Good, Bad & Ugly: Velvet Tops and Skirts

Velvet can make the right piece of clothing completely luxurious, perfect for a dinner party or night out, or completely ridiculous, perfect for the circus or a bad Victorian-era halloween costume.

The Good

Left: This top is so gorgeous and elegant! The color and lace combination is perfect - very feminine but not too little-girly (which is a common downfall of lace and velvet together). Right: This skirt also brings lace and velvet together for an exquisite winter look. Note that both, while adorned by sophisticated lace additions, emphasize simplicity and sleekness in their use of the velvet material - this allows the velvet itself to define the elegance of the item.

The Bad

Left: What is this supposed to be? An over-the-blouse corset? An oddly cut vest? It seems like there were scraps left from making a velvet jacket or dress and some poor design student stiched them together in hopes of creating something wearable. The color is the only thing this top has going for it. Right: This skirt looks like the fabric from the couch of a whorehouse. The bright fushcia is only made uglier by the double-trim. The cut is also unflattering, bunching the fabric up around the waist for what is sure to overexmphasize the hips and hide the curvature of the butt (something you want to flaunt!).

The Ugly

Left: Yes, that is the front view of the blouse. Yes, it is hideous in multiple ways. I don't know who would dye velvet to make it look like denim, considering denim is the exact opposite of the texture and feel of velvet (denim=ultra casual, velvet=ultra lux) and I don't know why that person would then give their denim-velvet creation a cut that is sure to have the affect of flattening the chest via the huge poofy 3/4 sleeves and the unflattering straight cut of the front of the blouse, but whoever it is, they should prepare to see their work on the sale racks of Anthropologie for months, until Anthro is giving them away (Seinfeld and the puffy shirt episode comes to mind). Right: This skirt is equally disastrous. Velvet tiered skirts are NOT a chic interpretation of Boho - rather they look like something some unfortunate woman picked up at Chicos. Crinkling the velvet makes it even worse - doesn't even look like velvet anymore.

Again, simplicity and sleekness are key to wearing velvet right.