February 7, 2025

Cupid’s Closet: What to Wear & Where to Woo

Valentine’s Day is not only a celebration of love but a chance to embrace our love of fashion with deep reds and subtle pinks destined to make a date night look pop. From flirty and sensual to striking and sexy, Cupid sets no limits on how to dress the part on February 14. Fabrics like lace, silk, satin, mesh and velvet make the opportunities endless to not only wear love on your sleeve but as an entire look this Valentine’s Day.

Whether the evening is reserved for a hot date or the girls, we can’t deny that a moody bar with divine cocktails and an ambiance meant for connection is a must on Valentine’s Day. That’s why The Curio Cabinet took a tour of our favorite love-inspired cocktail bars and restaurants in the city ahead of the holiday. With the sultry booths and cascading lanterns of Bao Brewhouse; and the twinkling lights and a sweet smoky scent of mezcal that is Ghost Donkey as the settings, lead stylist and thrift connoisseur Lisa Mae of Thrift Girlie assembles looks that have hearts stopping and jaws dropping. She’s shared an array of additional looks fit for the day of love, bringing to life showstopping pinks and reds in unique ways.

LOOK ONE: COCKTAIL SchMOOZE

When it comes to a budding romance, having the right setting matters. Rather than opting for the classic candlelit dinner, start the night early at a vibrant and lively bar like Ghost Donkey. This colorful mezcal and tequila bar is the perfect setting to initiate more play into the evening when it comes to your fits and setting the tone for the night. Valentine’s Day is the time to add fun to your date night outfits with the help of sultry colors and classic accessories. For menswear, sometimes introducing more color and textures can be daunting. However, sticking to the classic base colors like white, black, and brown with a pop of red can go a long way. On model Alex Lopez, we stuck to the basics. Starting with comfort pieces from clothing brand Original Ugly, a white tank top, cargo pants and a brown Colorado initial hat allowed this look to start casual and end with flair. To add texture to his outfit, a red corduroy button-up and layering a pearl and gold bolo necklace made this look more defined and unique. Womenswear notoriously has more leeway when it comes to color and variety. On model Devynn Dewey, we went full send. Paying homage to the often criticized “matching couple’s outfits,” Dewey’s ensemble complimented Lopez’s look by pulling in brown and red colors with gold and pearl jewelry to match. Oversized blazers come in handy for a layered look that combines fitted and sexier pieces like a corset top and a black pinstriped mini skirt. One of our favorite accessories on Dewey is the long white lace-trimmed socks, which add a romantic element to the fit.

Three’s Company:

For an alternative spin of the evening, stepping out in threes while looking like a high-fashion collection is never a bad idea. Lisa Mae stepped in and served up a romantic and sultry look with a black tulle midi dress and red hot knee-high boots. An all black ensemble can go a long way, especially if you know how to accessorize. If you decide on an all black look, don’t be shy about adding texture and bold details like the black wide-leg corduroy pants with white stitch details and large cargo pockets from Seintana Couture as seen on Lopez. To further upgrade this look, Lopez sported a gold heart chain necklace, a red beanie from Neander Apparel, and a red puffer jacket. We kept Dewey on the sweet side in a hot pink silk lace-trimmed top and satin black animal print pants.

LOOK Two: Wine & Dine Me

For an intimate setting, Bao Brewhouse, located in Larimer Square, hosts an upper room known as the Tea Room, lit by an illuminating chandelier of paper lanterns. This multi-concept restaurant combines fine dining with a twist. In a location this decorative and vibey, it’s time to turn up the romance. If you’re looking to dress on the fancier side but want to hold on to your creative sense of style, sometimes all you need is a classic button-up. For both looks, incorporating a structured piece like a button-up gave each look the perfect canvas to create a romantic fit. In our opinion, lace is the sexiest fabric, it remains timeless and is a great layering textile. This lace red corset top, as seen on Dewey, brought high fashion to the tea room and paired perfectly with a set of red lace gloves and heart-stitched fishnet tights. Lopez also sported a black lace necktie over the pink button-up by Modem.

LOOK Three: Dessert Me down

Settle in for the night with a flirtatious look inspired by the sweet and affectionate zeitgeist of Valentine’s Day. After a night of being wined and dined, out of all days of the year, this is a time to save room for some dessert. For these sweetheart-themed looks, having white as the base color distinguished these looks apart from typical date night outfits. As complementary colors, red and pink, are one of our favorite color combinations. Although both hues can be bold, when used correctly and depending on the shade, they can make for a soft, and eye-catching look. With this in mind, a red cardigan paired with Seintana Couture‘s white spiral wide-leg pants allowed this outfit to blend casual and statement pieces for a well-refined look. Statement pieces like a pale pink sequin shirt and red cowboy boots gave this vintage white leather pencil skirt a new life.