In his fall 2016 collection, Ralph Lauren went for opulent. Case in point: this velvet coat with metallic printed florals made for after-dark glamour.
Stella McCartney favored velvet throughout her fall 2016 collection. Here, a plush dress with satin panels to bring out your inner royalty.
A tiered velvet dress from designer Ulla Johnson’s fall 2016 runway collection.
From the fall 2016 runway collection of Armani, trim velvet pants with plaid trim and matching jacket look ladylike but not boring.
Treat Theory’s Berdyne black velvet blazer ($495, saksfifthavenue.com) like a wardrobe evergreen that can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion.
An update of the sporty bomber jacket in the season’s favorite fabric from Frame. $550, netaporter.com.
Take the seriousness out of velvet in T by Alexander Wang navy blue wide-leg pants with elasticated waistband and rear welt pockets ($458.93, farfetched.com).
You and your feet can celebrate the holidays in Stuart Weitzman’s Gilligan Lace-Up flat in bordeaux ($398, bloomingdales.com).
Jeweled pumps from Ann Mashburn jeweled rose velvet pumps ($495, annmashburn.com) are made for partying.
For just a little luxe, add Zara’s burgundy velvet skinny scarf ($15.90, zara.com)
IN THE LATE 1960s, I was living in Rome and encouraged by my mother and her offer of $$, I made the bold decision to have a suit made for me — in black velvet. The tailor was located right off the swank Via Veneto. This was a time when you could do that sort of thing and still manage to afford school tuition or rent. The hip-length jacket with notched collar was double-breasted and my initials were embroidered in the silk, harlequin lining. The skirt was appropriately short — about an inch or two above my knees. Never before had I felt so fashionably cool. The next time I had a relationship with velvet was when I purchased a pair of Armani high-waisted, slightly baggy pants at one of Neiman Marcus’s big sales. I still have the pants and hide the too-tight waist by wearing a long silk shirt on top.
But now that velvet (along with brocade, fur and lace and bejeweled everything) has made a comeback — at least on fall runways of Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney, Armani and Valentino — I’m inclined to embrace it again, if cautiously. Too much of a good thing can wind up looking not so good or in the case of velvet, a little costumey. Think the Tudor, the Medici and the Borgia women swanning around in their cold castles swathed in velvet from head to toe.
The season’s favorite fabric is particularly well-suited for holiday wear. A great-fitting velvet jacket can be paired with a pleated skirt for a fancy dinner party or to dress up a pair of jeans for a casual Sunday night soiree. Want instant glam and opulence? Choose velvet accessories — bordeaux pumps, lace-up flats and skinny scarves.
See runway examples and our market picks in the photos above.
— Janet Kelly Janet Kelly is the editor of MyLittleBird. She last wrote about skirts with swish.
Hi, Amelia,
That’s a great coat. But it was a runway piece for Ralph Lauren’s fall 2016 collection. Those sorts of items are just produced for the runway and in 2016, at least, were not available for sale to the general public. If I recall, you might be able to duplicate the look with one of the kimonos I recently saw on the Anthropologie site.
How can i buy the blue embroidered velvet coat? I’ve been searching everywhere! Its either out of stock or the links disappeared!
Hi, Amelia,
That’s a great coat. But it was a runway piece for Ralph Lauren’s fall 2016 collection. Those sorts of items are just produced for the runway and in 2016, at least, were not available for sale to the general public. If I recall, you might be able to duplicate the look with one of the kimonos I recently saw on the Anthropologie site.
How can I buy this?
Is there something specific you’re referring to?