Velvet has a reputation problem that it does not entirely deserve. Say the word and half the room pictures a theatre curtain, the other half pictures a child's Christmas dress from 1994. And yet every December it reappears, because nothing else behaves the same way in low light: it absorbs and releases the glow from a candle or a lamp instead of flashing it back at you like sequins. Worn with a bit of restraint, it reads expensive and slightly serious. Worn without, it reads soft furnishing. The difference comes down to three things: the weave you buy, the number of velvet pieces in one outfit, and what you put next to it.
Not all velvet is the same fabric
The word covers several very different textiles, and knowing which one you are holding saves a lot of disappointment. Stretch velvet, usually a synthetic blend with elastane, clings and shines the most; it is the one most likely to look costumey, though it drapes beautifully in a bias skirt. Cotton velvet and velveteen are heavier, with a shorter, matte pile and more structure, which is why they make the best blazers and trousers. Crushed velvet has a deliberately broken pile that catches light in every direction and is the hardest to wear convincingly after about eight in the evening. Silk-blend velvet is the softest and most fluid, lovely for a slip dress, and the most demanding to look after. If you are buying one piece to wear for years, the short, matte pile of a cotton velvet in a tailored shape is the safest money.
