Velvet is the fabric winter parties are made of. It catches the light every time you move, it photographs richer than any flat fabric, and it comes with a little stretch built in, which makes it one of the most forgiving things you can wear to a long night out.
A good velvet dress also works harder than a summer party dress. Sleeves and longer lengths actually make sense in December. Jewel colours look expensive under evening light. And because most velvet today is a polyester blend rather than the stiff silk velvet of old photos, it moves with you instead of standing away from the body.
This guide pulls together five velvet dresses you can order right now, priced from $65 to $189. There is a black mini for a house party, an emerald maxi with long sleeves, a wine midi with one shoulder, a plus size cocktail dress with pockets, and a forest green gown with the best reviews of the five. Every price, size and rating below was checked on the store page today.
Why velvet looks expensive in photos
Velvet is a pile fabric, which means the surface is made of tiny upright fibres. Those fibres catch light from one angle and fall dark from another, so the same dress reads bright where it curves and deep in the folds. That is the whole trick. A plain black dress can look flat in a photo, while a black velvet dress shows shape, depth and shine at once.
The colours in this guide lean on that effect. Emerald, wine and forest green are the shades velvet does best, because the pile gives them a depth that a flat fabric cannot match. If you are choosing between two colours in the same dress, the darker jewel tone is usually the one that looks richer in person and on camera.
One honest limit. Velvet shows pressure marks and lint more than smooth fabrics, and light colours show them most. Dark shades are the safer order if the dress will sit in a wardrobe between wears, and a quick pass with a lint roller before you leave is worth the minute it takes.
The five dresses
Bellissima Black Velvet Halter Mini Dress, $65 at Lulus, the mini
The Bellissima is the party dress of the group. It is 32.5 inches long in a size M, so it lands mid thigh, with a halter mock neck, a sweetheart bodice and an A-line skirt that sits fitted at the waist and looser at the hip. The shell is a polyester and spandex velvet with a touch of stretch, and the dress is lined.
Black velvet in a mini length is the easiest version of this trend to wear. The high halter neck keeps the top covered while the short skirt does the party work, and black hides the lint and marks that velvet picks up, which matters at a crowded house party.
Sizes run XS to XL, and every size was in stock in black today. Lulus calls it true to size and says it suits A to C cups best. One honest flag, this dress is new and has no reviews yet, so the fit notes here come from the size chart alone. Order it early enough that an exchange is painless. If a short dress is not your thing but the season is, the Christmas party dresses guide covers longer party lengths.
Forever Sensational Velvet Long Sleeve Maxi Dress, $78.40 with code DEALS20 at Lulus, the long sleeve maxi
The Forever Sensational is the dress for the coldest nights on the calendar. It is a floor length maxi at 59.5 inches in a size M, with long sleeves, a sweetheart neckline and a tulip skirt with a side slit. The velvet is a polyester and spandex blend that Lulus describes as very stretchy, and the dress is lined. The list price is $98, and the product page shows code DEALS20 taking it to $78.40.
In emerald, the colour does what this guide keeps talking about. The pile turns a plain long sleeve maxi into something that glows under party lights, and the sleeves mean no hunting for a wrap or a jacket that works over it.
It holds a 4.0 star rating from 85 reviews. Lulus calls it true to size, very fitted at the natural waist, with the stretch giving room at the hips. One reviewer found the shoulders sat loose and felt the fit favours a fuller chest, so smaller frames should read the size chart closely. Sizes run XXS to 3X. In emerald today, XXS, XS, S, M, L and 3X were available, while XL, 1X and 2X were sold out, so the middle of the plus range is the gap to know about.
One-Shoulder Velvet Midi Dress by ASTR the Label, $99 at Nordstrom, the one shoulder midi
The ASTR midi is the modern cut of the five. It has one shoulder, a short sleeve on that side, and a ruched body that skims rather than clings, with a slit at the back and a hidden side zip. The fabric is a polyester and elastane velvet, and the dress is lined. Nordstrom does not state a length in inches for this one.
Wine is the colour to order. It sits between red and burgundy, reads warm in evening light, and the ruching gives the velvet broken highlights all down the body, which is exactly where this fabric looks its best.
It holds 4.4 stars from 47 reviews, and customers say it runs true to size, with reviewers noting a comfortable stretch. Sizes run XS to XL, but the wine colourway is patchy today, XS, M and XL are available while S and L are not. If your size is one of the missing two, order the nearest one only if you are comfortable using the returns window, or take the emerald maxi above instead.
Angelic Velvet Cocktail Dress by Kiyonna, $168 at Nordstrom, the plus one
The Angelic is the plus size pick, cut in sizes 0X to 5X. It is a cocktail length dress at 43.5 inches in a 1X, landing just past the knee, with short sleeves, a surplice V-neck and a slip-on fit. The velvet is a polyester and spandex blend. Two details lift it above a basic party dress, it has side pockets, and it needs no zip, no hooks and no help to get into.
