Romantic fashion is not about dressing like a character from a Jane Austen novel or Scarlett O’Hara – there is nothing old-fashioned about it at all! It’s about finding ways to express your beautiful, sensual, feminine side in modern styles and colors. Today’s guest might have some ideas on how you can do this – enjoy today’s video!

In today’s for older women video, Margaret Manning interviews fashion blogger Jess Jannenga from Elegantly Dressed and Stylish to see the ways we can all add some romantic looks to our daily style.

How To Find The Right Colors

Many of us are guilty of getting stuck in a color rut from time-to-time, relying a little bit too much on our safe blacks and neutral whites. Stepping out of your comfort zone to try new colors isn’t as hard as you think!

If you are stumped for ideas, Jess suggests taking a look at the Pantone Color Institute fashion color trend report for inspiration. The color palettes are updated every season to reflect emerging trends for the season ahead. She suggests mixing colors from the palette to find combinations you like and match well with your skin tone.

If you are not terribly interested in trends, Jess suggests pastels such as blush pink work well for most skin tones, and for deeper shades, olive or burgundy are an unexpected, yet, lovely combination of colors!

Unleash Your Feminine Side!

There are many ways to add feminine touches to your regular outfits without too much effort. For a quick feminine touch, Margaret and Jess both love accessorizing with vintage brooches.

Brooches can be added to modern looks to soften them, for example, you can add one to a hat or tie. You could even add a cluster of brooches on a denim jacket pocket as Jess has, and Margaret loves adding a brooch to her pearl necklace.

Both additions create a lovely focal detail and generate a great talking point – they are so versatile!

Dress Styles That Invoke Romance

Dresses have a dreamy quality to them that can make you feel feminine from the second you put them on. Somehow, you can just feel better when you put on a dress!

Long, flowing dresses such as those in a maxi style, immediately make you think of a balmy summer evening. If the weather is cooling off, you can throw on a soft cardigan to stretch that summer dress feeling out a little longer!

Jess has a particular liking for bodycon dresses in modest styles with a good print and forgiving fabric such as neoprene. As bodycon dresses are tightly fitted, you may be a little wary of trying them out, but investing in some shapewear will help you feel more comfortable and help show off your silhouette. They certainly have the power to inspire a little romance!

How to Mix Different Styles

Do not make the mistake of thinking fashion after 60 means limiting yourself to loose, pastel dresses! Believe it or not, a romantic style can also be achieved when wearing modern clothing.

As Margaret says, “Soft is good, but play with the edges… and have fun!” Pair a buttoned-down shirt with a high neckline with boyfriend jeans and a vest, and use accessories to add even more femininity to your look! The takeaway is to experiment a little – if you feel feminine and romantic in what you are wearing, then it’s feminine and romantic – you’re the boss!

Why Does Romantic Fashion After 60 Matter?

Fashion for older women is important because, in many ways, it’s how we express who we are to the outside world. As Margaret says, “women often define themselves in terms of their fashion sense – fashion should be a conversation starter and speak for you.”

If you feel like expressing a romantic, alluring, and spellbinding look, it’s vital you do so! You are not defined by others’ expectations of who you are and who you should be, and neither is your fashion choices!

What is a romantic clothing style to you? What colors do you think inspire a romantic look? How do you use accessories to feminize your look? Let’s have a chat!