nice and toasty while being fully zipped up.  Wool coats are extremely flexible.  Most people see them as “dressy” coats, especially longer length ones.  I do love peacoats but they’re not really practical for my lifestyle.  I work in a corporate office that requires me to be business formal (we can’t even wear jeans on casual Fridays) so I own more mid-length and long coats to complement my work attire.  Even though this coat seems super dressy, I’ve worn it with OTK boots, jeans, and a beanie.  I’d recommend adding mid-length and maxi coats to your winter wardrobe.  You’ll be surprised at how much you’ll wear them and how easy they are to style.

Galentine’s Day Glam

Before I headed out to lunch, I had an appointment at my hair salon, Slique Hair Studio.  Since I have short hair, I have to go to the salon on a weekly basis for a trim.  Weekly hair appointments may sound a bit obsessive but trust me, it does NOT look great if I go longer than a week without a trim.  I rotate between having pin curls and this more edgier pixie cut, depending on my mood and the outfits/events I have planned during the upcoming week.  Monique and Kathy can do some hair, right?  Thanks for keeping my edges laid and my fade tight, ladies!  I kept my makeup simple with winged liner and a matte burgundy lip.  The color looks different in this lighting but it’s a deep burgundy shade that I love.  I’m wearing it in one of my Instagram selfies that I posted last week if you want to see what the true color looks like.

Although my plans changed for Valentine’s Day, sometimes the best plans are the ones you don’t plan at all.  I had a wonderful time with the ladies and I didn’t have to share my creme brulee 🙂

Happy Valentine’s Day (or Galentine’s Day), lovelies!

xoxo, CCB

Photography: Kristin Tully

Outfit Details: Nanette Lepore coat (old), ASOS Turtleneck Bodysuit (here), White House Black Market full midi skirt (old but I like this one), and Saint Laurent Ankle Strap Cuff pumps (old but these are fab too)