OUR CRUSH ON VELVET
How the rock star staple has made a comeback
IS IT POSSIBLE to think about velvet without imagining a young Mick Jagger or Patti Smith strutting on a stage? For me, the fabric evokes a kind of luxe bohemia, a glamorous and yet nonchalant way of dressing that works for day and evening. Its rich, decadent connotations have appealed to rock stars and aristocrats for decades, and over the last few seasons, it’s dominated designer catwalks, imagined on everything from fancy athleisure to sofly tailored suiting and drapey eveningwear.
Both Bottega Veneta and Prabal Gurung served vibrant crushed velvets for this winter. Dennis Basso focused on shimmering velvet metallics, while Alexander Wang and Oscar De La Renta kept textures classic and traditional in darker, richer shades. The velvet blazer has been an obvious frontrunner for designers and high street labels – its soft, supple richness has now replaced the allure of the slouchy biker jacket as a trophy cover-up essential.
Last season, the e-commerce site Lyst.com noted a 45 per cent increase in sales for velvet, with the wrap midi dress coming up trumps. This season it’s drapey velvet skirts and trousers that we’re investing in – with jazzy embroidered pieces particularly popular as Christmas looms and festivities demand so much more from our sartorial decisions. High-street stores like Zara, H&M and &OtherStories have polished velvets in their current collections. Look out for luxe embroidered velvet kimono dresses, tailored high-waist velvet trousers with slouchy matching belted blazers and velvet 1960s-style shift dresses with embellished collars, perfect for the office with tights and mules and with a snazzier shoe for afterwork activities. Topshop and labels like The Kooples, Acne Studios and MSGM are always good for velvet suits in earthy tones – crushed forest green and burgundy velvets offset with logo T-shirts are a clever touch for a dressed-down, edgier take on the material.
How to maximise your wear? Velvet may have a luxe, romantic nature but a velvet blazer looks just as good worn with a white T-shirt, wide trousers and a pair of trainers, as it does over a pencil skirt and heels. Neat, fitted styles are gloriously flattering over a pleated midi skirt or baggier boyfriend jeans. The trick is to keep styles nicely snug – velvet is naturally heavy so some versions can look too oversized and bulky. Don’t rule out sporty drawstring trousers or skirts in crushed neutral-coloured velvets teamed with a chunky velvet knit either.
This may conjur memories of Juicy Couture numbers, but modern incarnations are far removed from 2000s ‘athleisure’. Luxe tracksuit styles from Chloé, Stella McCartney and Toga – all in Brown Thomas – have become a cult staple and can be dressed up with a tee and blazer or hoodie and Converse for lazier weekend days.
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