Here’s How I'm Styling A Dress For Valentine's Day In NYC Winter

They say love is in the air once the calendar shifts to February 1, but if you live in NYC (or anywhere with brutal winters) the only thing in the air is wind chills and snow flurries. Nevertheless, I’m determined to spend this Valentine’s day in style — I refuse to let the cold restrict my date night outfit, and I’ve been on the hunt for coats to wear with dresses that will keep me warm but not ruin my look.

As a hopeless romantic who loves any and every excuse to get dolled up, Valentine’s Day is basically my Olympics and I’m aiming for the gold this year. The holiday falls on a Monday, so I’ll be celebrating all weekend, which means three times the outfits. After scouring the internet for weeks and a few impromptu visits to Zara, I’ve found the perfect date night dresses that strike the balance between sexy and sophisticated. Now all that’s left is to ensure that I don’t freeze going from one place to another on these icy New York streets.

The main goal for winter dressing is to stay warm even if it means your outfit gets covered in a less than flattering down puffer jacket. Some fashion-inclined people would argue that a statement coat is an easy fix to this dilemma. The only issue with that is, I don’t want the coat to be the outfit, but simultaneously I don’t want a coat that is so drab it lessens the effect of wearing a traffic-stopping dress.

So, taking cues from stylish celebrities like Rihanna and Blake Lively, I’ve settled on a selection of sleek and warm coats, that pair exceptionally well with dresses so my V-day frock gets plenty of limelight.

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Oversized Teddy Coat

A styling technique Blake Lively often employs, choosing a jacket in the same hue as the dress, is an easy way to coordinate your outfit for colder temperatures. The teddy coat seems to always come back into style each winter so opt for a cozy teddy jacket to complete your date night look.

Long Wool Coat

This classic combination is beloved by many celebrities including Meghan Markle and Angelina Jolie. The long and simple portions elongate your figure for an added touch of elegance. Choosing a long wool coat in a trench style also gives you room to show off your dress a bit by leaving the top and bottom of the coat open and just closing the middle with a belt.

Cropped Shearling

It may seems as though choosing a cropped jacket is a sure way to freeze your butt off, but pick the right kind of cropped jacket and you’ll be snug all day and night. Take a page from Rihanna’s book and pair a slip dress with boots and a cropped sherpa-lined aviator jacket. For some extra warmth layer a cropped sweater underneath the jacket or thermal shapewear underneath the dress.

The Cape Coat

This chic alternative to a traditional coat ensures that your dress still gets to make its intended statement while the draped silhouette of the cape coat adds shape, elegance, and warmth.