Found blue velvet jacket at Stanford last night

Oh, the memories! I bought my blue velvet jacket in the late seventies. It was from Halston, and still beautiful when I gave it away in '82 (assuming something like that would NEVER, NEVER, ever be wearable again).

And so, of course, velvet jackets made a comeback. My flawlessly constructed Halston would have been the leader of the pack. But I suspect you missed that boat by a couple of years. Maybe you could wear it in Vegas or Atlantic City. But I doubt it.

Gauche or not, velvet jackets are among the most beautiful of garments. I understand your attraction. If it makes you feel better, one of my best friends had a navy velvet jacket from Pierre Cardin. We both wore them for business. We laughed about it later, when we were all grown up, in our Norman Hilton suits. But before his demise at thirty-something, my friend had risen from an impoverished background to become a multimillionaire. And I did better than I'd ever dreamed. We did these things partly during the period when we were running around to meetings in those outre jackets.

I have some silk jackets from Pal Zileri and a red Cashmere from Brioni, that I wear around the house, but never out into the world. I think that's how you should wear your velvet jacket (once you've had it fitted with silver 'dome' buttons). Wish I still had mine.

wannaB1L said:

I don't own any jeans- would khakis and a white OCBD work?

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Miket61 said:

In Atlanta, bars and restaurants that restrict admission to those over 18 may allow smoking. Do you ever wear your velvet jacket to a place where people smoke? I'd be concerned about it acting like a sponge and requiring a hosing down with Febreze and a trip to the cleaners.

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I wouldn't do it with khakis - IMO it would a lot more look out of place than with jeans.

My jacket may smell like smoke for a few hours after being in a bar, but it airs out rather quickly. Certainly by the next time I have occasion to wear it.

As for the comments about not liking jeans and their informality - understood. Keep in mind, though, that not all jeans are grubby work wear. Some very dark, tailored jeans can look quite sharp to many eyes. Cringe if you will, but the uber-successful designer Tom Ford wore a velvet jacket and jeans as a bit of a uniform for some time. Many woman like the look -the key is not too accessorize it so that you come off like a douche - keep the rest of the outfit simple.

A compromise to all of this may be odd wool trousers. I've done this before and it looked good if not stunning. As always, the devil is in the details - the trousers and jacket must complement each other in cut, color and level of formality. Think of how a black velvet jacket is often worn as part of a semi-formal rig; it can look very good if done correctly.