In the early days, because of the difficulty creating it, velvet was associated strongly with royalty. But that is not the case today. Every year, the colder weather brings back the fabric with lots of fashion inspiration. Velvet is actually a very soft, breathable fabric which is why it can (and should) be worn all year round.
Whether it’s about a small piece of velvet accessory or a Victorian-inspired velvet dress, it’s really important to know how to wear velvet not to make it look cheap, but instead bring out the royal luxury in it. Everything starts from learning how to pick velvet pieces and make them appropriate for every occasion.

POWER PAIRING
Avoid pairing velvet with fabrics that have an overly similar finish like corduroy, velour, and velveteen. Velvet can look nice with small, localized prints or with large prints, but small, busy prints will clash against your velvet fashion items. Generally, let your velvet dress be the star of your look, and avoid pairing it with anything too flashy. If you are looking to combine practicality with fashion, make a simple velvet dress in your favourite colour and pair it with a heavily embroidered dupatta or shawl. You can pair your makeup and accessories with tones present in that dupatta/shawl. And you can switch it with another one designed completely differently to create multiple looks!

KEEP IT SIMPLE
A velvet dress is an easy evening wear choice, though velvet jumpsuits and separates can also work, especially for semi-formal occasions. Velvet has a powerful texture, so when styling it, remember that less is more. Stick to delicate jewelry, and simple textures on accessories like shoes, jackets, or shawls. If you’d like to wear velvet separates like a skirt, top, or trousers for an evening look that is not overly dressy, you can safely combine them with elegant yet delicate fabrics like satin, chiffon, or lace.

SHADE OF CHOICE
Want to standout truly from the rest of the crowd following the trend this season? Get creative with the colour! When you think of wearing velvet, the colours that come to mind are always black, green and red. Choose a bright shade that no one would think of and pair it with a toned-down hue with accessories and/or dupatta or vice versa. Pick two colours, one bright and the other sober, and assign one of them to your dupatta/shawl and the other to your separates. As for the shoes, bags and jewellery, you can go with the metallic tone of the embroidery on the dress.

QUEEN OF EMBELLISHMENTS
You can certainly go for a common solid colour when it comes to wearing velvet. Even with a classic colour, such as black, there are plenty of ways to make your dress fun – it might even be more fun to style it! You can opt to get the dress embroidered in a contrasting tone that would stand out or a metallic one, such as silver, gold, copper. Additionally, you can add life to the look by pairing the dress with heavy, blingy accessories.

VELVET FOR DAYTIME
Velvet separates are excellent for daytime, since they add a unique touch to an outfit without taking over the whole look. One of the fun ways of wearing velvet is pairing it with hyper-casual items. You can wear a velvet blouse with a pair of distressed jeans and sneakers, or any other unique combination you might have in mind. In general, pair your velvet separates with separates in the following fabrics for a more casual feel: denim, wool/ knitwear, and simple cotton. No matter what kind of separate you choose, let it be the star of your look. Add a blazer to this look for a more professional feel.

VELVET DRAPE
Velvet’s sumptuousness means that it is an excellent fabric for luxury evening wear. Even a simple velvet garment seems more expensive and ornate strictly because of the soft, shiny fabric. Stand out by carrying a velvet sari – a trend rarely seen. When wearing a velvet sari, just keep in mind to keep the embellishments on either the blouse or the sari; don’t overdo it by pairing a heavy sari with an equally heavy blouse. Let the sari stand out through the power of the fabric. There are plenty of ways to add embellishments to your look – heavy waist belt, matching embroidered handbag, jewellery etc.