Velvet
adds perfect touch to holiday wardrobe
Janelle L.
Burns - Fashionably
Tuesday
With
the holidays and party-throwing splendor
in full swing, many of you have sent me
e-mails asking about holiday dress code.
The theme of your inquires is the quintessential
question that seems to plague many of us
this time of year. “What should I wear?”
Without going on and on about what is appropriate
to wear to a formal affair — which I’m sure
you all had practice with at past proms
and winter formals — I will just name a
simple solution and as always let you take
it in and make it your own.
Remember when I dubbed corduroy my pick
for fall? Well I’m making my pick for winter.
It seems natural I do so now because it
will also work for all your holiday soirees,
no matter how potluckish or formal.
Keep an open-mind, because the fabric I’m
digging so much has a very formal presence.
Movie halls of old and playhouses of now
use it to adorn stages and it screams elegance
and sophistication. When you walk into a
fancy hotel, chances are the drapes are
made from this lush material. This posh
and delightful-to-the-touch fabric is velvet.
I’m not suggesting we dress up like a Four
Seasons’ window covering; a touch is all
you need. The great thing about this fabric
is its timelessness. One of my favorite
pieces is a vintage couture, black, fitted
velveteen jacket. It goes with jeans and
sleek boots and it goes with formal wear
for evenings.
There are many types of velvet. Velveteen
has a more matte look. True velvet looks
like you would want to touch it. The most
readily available and cheapest is plain
stretch velvet. But be careful with stretch
crushed velvet — this tends to look a’la
figure skater costume.
A rich-colored velvety top would be the
perfect piece for the holidays. You can
wear it with a skirt to dress up or denim
to dress down. If you can’t find anything
you like in velvet, get a top you love —
even if it’s way trendy. You probably have
more than one gathering to show up at, so
it will pay for itself fast. The stress
of having your outfit will be out of the
way and you can feel good knowing you look
— and literally feel — fabulous.
If you can’t picture yourself in velvet
anything, try it on! You may be surprised.
P.S. guys love the feel of velvet!
|
