Textures are in. Lace, fur, neoprene and velvet: wear them all. Especially velvet. This winter, velvet will not be just your favorite type of Sprinkles Cupcake, it will also be your go to fabric for cold weather. It is made a special loom that weaves two different materials at the same time. This intricate process makes the fabric thicker, warmer and softer than others. Before industrialization, velvet was very expensive to make because of this process. Well-made velvet is still relatively expensive and usually has to be dry cleaned, but luckily many fashion items these days are available in cheaper, ‘lookalike’ materials.
Let’s start from the top down. Don’t leave the house this winter without fur earmuffs connected by a velvet band. They’re chic, soft and won’t mess up your hair like a hat would. Next, velvet framed sunglasses. I suggest the ones from Ray-Ban or Italia Independent. The Ray-Bans, $135, in the iconic “pilot “ style, feature mirror lenses inside the velvet frame. Seen on celebs like Alessandra Ambrosio, the mirror coating on ray bans is made by superheating metal oxides and fusing them to the lenses at a molecular level. Additionally, the mirror coating helps to reduce glare. From afar, the rims just look like a matte material, but up close, anyone can see that they are a winter must have. If the pilot shape isn’t great for your face, look for shades from Italia Independent, $215. The Italian brand designs specifically with stylish and individualistic women in mind. Their timeless frames decked out in velvet coating can give anyone a fresh look for winter. Unlike the Ray-Bans, these are available in countless shapes including hearts, cat eye, wayfarer, square, aviator, round and studded. All of their glasses are treated with Uv Lux which makes the glass soft as if the lenses were covered in velvet themselves. Also, don’t forget a case for your new sunglasses. I recommend a Jonathan Adler handmade needlepoint sunglass pouch, $42 They are groovy, fully lined, padded and feature a velvet back.
Moving down, don’t leave the house without velvet pants. Check Forever 21, H&M and Urban for leggings, both black and patterned, and Rag & Bone/JEAN for velvet denim. The Rag & Bone legging style jeans are stretchy, slimming and the most comfortable pants in the world. Made out of luxurious velvet, do not miss out on these pants. If you’re a skirt girl, check out the skater skirts and dresses at Asos, $25-$35.
The finishing touch on any outfit? Velvet smoking slippers. The ones from Del Toro, $325, are actually amazing. Originally made just for men, Del Toro is a luxury brand based in Miami. Now that they feature Lady Del Toro’s, definitely go snatch a pair. They have an Italian classic silhouette mixed with a mod Miami vibe, and each pair can even be customized. Del Toro’s are sure to be sophisticated, suave, hip and exactly what you want them to be. They all have unique details, grosgrain trimming, leather soles and wooden stacked heel. They are handmade in Italy, and even feature embroidered emoji patches that code for funny phrases like “bookworm, “queen bee” and “lucky bitch.” Because Del Toro’s are so pricy, definitely check out similar ones from Jon Josef, C. Wonder (Tory Burch’s ex-husband’s brand) or stores like DSW.