Vavavoom Velvet

CEBU, Philippines - There is this one dress that I simply find hard to do without. Well, it was never mine in the first place because it was one of those little hand-me-downs from my mom. The dress is cut in a classic LBD silhouette with no embellishments whatsoever. It is simply a sweetheart, pencil cut black dress and it is velvet. 

I’ve loved velvet ever since even though they’ve always believed that velvet is a little bit too risky, considering that the wrong cut or the wrong color may make you look baduy. I love the feel of velvet and how glamorous it looks when the golden glow of lights suddenly hits it. When I think of velvet, I think of the words “vintage”, “classic”, and “timeless”. 

Velvet is making a comeback this 2010 with a fresh twist on this classic fabric. Tanya Braukamper, EiC of Fashionising.com pinpointed four key looks to score when donning velvet by the second half of the year.

Red Carpet Ready

More than anything, velvet is a fabric that has traditionally been used to dress up high society. If you have plans to garb yourself in the classic velvet fashion, you’re good to go if you zero in on a rich, opulent, and elegant feel. Go for solid, floor-length numbers that hug the body and highlight your assets in the right way. A classic, no-frills approach will work best with minimal accessories in pearl or tarnished gold so you won’t look like an overdressed doña.

Take inspiration from Antonio Berardi and Nanette Lepore as they whip up lush evening gowns that bring you back to the red carpet glam of the 20s.

Flights of Fancy

Velvet isn’t just for stealing the spotlight as you sashay down the red carpet. For the younger set, velvet is also about being whimsical, fun-loving, and a little experimental without getting overboard. Designers like Julian Louis and Peter Jensen have given velvet interestingly unique takes, deviating from the usual colors of jet black and rich reds. Think about magical vintage carnivals and you’ll know what I mean. Get lost in a world of hippy flared pants and panelled tops in colors like caramel, sky blue, and cotton candy pink, and it’s easy to forget the serious roots of velvet.

Crushed and Grunged

The 90s seem to be making a comeback. Grunge is a 90s trademark, inasmuch as Hippy and Disco are to the 70s. Ironically, grunge is the antithesis of what velvet originally stands for because grunge is anything but classy. It’s a style that’s untidy, harassed, and abused which is why it was such a shock that velvet even became the fabric du jour for this particular fashion era. Grungifying velvet was about turning this Dr. Hyde into a Mr. Jekyll—hence we have crushed velvet. 

Update this look by making it a tribute to Alexander Wang by wearing it to work in a pseudo-corporate style scrunched up with interestingly wild details. What do you have? Grungified velvet catapulted from the 1990s to the now.

Dandified

Looking for some “wow” factor on power suits? Your answer is velvet. Velvet corporate attire like suits and waistcoats made it big back in the 60s and 70s and now, with a modern twist, you can take it to the boardroom, as well.

Go for a historical cut, as the base, and play around with some ruffles to give it a more feminine spike. Take inspiration from the likes of Karen Walker who, as Braukamper observed, “hit modernity nail on the head”. Stick to basic colors for this one before you go all out on the Austin Powers color scheme. Go for black if you want to stay on the safe side. Black is, after all, always safe and slimming.

Final Notes

Before you pounce on this trend head-on, there are just a few reminders to take note of when it comes to experimenting with this particular revival. First, skip the velvet capes matched with statement jewelry unless you plan to replace Albus Dumbledore.  Second, if you’re a little bit too shy in going all out on velvet, you can start with touches of velvet like velvet headbands and the like. Third, sportswear plus velvet equals disaster.

Don velvet the right way and you’re well on the path to making people say “vavavoom!” ?