The Thursday Thrift: Velvet

This week I am happy to be talking about velvet.  I love velvet and it is something I can always find at thrift stores.  Many pieces of clothing that are made out of this material are for special occasions and therefore only get worn once or twice before being sent to the local donation bin.  In fact, I have a few special occasion velvet items of my own probably sitting in the closet at my parent’s house.  That is if my mom hasn’t gotten rid of them by now.  (Totally fine if you have, Mom.  1990’s style formal dresses aren’t something I will be wearing any time soon!)

So, since velvet is something that is usually for special occasions, it is hard to find thrifted pieces that would work for an everyday setting.  I found this dress a few years back in a backwoods small town thrift store, and I knew I had to get it!  It is a little on the snug side, but it zips up just fine – it is velvet, after all!  Who cares that I can’t take REALLY deep breaths while wearing it, nor bend over to tie my shoes?  (Okay, the taking deep breaths part was an exaggeration, and I won’t be tying any shoes while wearing this anyway, so yeah, it fits just fine. :-))

The style of this dress is perfect for me.  It is simple and just the right length.  Velvet is considered dressy all by itself and with a little bit of help, it isn’t that hard to dress it down.  All I have to do is add one of my favorite, slightly faded cardigans and viola, perfect for a trip to Walmart – the small town mall, you know.

However, there is a down side to this type of fabric, Dry Clean Only.  There are a few things I own with this label that have survived the washing machine just fine, but when it comes to velvet, I haven’t risked it.  So, it gets worn infrequently, and maybe even more than once before it gets a proper washing.  I have yet to try Dryell, but thanks to a friend, I have some in my washroom right this very moment, so maybe this will be my first ‘dry clean at home’ item.

What do you think, is velvet something to look for in a thrift store?  How about dry clean only, is it really worth the effort to get something thrifted that requires the extra step, and money, when it comes to cleaning?  For most clothes, I say NO to dry clean only, but if its velvet…

|| Dress – Act One (thrifted) || Cardigan – Mossimo || Shoes – World Market || Necklace – handmade ||