Giving the likes of cashmere and silk a real run for their money, velvet as a choice in fabric is synonymous with luxury. Having been established for quite a while now as a staple in party wear, the velvet look can be rather tricky to master. Done right however, your inner Gatsby elegance will be channelled, but if you happen to miss the mark then you’ll inevitably look dated.

Noose and Monkey shares with us their top tips on how to wear velvet to ensure you get it just right:

The Event Matters

Unlike checked prints or tweed, velvet can’t be your one-size -fits-all, go-to fabric, so you have to be selective about where and when you wear it. Velvet should almost be exclusively worn when attending a formal occasion, but as will be discussed there are a few ways to style the fabric up for some of those smart-casual events as well.

Velvet Makes a Statement

Velvet never goes unnoticed with its luxe sheen silky-smooth feel and it never fails to turn heads. This is why the rest of your outfit should perhaps be kept muted.

Bold patterned shirts are to be avoided as loud prints do nothing but compete with the velvet. This minimises the fabric’s impact so keep everything else muted so that the velvet can do what it does best and shine.

How to Wear Velvet

There are three loose categories into which the way in which you wear velvet can be arranged, whether you’re going all out with it or if you’re just adding some touches of it here and there:

Velvet Accents

Who it’s for – If you want to experiment with it, but you aren’t quite ready to fully commit to something like a suit or jacket.

How to do it – Velvet accents can be injected into your look quite easily if you take your pick from some carefully selected accessories. Pocket squares, ties and bow ties make for a great starting point and you can start small by wearing just one, or you can velvet it up with a pocket square and bow tie combo. Make sure to maintain consistency however if you go with the latter by keeping the colours the same.

A pair of velvet slippers is another great way of adding some velvet to your ensemble and even though they may seem like something Aladdin would rock, you can certainly make it work if you wear them with confidence.

The Velvet Jacket

Who it’s for – If you’re a confident custodian of fashion and you want to break away from what is now the boring black tie, a velvet jacket is for you.

How to do it – Velvet jackets make for a refreshing alternative to the standard suit jacket, adding that illusive fashion-savvy edge. Paired with smart brogue shoes and formal trousers, any gentleman would be proud to wear this look.

The cut is important so it should be perfectly tailored.

Muted colours such as black, rich green, dark blue and deep red work best since velvet is in itself a statement. Black in particular is timeless.

With the right styling, your jacket can be worn to smart-casual events as well.

The Velvet Suit

Who it’s for – If you’re more of an eccentric dresser and you really want to turn heads.

How to do it – A white shirt will do to go along with your plain, dark-coloured velvet. Don’t go with velvet slippers – rather go with a pair of classic leather shoes. Avoid suedes as well as they’re a bit too similar to velvet.

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