Velvet was once royal and it hasn’t forgotten about that. Even though the industrial revolution has made velvet affordable to the masses, it still remains a fabric that stands out from the crowd. Gordon Richardson, creative director of Topman, explains the fabric’s appeal: “Velvet is one of those perennial classics that are faintly nostalgic, reminiscent of simpler, noble times,” he says. “And it is particularly good at taking on colour due to its sumptuous depth of pile.” And indeed, some of the richest colors can be produced when dying velvet. Although velvet is a lavish fabric, you can easily wear an all-velvet outfit and still not look as if you’re exhibiting this year’s high-end upholstery fabrics. “There is an overriding sex appeal to velvet,” says Tony Glenville, creative director at London College of Fashion.
“I don’t think velvet is a trend that comes and goes,” he adds. “It is always in the background.
I think so too, except, this year, velvet is not on the background, it’s in the front seat! At its beginnings, during the Qin dynasty, there was one type of velvet, made from silk, now we have many different kind, made from natural as well as synthetic bases like rayon, polyester etc.
What I tried here is getting several types of velvet together into a “oh so velvety look”. And by the way, this is one of the very few looks of me wearing above-the-knee skirts. I generally don’t like them. A skirt above the knee (similar here) usually looks like the woman’s trying too much, it gets the attention, no doubt about that, but it’s not exactly the attention I’m after. Still this one looks nice and sweet, the devore velvet fabric gives it a more elegant air, which makes it acceptable. Devore or burn-out velvet was actually used in the 20s and 30s for making evening gowns and shawls since it’s both sexy and classy at the same time. The Mango blazer (similar here and here) with square shoulders (which is very “It” right now) is cotton velvet. The boots are stretch velvet which is a mix of polyester and spandex. The boots (similar here) are actually my favorite piece in this look, positioning themselves somewhere between classy and sport. They would greatly compliment and more classic look, like the one I’m wearing as well as a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. I like items like that-universal. And finally the cap, which is the forth type of velvet and namely velveteen. Velveteen is a pile fabric that generally has a shorter pile than true velvet and is of course cheaper.
That’s it for today ladies, hope you enjoyed the ideas! If you did, you can shop the look below and see you next time for some more fashion, beauty and health advice!
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