Olive green is an underrated velvet colour. It reads softer than emerald and warmer than black, and it pairs with gold jewellery better than any other shade in this guide.
It holds 4.5 stars, though from only 2 reviews so far, so treat that number as a promising start rather than proof. One reviewer called the shape flattering on an hourglass figure, light and comfortable to wear. The dress is unlined, which is part of why it feels light, and worth knowing before you order. In olive green today, 0X, 1X, 3X, 4X and 5X were available, with 2X the one size missing. For more plus size occasion options, the plus size wedding guest dresses guide is built the same way.
Ruched Three-Quarter Sleeve Velvet Gown by Alex Evenings, $189 at Nordstrom, the formal one
The Alex Evenings gown is the dress for the formal end of the season, a wedding with a black tie note, a gala, a work event with real dressing up. It is 60 inches long, with three-quarter sleeves, a surplice V-neck and a ruched tulip skirt, in a polyester and spandex velvet that is partially lined, closing with a hidden back zip.
Forest is a deeper, quieter green than the emerald maxi above. On a longer dress with more fabric in frame, that restraint is the right call, and the ruching across the body gives the skirt its shape without any stiff structure underneath.
It holds 4.8 stars from 40 reviews, the strongest rating in this guide. Customers say it runs true to size, and reviewers praise how soft the fabric feels inside and out. The tulip hem rises at the front, which takes away the classic long dress problem of catching the skirt with your shoes on stairs. Sizes run 6 to 18. In forest today, sizes 8 through 18 were available, with size 6 the only one missing.
The stretch is the sizing secret
Four of these five dresses are velvet blended with spandex or elastane, and that changes how you should size them. A woven dress with no give has one right size, and being between sizes in it is a real problem. A stretch velvet dress has a range, because the fabric moves across the waist and hips instead of fighting them.
That is why the fit notes on these dresses keep landing on true to size. The Forever Sensational is the exception to keep an eye on, since Lulus marks its waist as very fitted even with the stretch, so the waist measurement on the size chart is the one to trust there. The ASTR midi and the two Nordstrom gowns are ruched, and ruching hides a multitude of fit questions, because the gathers take up or release fabric where the body needs it.
If you are between sizes, the stretch works in your favour in the mini, the midi and the plus cocktail dress, where the smaller size will usually sit smooth. In the fitted waist maxi, take the larger size. The size converter will translate your usual size if you are ordering across US and UK labels.
Velvet care, in short
Modern velvet like the dresses in this guide is mostly polyester, which is tougher than the silk velvet of vintage dresses, but it still hates two things, direct iron heat and being crushed. Hang the dress instead of folding it, and let bathroom steam from a shower take out light creases. If a dress needs more than that, a handheld steamer held a few inches away is the tool, never a flat iron on the pile.
Always follow the care label on the dress you bought, since linings and trims differ. Spot clean marks quickly, because velvet holds dust and lint on its surface, and store it inside a garment bag if it will hang next to rougher fabrics. None of this takes long, and a velvet dress that is stored well looks new for many party seasons, which is more than can be said for most sequin dresses. If black is your colour rather than green or wine, the black cocktail dresses guide covers the same season in a different fabric.
Frequently asked questions
Are velvet dresses in style?
Yes. Velvet comes back every cold season because it suits the weather and the light, and it is a steady party fabric rather than a one year trend. The current versions are softer and stretchier than older velvet, in jewel colours like emerald, wine and forest, with modern cuts such as one shoulder and halter styles alongside classic long sleeve gowns.
Can you wear a velvet dress to a wedding?
Yes, for autumn and winter weddings a velvet dress is a strong guest choice. Midi and maxi lengths in deep colours like wine, emerald and forest suit formal dress codes, and the fabric reads dressy without any embellishment. For a daytime summer wedding it can feel heavy, so save velvet for cooler months and evening ceremonies.
Do velvet dresses stretch?
Most modern velvet dresses do. Velvet is usually blended with spandex or elastane, four of the five dresses in this guide have that blend, and it gives the fabric movement across the waist and hips. The stretch makes velvet more forgiving than most party fabrics, though a fitted waist style still deserves a close read of the size chart.
Are velvet dresses warm?
Warmer than most party dresses, yes. The pile surface traps a little air, and velvet styles often come with sleeves and longer lengths that suit cold weather. A long sleeve velvet maxi is one of the few party dresses you can wear in December without a wrap, though it is still an indoor dress, not outerwear.
How do you get wrinkles out of a velvet dress?
Use steam, never a direct iron. Hang the dress in a bathroom while a hot shower runs for light creases, or use a handheld steamer held a few inches from the fabric. Ironing flattens the pile and can leave a permanent shine mark, so keep flat heat away from velvet even on a low setting.
What shoes go with a velvet dress?
Metallic heels are the classic pairing, because gold and silver pick up the shine in the pile. Black suede heels work with every colour in this guide and never fight the fabric. Keep jewellery simple with dark velvet, since the fabric already catches the light, and choose one statement piece rather than several.