The holiday season is upon us. Boutiques are pulling out all the stops with the new Christmas looks arriving in their stores. You’ll be bombarded with pictures of glittery Christmas trees, cozy sweaters, and sparkling attire. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment. This almost happened to me as I was scrolling Facebook the other day and happened upon a pair of velvet pants.
What I’m about to say is a messaging struggle for me. You don’t have to be a size two to be beautiful (if so, then I’m counted out ha!) and you should wear what you like and not worry so much about being “on trend“ every second of every day. But I also grew up watching What Not To Wear and saw the confidence boost that wearing clothes that actually fit your body and a hairstyle that suits your face shape can do for someone. So I decided to trudge on with this message to you today. This may not even be needed. Im pretty sure most everyone in my life knows how to dress themselves Or at the least things that are or are not flattering. BUT then I happened upon this picture and thought I should jump in lest someone be led astray…
Velvet is back in the limelight and I have to say that it makes a great holiday texture. It has a very luxurious look and feel to it. It’s also typically found in jewel tones which are not only luxurious, but also flattering! So I'm not here to bash velvet, but I am here to give you a quick guide on how to wear velvet.
Im going to get the technical terms/science wrong here, but in my simple brain, velvet reflects light. It is also made up of tiny, plush, and mailable fibers. The fabric looks different depending on how the light is hitting the fibers. (I know. I should have kept my fashion textbooks ok? Hang with me). Things that reflect light, make…ahem… other things… appear bigger.
So, if you want to introduce velvet into your holiday wardrobe, then I fully support you, but here are a few key things to take away.
Fitted velvet will always make you appear larger than you are. A looser fitting shirt might actually have a more slimming effect. Seems counterintuitive, but it’s true.
The darker the better. Even black velvet is going to reflect light and draw attention to the sheen in the fabric. Eyes follow and process light. I don’t care how skinny or fit you are, not even black velvet can slim down wider hips etc.
Avoid velvet in any area you don’t want to draw major attention to (I’m primarily speaking about hips, derrière, and thighs.)
Velvet can be used as an accent piece on a top or in a headband if you like the look of it, but can’t make it work on your body type.
If it seems like I’m being overly negative about velvet, I don’t mean to be. I just know there are many women out there who want to look with it and together, but they don’t have the time or desire to spend hours researching fashions and Pinterest picks so if they repeatedly see velvet in the marketing they view, then they might be led to buy something thinking it’s going to work for them. Fashion is fun and it has little rules, but it doesn’t always get it right.
To end on a positive note, I scoured the Internet to show you a few velvet options that I think would be flattering on most women! And of course, you can always keep it simple and add in a pop of velvet with a headband or another accessory 😉
Ok, I’m getting off my soap box. Wear what you want and Holidays! Maybe just opt for a billowy blouse or velvet Swiss dot sleeve accents instead of velvet pants or a form fitting skirt. That is all. The day is yours again.
XO,
Monica
Comments