Wearing romantic clothes — Fashion

Valentine’s Day seems to have snuck up on me this year. While many of my blogger friends are showing off their great Valentine inspired outfits, I have been busy watching my Grandson due to extra days off and working a few extra hours as well. My hubby and I also agreed to watch our grand puppy, Beatrice, while her parents are gone for a few days, so she arrived just this morning. We decided to do a stay-at-home Valentine’s Day date with the dog, so she doesn’t have to spend too much time alone. In leu of that, we went out for dinner last night.

Instead of showing you an outfit I thought it would be fun to show you a few clothing pieces that I feel inspire a Valentine’s look all year round. Valentine’s Day is a holiday we associate with romance. Whether you are married, a couple, partners or just friends who want a reason to celebrate, here are a few timeless pieces that inspire romance all the time.

Silk Tops

Besides cashmere, silk is probably the second fabric that people are willing to spend a fair amount of money on. Silk not only looks pretty, but feels pretty as well. Donning a silk top or a silk dress is the perfect way to make yourself look and feel, not just romantic, but sexy as well.

Ruffles

This is just my opinion, but there is something sensual and romantic about pieces with ruffles. Being the tomboy that I am, I rarely wear ruffles, but I do think ruffles exude femininity better than most other textures.

Lace

What is more romantic than lace. Think of the dresses and gowns that ladies used to wear back in the day. Lace wasn’t and isn’t just for negligee or wedding gowns. Lace can be worn any time. It not only adds interest and texture to an outfit, but a splash of romance.

Floral

Once again, I think of floral patterns as subtly romantic. Since we associate the giving of flowers with love or friendship, it seems to make sense that floral pieces would evoke a sense of romance, whimsy and love.

I thought I would include a few pictures of my own from the past three years of blogging that show you each of these romantic pieces “in the flesh”.

Silk

This silk light pink sweater set was a thrift store find. I have always wanted a sweater set for some reason and when I saw this one and felt how soft and literally silky it was, I knew I had to bring it home. If you are interested in the original post, just click on the picture.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Ruffles

As I said, I am not a huge ruffle fan, but occasionally I will find a piece that calls to me. With this fleece jacket I found on the clearance rack at Kohl’s I saw The Three Musketeers in all their swashbuckling glory and knew I had to take it home with me. After all what is more romantic than those handsome, swordsmen on their speedy steeds, trying to save the fair maidens in distress and get rid of the bad guys at the same time?

Lace

This top is not real lace, but it gives the appearance of lace, which is even better, because you don’t have to worry about wearing a cami underneath and it is soft and stretchy. I have other pieces that are actual lace, but I thought it would be fun to show you something different.

Floral

Finally florals. I have a number of floral pieces from jackets to tops to tunics to dresses. What can I say? I like flowers and since I don’t always succeed at having a greed thumb, the next best thing is being able to wear them, and I don’t even have to worry about killing them! Ha, ha.

This floral bomber jacket was a cheap JC Penney find and I love it’s versatility. I love how it gives this New Years Eve outfit an edgy, yet feminine vibe.

As I said before, if you want to see any of these outfit posts in full, just click on the pictures. Also, if any of the clothing links I included interested you, just click on the picture and it will take you to the retailer where you can find all the details on size availability and price. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

I hope this Valentine’s Day finds you feeling loved and warm with happiness, joy and peace.

Have a good day.

I know most other bloggers have already been talking about the trends for Spring 2018, which makes perfect sense since the Spring clothes are already in the stores. But I have never been one to keep up and I have a hard time thinking about Spring clothes, when it is still in the teens at night. We are supposed to get some warmer weather this next week, so maybe that will get my Spring sap moving...ha, ha.

In the mean time, I thought I would at least talk about what is up and coming for Spring this year.

Romance is In

Flowing fabrics, and florals highlight the romantic vibe that seemed to be taking the runways by storm.I like this trend, because it is feminine and flirty.

Here is a piece in my collection. While it is not made from flowy fabric, it is bursting with florals and the bell sleeves add a romantic touch. I'll be styling this little dress at a later date.

Shimmer and Shine

Dressing in shiny tops, dresses or tops isn't just for night time any more. Now you can wear your shimmer to the office. Pair a glittery top with a pair of jeans, ankle boots and a cute bag and you are ready for shopping with your gal pals. Add a denim jacket to a party looking skirt and you are ready for work.

I've styled this top on the blog before. You can see that post here.

The Check Please

Checks and plaid are still holding their own as a go to pattern. Now they are being found on bags, hats, tops with embroidery, pants and jackets. Colors vary from cool blues and reds to warm peaches and pinks.

I pulled these two pieces out of my closet and when I took the picture I thought, hey those pieces could be worn together for some fabulous print mixing.

Lucious Lavender

I have always been a fan of purple in all its varying shades. This spring the shades range from Pantone's Color of the Year, Ultra Violet, to the soft pastel of lavender. Which ever shade you choose purple is a must have item for this spring. Don't wear purple on a regular basis, add a pop of color with these pretty shoes and bags.

I couldn't pass up this beautiful lavender sweater from Ralph Lauren when I was out thrifting. You will probably see this on the blog soon too.

Fabulous Fringe

This trend seems to be hanging around for the long run. While it isn't prevalent everywhere for every season, it does seem to appear here and there, especially on bags and shoes. Fringe is a fun textural element to add to any outfit.

You've seen this on the blog before too. No need to run out and buy new things when they are already hanging in the closet. Original post on this vest here.

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great day.

Tuesday linking up with Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish and Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge.

Valentine's Day - Romantic Clothing

Spring Trends