Are you out to dinner? Look around. How many couples do you see not looking at each other, not speaking a word, and not taking a bite of that sad, pallid salad? You re surrounded by people who hold a device closer to themselves than the person they go to bed with at night. This week, make a #DateNight New Year’s resolution: Try scaling back on those LED-lit weekends and try something more old-fashioned, like enjoying a book with your significant other. And before you grab your iPhone to tweet that this concept is stupid, take a moment to think it over: Reading is a bonding experience. Take on-scene literary snugglers from Shakespeare in Love to The Notebook; even Sex and the City had Carrie nestled up to Big in bed, reading from a book of Napoleon s love letters to Josephine—(although the book was made up, it’s a heartwarming scene). Reading is a charming reminder that not every relationship requires a keypad to communicate.
As for the look, think bookish, preppy charm with a hint of sexy. “Make a day out of good reads activities. Head to the bookstore where you can opt for the no-fail, polished smart look, like the women of Wellesley College in Mona Lisa Smile. Try a plaid A-line mini paired with a poppy retro color,” says Vogue.com Market Editor Chelsea Zalopany. “To add a dose of romance, break out the retro florals.” And if you’re taking reading to the bed à la Carrie and Big, don’t simply throw on whatever you can find from the laundry bin. Instead, borrow from the boys with a pair of comfy briefs, a menswear pajama button-down, and a plush wool sweater. The final accessory? Something Pulitzer-prize winning that you can talk about over dinner the next week. After all, the couple that reads together, stays together.
