Bold, vintage trends find way into winter fashion

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The arrival of winter brought back textured materials to the fashion world, with velvet and faux fur being some of the most prominent trends, according to Vogue writers.

Ari Davis
Clothing racks at Soel Boutique in Provo sport some of the latest winter styles. (Ari Davis)

Velvet roared back onto the fashion scene toward the end of last fall. The cozy and rich material was last popular during the 1990s as a party fabric, but has adapted a more casual look for the 21st century, according to Who What Wear, a popular fashion and trends website.

Velvet has been called the season’s “it” fabric by Startup Fashion, an online community of designers and brands.

Ashley Mauger, a manager at Soel Boutique in Provo, has noticed the explosion of the velvet trend, especially within her store.

“I think that for us, we started to see it with chokers first,” Mauger said. “Velvet chokers came in and people were just buying them all up. Now we have velvet tops and skirts.”

Paige Avenue
Paige Avenue Shop sells velvet pieces that are trending in Provo fashion. (Paige Avenue)

A casual or dressy spin on velvet has made it the perfect way to play with different textures and styles in an outfit, according to Mauger. She said the style is a fun, new trend in fashion.

“Texture is a big thing right now. Flowy velvet with skirts and tights is a great look,” Mauger said. “I’ve seen it really dressy, but you can just wear it with a casual white tee, and it still stands out.”

The material has traditionally been seen as a dressier fabric and online fashion magazine Liva believes that being able to have such a luxurious fabric in everyday life is part of the reason so many people are liking it.

This velvet trend is popular among local boutiques, but it is also seen on the red carpet. Many celebrities, like Blake Lively, have chosen this fabric for their award show attire.

Mauger likes velvet’s association with parties and happy memories, and thinks this winter trend will continue into spring.

“When I think of velvet, I think of New Year’s. I think of Christmas,” Mauger said. “I feel like it’s going to come all the way through to March or April.”

Another prominent trend this winter is faux fur. The warm material has shown up mostly in vests, coats and hats. It has been especially popular on runways and in major cities like New York, Los Angeles and London. Vogue even featured a buying guide all about real and faux fur at the beginning of the winter season.

Mauger said faux fur has only been a recent addition to their inventory, but she doesn’t see the trend lasting long in Provo.

Ari Davis
Faux fur is a big fashion trend this winter. (Ari Davis)

“I feel like it’s more high fashion and big cities will be keeping up those trends longer,” Mauger said. “This area has a very toned down version of high fashion.”

Faux fur has made its mark in Provo with chunky cardigans. These cardigans offer warmth and length, and can be combined with fun textures. Mauger said the casual look of a knit cardigan is a nice alternative to the bold look of the faux fur version.

“Any type of textured cardigan, with loops or if it’s super soft, is a very big thing right now,” Mauger said.

Soel Boutique
Soel Boutique styles Faux fur coats and sweaters, a popular trend in Provo this winter. (Soel Boutique)

At BYU students have been keen to pick up on trends and get inspiration from their peers. BYU human development student Tainui Brewster said noticing what fellow students are wearing seems to make a bigger impact on students’ style choices than what a magazine or website might say.

Brewster said fashion trends among students influence her when it comes to choosing her own outfits.

“I’m always looking at other people and getting ideas for when I go shopping,” Brewster said. “Sometimes, if I see something at the store I noticed someone else wearing and I think is cute, then I want to get it.”

Even if students notice the trends around campus, it’s not always to their liking. While the velvet trend may be a home run with many, it’s not for everyone. Students who can remember the last time a trend was popular might not be as interested in the trend the second time around.

Marianna van Brederode, a BYU student studying political science, has noticed the abundance of velvet but doesn’t think it suits her.

“It might be warm, but personally, I don’t think the velvet look is super cute or anything,” van Brederode said. “It just kind of reminds me of what I used to wear when I was three years old.”

This winter has brought a lot of vintage textures and classic fabrics back to stores, some of which students might feel are too different to try. Mauger said if students are afraid they can’t pull something off, velvet is the way to go.

“It’s very simple, but I feel like velvet stands out,” Mauger said.

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