FASHION

valentine's day is undoubtedly a red letter (pun intended) date for in-love couples all over the world. Yes, the day's all about emotions and pure heart, but it's also all about looking your best. And mind you, donning an up-to-date style makes a huge impression. Here's how all you boys and girls out there in love can put their best foot forward at their big date

FOR THE GALS

Valentine's day brings out the feminine side of most girls. It's all about looking pretty and doe-eyed. But the look must be different for day and night. For daytime style, Kolkata-based fashion designer Abhishek Dutta says, "Keep it girlie, flirty and feminine with dresses in lighter fabrics like chiffon. Go for a printed chiffon dress or a drape dress with empire lines or cowl necks. The prints must be easy on the eye. Also, invest in flare silhouettes for it looks great during daytime. Team the dress with peep-toes or ballerinas."

Hyderabad-based designer Asmita Marwa adds, "You can slip into strappy knee-length or shorter summer dress in fabrics like linen and cotton. Team these with Roman sandals or slouchy boots for a casual yet chic lunch look." And if you have great legs, Asmita suggests super cool shorts in denim or in thick cotton with a smart top.

Since it's also the month of fun, a style that Bangalore-based designer Tahera Peeran endorses is tie-and-dye. "Slip into a whimsical tie-and-dye dress for a luncheon date. You could also team a tie-and-dye halter neck top with jeans. And keep your make-up light with focus on the eyes and gloss on the lips."

What should a girl wear to a dinner date? Here the look must take the note of glamour and elegance. Bangalore-based designer Namrata G says, "The look is short dresses. The silhouette is fitted. You may opt for a sleeveless one with a large ruffled neckline, or one with ruffled texture on one-shoulder, or a large ruffled flower on one shoulder. Large roses or flowers made of fabric are big motifs this season and look feminine." As for colours, Namrata suggests, "Choose any shade of purple or wine. Sand or beige too looks good. Go 60s with your make-up and hair."

All designers warn against OTT in order to avoid coming across as 'easy'. Since elegance is the way, your good old LBD definitely comes handy. But that's a tad too boring and done to death. To which Tahera says, "Go for a little dress but in jewel tones like blues and purples."

Steer clear from the oh-so-expected red colour this time. As Asmita jokingly puts it, "Only if you want to merge with the background and be part of the decoration, don red. While you can try cheerful colours like white, yellow and orange for the day, opt for solid tones at night. Slip into a stretch-satin dress in an off-shoulder style or a drape style short number." Adding to the colour list, Abhishek says, "Go for coral pink. Wine colour too is hot right now. No prints for the night. And your dress must enhance your bodyline even if the silhouette is flowy. A corset dress over stilettos is a great style to don."

Since the suggested look is more on the classic Audrey Hepburn style, the accessories are also minimal. Abhishek suggests a swarovsky brooch to go with that little dress. And we suggest a classy scarf with pretty heart motifs to keep in with the mood of the day.

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HAUTE MALES

Boys too need to turn on their charm meter, if they are looking at scoring brownie points. Tahera warns, "The first and foremost things is personal hygiene. Please wear only washed and ironed clothes. No transparent shirts and half-way down unbuttoned shirts. For daytime, wear jeans with a shirt or a half-sleeved Polo tee. You can even get into khaki pants. Team these with loafers, sandals, or sporty shoes."

Endorsing the fun-loving look of Ranbir Kapoor in 'Wake Up Sid', Asmita says, "During the daytime, quirky yet cute tees can be teamed with denims. You could even try linen pants with kurta shirt. And the white shirt-over-blue jeans combo still rules."

While ruling out graphic tees for a lunch date, Abhishek says, "Avoid denims and tees. Boys take to that look everyday and can be a big turn-off on Valentine's Day. Wear a nice Chinese-collared shirt over linen pants.

The shirt must not be printed but with nice pin-tucks. If you can carry it, wear trendy low-crotch pants with a nice summer jacket."

Dinner date is all about bringing out that boyish charm, say designers. So, no suits please. "This is not a red carpet event," laughs Asmita suggesting, "Wear a nice fitted shirt with detailing or a dress shirt over drain pipe trousers. Jacket also gets a bit overdone for boys. Stick to casual jackets."

Reiterating her viewpoint, Namrata adds, "Bring out the boyish charm in a fitted linen jacket and a stylish fitted shirt to match. Go low-waisted on your slim cigarette pants or jeans. Colours could be black on the jacket and the shirt could be a deep red, turquoise, wine or purple. If sporting wine, the jacket can be a steel or a slate grey. Wear a stylish hairdo."

For the more fashion-savvy man, Abhishek says, "Add a trendy slim tie to the jacket-narrow pants look. For an outdoor date, you can pair a contrast gallisque or suspenders with a fitted shirt and a bow tie for a hip-hop look. Sport a hat if you are daring. In all, take a good look at current haute style icons of Bollywood - Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif for a quick style check!"

Of course, leave the rest to Cupid to conjure up some magic.