In some folklore, birds proposed to each other or got married on St Valentine's Day, which is a lovely idea! It ties in with the concept of Valentine's Day being a celebration of the coming of Spring. This was picked up by Chaucer in 1382, in 'The Parliament of Fowls', the first recorded association of Valentine's Day with romantic love, which depicts birds choosing their mates: "For this was on Seynt Valentynes day, Whan every foul cometh there to chese his make" (In modern English: "For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird comes to choose his mate")

 The earliest surviving Valentine is a 15th-century poem written by Charles, Duke of Orléans to his wife, which commences: "Je suis desja d'amour tanné/ Ma tres doulce Valentinée..."This translates as "I am already sick of love/ My very gentle Valentine…" At the time, the duke was being held in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt, 1415 and the piece describes how much he misses his beloved wife.

Valentine's Day is referred to by Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet (1600–1601):"To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day/ All in the morning betime/ And I a maid at your window/ To be your Valentine." 

The first sign of the classic "Roses are red/ violets are blue" dates back to Edmund Spenser's epic poem The Faerie Queen (1590): "She bath'd with roses red, and violets blew/ And all the sweetest flowres, that in the forrest grew." The now rather clichéd Valentine's Day poem can be found for the first time as a full piece in Gammer Gurton's Garland (1784), a collection of English nursery rhymes published in London by Joseph Johnson (above.)

In 18th-century England, Valentine's Day grew into an occasion in which couples expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "Valentines"). In 1797, a British publisher issued The Young Man's Valentine Writer, which contained sentimental verse ideas for the young lover who couldn't think of his own.

 Printers had already begun producing a small amount of cards with verses and sketches. Paper Valentines became so popular in England in the early 19th century that they were assembled in factories, made with real lace and ribbons. Paper lace was introduced in the mid-19th century. In 1835, 60,000 Valentine cards were sent by post in the United Kingdom, despite postage being expensive.

 A reduction in postal rates following postal reforms and the 1840 invention of the postage stamp saw the number of Valentines posted skyrocket, with 400,000 sent just one year after its invention! So began the less personal but much easier practice of mailing Valentines. This also made it possible for Victorians to exchange cards anonymously, which explains the sudden appearance of saucy verse in a prudish time, as being anonymous made people brave (and cheeky!)

 Since the 19th century, handwritten Valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards, but that doesn't mean you can get away with making no effort!

Fast forward to the modern day, and Valentine's Day can be a minefield. In mainstream retail suddenly everything is pink and glittery and covered in hearts. But here at USTUDIO things are a little different.

We believe that our collection is full of stuff that lovers will love, and we are more than happy to help you find a gift that really says 'I love you' rather than 'I just bought this because I panicked'. Read on for some ideas in our glorious Valentine gift guide.

First things first - for an amazing card to give to an amazing person, head over to our sister site, cardo.love where you will find a wonderful Valentine collection full of beautiful, contemporary and downright lovely greeting cards, like these… 

Perhaps your Valentine would melt for some tasty Bare Bones bean-to-bar chocolate, or a lovely, delicate necklace, handmade in the UK by Alex Monroe? How about a Macon & Lesquoy embroidered bullion thread lapel badge?

We have some amazing perfume brands here at USTUDIO. Continuing the French theme, Maison Matine is a rebellious and cheeky French perfume label. They rebel against the opulence and sexism of the mainstream perfume industry and believe in simplicity and diversity, and we at USTUDIO agree with them! We love their captivating unisex fragrances and striking illustrated bottles. Lost in Translation is a woody, spicy fragrance with top notes of violet and juniper, middle notes of rosewood and black pepper, with heady base notes of patchouli, tobacco and leather. Suitably swoonsome for your Valentine!