Tag Archives: velvet

How To Wear Velvet In The Day

Posted in clothing, dressing for work and dressing for an interview, dressing for your age, how to, personal style, product review, tips and tricks, trends by

One of things that trips us up sometimes is when a traditional way of looking at a fabric gets turned on its head by a new fashion trend.  This is the case with velvet this season.  Traditionally, velvet has been a dressy fabric, reserved for special occasions, holiday parties, and lounge lizards…smile.  (Don’t ask me why, but I just had an image of John Travolta singing “ah, ah, ah, ah…staying alive”).

Well this season, velvet has emerged as an every day fabric that can work for cozy weekend, work and date night.  Those of you who still think of  it as dressy only, may be struggling to figure out how in the world to wear this new trend.  The answer is really very simple: pair it with a casual fabric like denim.

Let’s face it, while the head to toe velvet active wear jogger is trendy right now, most of us (uh, um) older ladies are not going to go for that.  We can still do velvet, however, by toning it down and mixing it up.  For example, pair a velvet kimono with beat up boyfriend jeans and shoe boots.  Wear a velvet top with dark denim skinny jeans and boots.  Pair a velvet tailored jacket with a classic button down blouse, black slacks and heels.  Do you get the picture?  You have to re-think your old way of seeing velvet.

The truth is, this luxurious fabric is fun to wear.  What is not to like about velvet, unless you are like one of our employees who is wierded out by the fact that if you brush the velvet one way, it’s soft.  But, if you brush it the other way….yikes.  She is just skipping the trend all together.  If you have texture issues, you might want to join her.  For the rest of us, however, velvet is a wonderful fabric and should find a place in our wardrobes this season!

How Do I Wear Velvet Without Looking Retro?

Posted in how to, personal style, product review, tips and tricks, trends by

One of the biggest fashion trends for fall is velvet.  I have just returned from market in Las Vegas, and let me tell you, velvet was everywhere!  Some of you might be thinking, been there, done that, don’t want to do it again!  While I totally understand the strangeness of have a trend re-surface from a time when you were younger, there is a whole generation of young contemporary women who have never experienced velvet in their wardrobes.

You may be wondering how you wear the new velvet trend without looking like you stepped out of the seventies.  To keep it fresh and modern, manufacturers are doing fun things like pairing velvet with printed chiffon, especially florals.  The model on the right has a chiffon and velvet kimono with a floral print that is kept modern by pairing it with distressed jeans rolled to an ankle length and paired with shoe boots.  The velvet top on the left might have come straight out of the seventies, but it is presented in a new fresh way by pairing it with printed, skinny jeans.  Even though printed bottoms were also popular in the seventies, these are decidedly modern because of their animal printed theme, grey hue and skinny style.

These are both good examples of a fashion principle.  If you are wearing a retro trend like velvet, make sure everything else on your body represents a modern trend.  You would not, for example, want to pair a velvet top with high waisted, wide bottomed jeans unless you were intentionally going  for a seventies vibe in your clothing.  Instead, using on trend styles like boyfriend jeans, ankle length and skinny legged pants, and ankle boots, you can have a hint of retro without looking like you shopped from the thrift store.

Wearing velvet is a wonderful experience.  It feels amazing against your skin, and is a cozy fabric to put on in the dead of winter.  It does not need to be reserved for dressy occasions.  Velvet is a fabric you can wear any time by pairing it with the right bottoms.   If you have never had the pleasure of a velvet piece in your wardrobe, you are in for a treat!  Make sure you give one a try this season!