Why velvet will always be the height of style sophistication – even during a pandemic

As England heads into a second lockdown for winter, Olivia Petter explores why the season’s most popular fabric maintains its appeal

(Rex Features)

Every year, when the warm summer sun has faded and the Pimm’s has run dry, something strange happens. Like magic, velvet suddenly appears everywhere. It’s in shop windows, it’s in glossy magazines, and it’s wrapped around women ordering skinny flat whites in coffee shops. But unlike most fashion trends, this one doesn’t tire. For there’s always a new way to wear velvet, a new brand that specialises in it, or a new item that can be made from it.

According to global fashion search platform Lyst, searches for “velvet” have been up by 30 per cent month-on-month. This is fairly standard for this time of year, but Lyst’s data editor, Morgane Le Caer, tells The Independent that lockdown has bolstered velvet’s supremacy even more. “Velvet has always been the unofficial fabric of autumn/winter — but this year more than ever, cosy pieces are being embraced by fashion lovers who have been spending most of their time at home and are looking to add a little bit of luxury to their remote-working wardrobes.”

It helps, too, that brands are constantly finding new ways to reinvent the fabric by tapping into more transient trends. Take Ghost, the bohemian British brand famed for its feminine frocks and vintage-inspired gowns. This season, the label has taken its cues from the statement collar trend that has been gathering pace in recent weeks by adding a white embroidered Peter Pan collar to one of its black velvet mini dresses. Paired with patterned tights and chunky boots, it’s the perfect at-home dinner date look for this season.

Turn your attention to emerging boutique labels, too, like Peachy Den, whose velvet jumpsuits have become a firm favourite among celebrities, including Maya Jama and Tali Lennox. The brand’s Kernel Jumpsuit comes in navy, baby blue, claret, black, and deep emerald (the most popular). They almost always sell out within days of restocking and are hailed for their flatteringly fitted bodices and gently flared trousers.

It would be negligent to discuss velvet’s perennial allure without mentioning The Vampire’s Wife. Founded by model Susie Cave in 2014, the cult British brand is famed for its darkly romantic dresses that are a hit among everyone from Sienna Miller to the Duchess of Cambridge. Cave’s designs come in a range of luxe materials and prints, but the standout pieces are almost always those that are made from velvet, given how much the material complements Cave’s trademark gothic aesthetic. This season, key looks include a mini sparkly dress, which is trimmed with ruffles at the neck, sleeves and hemline, and features a black glittering finish.

The Vampire’s Wife was also chosen as this year’s designer collaboration with H&M, resulting in a collection that featured T-shirts, jewellery and, of course, velvet dresses. With prices starting at £34.99 (the usual price tag for a Vampire’s Wife dress is around the £1,500 mark), it’s no wonder the collection sold out within hours.

But, as every fashion fan knows, good styling isn’t enough to stay relevant. Velvet’s appeal extends beyond the bounds of aesthetics. It’s also about how it’s made and where it comes from. “Whether made out of silk or cotton, velvets are woven with a pile that gives them extra warmth and tactility,” explains fashion historian Elizabeth Currie. This would explain why we reach for velvet as we descend into colder climes. What makes velvet even more unique, though, is its ability to absorb or reflect light, Currie adds.  “Depending on whether the pile is cut or uncut, some velvets shimmer while others have very deep, saturated colours, and both these effects are especially appealing and indulgent in winter.”

Velvets are woven with a pile that gives them extra warmth and tactility

Elizabeth Currie

As for what makes velvet so synonymous with luxury, this partly because of its history. The earliest mentions of the material come from court workshops in Syria and Iran in the eighth and 10th centuries, while silk velvet weaving itself was established in China in the 13th Century, and in Europe in the 14th Century.  “Velvet production really reached a peak of sophistication in the fifteenth century across many parts of the world – including in the Ottoman Empire, Iran, Spain and Italy,” Currie adds. “The most valuable types were brocaded in different ways with gold and silver threads, sometimes with two different heights of masses of small gold loops (an effect called riccio sopra riccio – or loop over loop – in Italy).” Back then, velvet was incredibly expensive and difficult to produce, meaning it was primarily worn by royalty and the aristocracy. “During the Renaissance in Italy, it would be combined with gold threads to create intricate designs that glittered against the heavy silk pile,” says Rebecca Arnold, lecturer in the History of Dress and Textiles at The Courtauld Institute of Art.

Today, velvet is no less luxurious. Despite the fact that most high street velvet is made from cotton to resemble the look and feel of the fabric, it still feels opulent and somehow exclusive. There are no limits to what can be made from velvet now, either. Head to swimwear brand Hunza G to find it on bikinis, and Marks and Spencer for lingerie sets. You can also find it on footwear, hosiery, and even shirts. But some of the best velvet items around this season are in the form of tailoring. We love this blue velvet suit from Bella Freud, and this forest green suit from Boden. Both capture the finery of this great fabric, resulting in a sophisticated (and festive) ensemble. One that will look just as good on a distant dancefloor as it will in your living room. That’s the thing about velvet: you really can wear it anywhere.