What to Wear for Valentine's Day: Sexy Gothic

I walked into my neighborhood Kroger today, and it looked like Cupid had vomited all over the store: there were at least twenty shelves of cupcakes, balloons, and cookies at the front entrance, as well as what seemed to be the entirety of Moody Gardens' rose collection.

This is the week of love, and if you're still looking for outfit ideas to knock the socks off your date, you've come to the right place. Last time, I gave you ideas for a sweet and flirty Valentine's Day outfit, and now it's time to style a look for a night on the town.

Start with a lace-collared shirt (you can always wear a tank underneath if you feel that it's showing too much), and add a showstopping feather skirt. Trust me, there aren't that many opportunities to wear feathered clothes, so take advantage of Valentine's Day to go all-out! To keep the look from being too scandalous, wrap your hair up in a fancy chignon, and toss on some sparkly dangly earrings. The reason for keeping the accessories limited is so that you can let the actual outfit speak for itself.

Can you believe that this lace-collared shirt and skirt are both from JCP? Yes, the same JCPenney that your grandma goes to. The store's made some major changes to appeal to new markets, and as you can tell from this outfit, there are definitely more offerings for younger women.

By the way, if you've been reading my blog from the very beginning, you'll remember this clutch: I made it myself! I received a basic black clutch from Cotton On as a gift when I made an online order, and because it seemed so boring, I added the word BOURGEOIS to the front. "Bourgeois" is a adjective used to describe someone who is very materialistic and consumeristic, which is the perfect adjective to describe our national obsession with Valentine's Day!

I also think my clutch makes a point about fashion bloggers in general: we are quite materialistic-minded! Does that mean that my clutch is supposed to be ironic and that ----GASP---I'm a hipster? Please, no!

What do you think of the outfit?