The Love Parade

If your better half has cornered the market on drugstore-sold Valentine’s Day paraphernalia then it might be time to rethink the relationship.

There’s a symbiotic relationship between Valentine’s Day and gifts of a generic nature. The fluffy teddy bear, its Christmas attire replaced with a cheap bow and cutout heart, and the trite greeting card, a hollow message of love mixed in with a joke told a million times inscribed inside, have become hallmarks of affection.

For fashion junkies, the tasteless — not to mention thoughtless — gifts make for great dust-catchers in bottom drawers. These trinkets hardly ever see the light of day — and when they do, it’s only when they’re about to be tossed out and replaced by yet another heinously stuffed token of love.

It’s time for women to put their collective feet down and steer their significant others to the accessories department where cute heart-ornamented pieces await.

Zara’s statement shirt says it all without any words. A white T-shirt from the teen’s department has a heart printed on it as though spray painted — the outline dripping from the almost red-orange center.

Happy David created charm-filled bracelets just for the holiday. Heart pendants in brushed metal are almost Victorian when placed next to clear stones. In between, tiny heart figures, roses and an Eiffel tower lavaliere are nestled between the oversize beads. There’s even a small key next to the heart locket and, in its grooves, a heart opening.

If that’s too kitsch, there are chunky bracelets in an antique gold finish dotted with bright pink hearts and gold butterflies. Wear it next to a couple of thin bangles and you’ve got the makings of a diva on the down-low. Mariah will never know what hit her.

Valentine accoutrements never looked this cool until Mickey See came into the picture. The makeup artist slash costume jewelry retailer has oversized heart pendants in a polished white finish at the end of a long double chain. Spotted on Meg’s new editor in chief Peewee Reyes was the same bold necklace, this time in show-stopping red. Cute heart earrings (which are so Drew Barrymore circa Wedding Singer) finish the look. The only things missing are the side ponytail and neon sweater.

Even accessories designer Irene Pineda has thrown down a Valentine gauntlet, this time in the form of a hinge necklace. The colorful piece has a cloth covered heart dangling from a brass hinge, accompanied by equally bright keys and other cutely-shaped objects. The quirky neck piece is entirely what Valentine’s Day should be about: individual objects with lots of personality.

Screw the teddy bear and his Hallmark companion. Time to usher in a new era of gift giving. One that doesn’t involve stuffed animals or words of love pre-written by some geek hunched over a desk at some greeting card corporation. Think wearable and in-theme when it comes to gifts.

Or purchase the new Swatch Bijoux Valentine Special 2007. The lovable watch brand has co-opted the love voodoo theme with a red, black and white watch that says "Feel my love." It comes with a heart necklace that opens to form a butterfly. (There goes another Mariah shout-out). And if all doesn’t go well with your benevolent beau, then make use of the packaged gift’s extra: a voodoo doll.

Simply prick the chosen body part to add a little (hopefully much-deserved) pain.

Now here is a gift that’ll keep on giving long after the love has gone.

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GetHappy accessories are available at Rustan’s Department Store. Visit www.gethappyonline.com for a list of outlets. Find Irene Pineda’s hinge necklace and other accessories at Irene’s Closet (located at Independent Lifestyle’s temporary spot over on the second floor of Power Plant Mall) or call 0918-9357619 for more information. Mickey See’s accessories are also available at Independent Lifestyles (cell phone no. 0919-6891919). Swatch watches are available at Gift Gate.