Fear of velvet?

Royal Purple Velvet

At my company, Harobed Designs, we just sold another of our lovely Poet Jackets (TM) - which made me think about velvet and the sometimes puzzling reaction I hear from women about it.

First, though, the velvet we use for our Poet Jackets is not the old almost-impossible-to-work-with velvet, which frayed as soon as it saw a pair of scissors and left tufts of itself all over the place while you were working with it.  No, the velvet we use for our Poet Jackets is the lovely modern stretch velvet, with gorgeous properties, not just the colors, but the way it cuts cleanly and doesn't fray... the way it holds its shape... the way it can be machine washed if you so desire...  Velvet that has come a long way since the Middle Ages.

Which leads me to... why is it people, in the modern era, when we are all supposed to be equal, seem to be so afraid of velvet?  Women will admire my Poet Jacket when I wear it and then say: "Oh, but that's too luxurious for me!" or "I could never wear anything as gorgeous as that...". 

Dusk Blue velvet

This concerns me because in the Middle Ages, there were what's known as sumptuary laws, and velvet was a forbidden fabric.  That's right, if you weren't a member the nobility, you weren't supposed to wear it.  Does this mean that some programming went into our DNA long ago, triggering a present-day obedience to these long-defunct laws? 

Perhaps it's time to take another look at all fabrics -silk, velvet, brocade, satin and more - nowadays, all come in  easy-to-wear, easy-care versions.  If nothing else, you'll be striking a blow for equality, since most, in antiquity, were restricted  to those with a title.  Something to think about, next time you are shopping for clothing...

Periwinkle velvet

Pink Blush velvet

Copyright Deborah C. Sawyer

Look Smarter...BE smarter!

Photo One

First, in case I haven't said it before: Happy New Year 2011!  In this blog, I'm holding true to its name by going inside the designer's head, namely, looking at how your thinking, when you are deciding what to wear, can have a bearing on how your day goes.

We all know the workplace has become more casual in recent years and more relaxed styles of dressing are now the norm. Sadly, for many women, "casual" has more correctly become "haphazard", meaning they do not look smart.  Last year, I was taking a course where many of the women - most of whom were my age-mates - would frequently tell me: "You always look so pulled together!".  I suspect, from the way they said this, they thought it took vast amounts of time and effort to make this happen.

The fact is, it just takes a bit of common sense when you shop for things and a wee bit of effort when you get dressed.  The two photos I am showing with this post are a case in point.  Because I work from home, most days I like to dress comfortably and only put on a formal jacket if I am going out and about.  However, if I gave in to just putting on cords and a sweater (photo one),  I would not look very smart.

Photo Two

Contrast photo 1 with the same cords and sweater but now paired with a matching belt and a necklace (photo 2).  Not only do I look more "pulled together" than in the first photo, I actually feel better.  And feeling better about how you look can have a huge bearing on the kind of day you have, whether you work from home or go out to an office.  It doesn't mean you have to dress up over and above what is expected at the office -  unless you want to - but a bit of thought can go a long way.

One of the reasons most women end up with a bitty and "pulled apart" kind of look is that their closets or wardrobes are bitty; they purchase without a plan and don't stick to colors they really love!  If you're still casting around for a New Year's resolution, why not make one that this year, you will take the time and effort to look more pulled together, so that you will not only LOOK smarter, you'll probably also BE smarter i- and will reap the results you want! 


Copyright Deborah C. Sawyer