Much Ado About Valentines

“I do love nothing in the world so well as you. Is not that strange?”

It seems fitting to start my first post with a passage from Shakespeare–and, since it’s Valentine’s Day, for it to be about love. This is a famous line from his comedy Much Ado About Nothing and might at first glance seem an unconventional choice for today’s post, especially when the Bard wrote so very many tales about love. But I adore this play (saw it with my husband at the Globe Theatre in London last summer!), and here’s why: it’s filled with clever humor and classic Shakespearian mixups of mistaken identities. But it also has Benedick and Beatrice, the snarky yet lovable protagonists who go toe to toe in a battle of words and wit, and in the play’s opening scene they proudly proclaim they will never fall in love with anyone. So, naturally, by Act IV when Benedick utters the above line, they have fallen in love with each other. And perhaps that seems predictable–and perhaps it is–but I feel that this fiery duo falls for each other not merely because of their friends’ elaborate scheming, but because they finally recognize what is so apparent to the audience. For it is plain to see throughout their verbal sparring that they are an evenly matched pair–Beatrice is just as intelligent and clever as Benedick, and quite often she has the final say. In an era when a woman wasn’t often valued for such qualities and was merely defined by the man she married, it’s special that Benedick, a self-proclaimed lifelong bachelor, is the one to swallow his pride and admit his love for her first.

In sum, don’t be fooled by the comedic nature of this play: though it’s full of love schemes and silly mixups, at its core is a timeless story of two strong individuals recognizing their equal in another.

And now, onto my outfit of the day!

Dress: Monteau (similar silhouettes here and here)  Coat: Trina Turk (similar color palette here)  Heels: Christian Louboutin (similar here)  Earrings: Chanel  Glasses: Chanel  Lip color: Birthday Suit by Tarte

In the Pacific Northwest, great outerwear is essential, so I’m a big fan of stylish and versatile coats. This Trina Turk wool coat has served me well the last few winters—the black and white pattern acts as a great neutral, while still providing some interesting texture. This red a-line dress by Monteau is super festive and was a fabulous TJ Maxx find (I’m constantly perusing their new arrivals in store and online!). And, of course, a girl can’t go wrong in a pair of black Louboutins. The exact ones I’m wearing are unfortunately sold out, but I have my eye on a patent pair with a similar toe shape and heel height, which I linked above.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope you all get to spend it with your loved ones!

P.S. I highly recommend Kenneth Branagh’s charming film adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing–Emma Thompson plays a brilliant Beatrice opposite an always entertaining Branagh as Benedick.