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Go for velvet dresses this winter season, says
Homai Sagar
VELVeT is the new fabric for fall 2010. It is stepping on silk’s toes this winter. All the Indian design doyens love it. So it can never be far from a catwalk comeback. It is no wonder then that velvet would claim its place as this season’s most beloved material. Since fashion is generally moving away from the bold and the beautiful, and more into the minimal and sleek, this fabric adds the dimension of texture. It also has an unmistakably gorgeous way about suggesting the female body’s shape, as the velvet twists and turns on a human body.
There are many types of velvets in cotton, silk and satin varieties. Of these, silk velvet is considered best for making dresses. Let us recognise that velvet is often confused with velveteen, crushed velvet and corduroy. To these names you can also add finishing processes known as burnout velvet or flock and embossed velvet, which can confuse even more. In India the name for velvet is makhmal, which travelled with the Mughals from the Middle East. The velvets currently available in the market are often a mixture of rayon and acetate. They have a nice feel but certainly do not match the feel of silk velvet. Many knit fabrics with pile added can resemble velvet, and are sometimes mislabelled as velvet. Velveteen is often confused with velvet but differs because of its shorter pile, which originates from extra loops in the weft. Velour is also similar to velvet in both texture and weight. But it is made form cotton, rather than silk or synthetic fibres, and in the same manner as velveteen. Basically, these are all pile fabrics that stand up from the back of the cloth. The surface of the fabric is a series of loops, which can be cut or left uncut, dependant on the method of manufacture or end product. An uncut pile fabric will have a pile surface, whereas a cut pile fabric will have a nap surface. One advantage is that velvet has deep and rich colours like violet, purple, wine red, black, dark brown, Moroccan blue and olive green. While a wide variety of imported velvet is available, the Indian velvet is also very commendable. As fashion designer Umesh Jiyani states, the Indian velvet compared to foreign velvet has a two-toned shadow effect, and gives one’s dress a vintage look in a positive way. But the imported velvet has solid shades. Recently, designers have turned to flocking velvet, a sort of satin material with velvet motifs embossed on it. Luckily, this fabric, especially in jewelled hues, really suits Indian skin tones. However, it tends to make you look larger. So go for a velvet jacket or skirt. Wear a full velvet suit only if you are slim, recommends fashion designer Payal Singhal, and advises; "It is a thick fabric and suits petite people really well." Want a classy look for
an evening date? Try a velvet skirt with an antique sari border, and
team this with an asymmetrical georgette off-the-shoulder top, for a
delicate feminine look, says fashion maestro Raghu Naik.
Alternatively, he recommends stitching velvet appliqué on a pair of
jeans or even a denim skirt, and team this with a lycra or chiffon
top. A sari with a velvet embroidered border or even tassels can look
great, as per fashion maestro Manish Malhotra. — MF
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