Velvet on the High Seas -- fantastic or faux pas?

[Shelley9962]

I have an outfit I bought for our midwest Christmas festivities -- gold sweater set (very light weight) and brown velvet gauchos (is that what they are being called in this rendition of them?) Would this be a do-able outfit for a non-formal night? I wouldn't wear the boots, of course, but a pair of slings that match the sweater set.

 

Is the velvet too much? I also have a wonderful black velvet dress with 3/4th lenght sleeves and v-neck bodice that I love...

 

Thanks in advance..... and I should add, we're sailing over New Years... 10 days to go!

[Cats' slave]

It wouldn't be a faux pas but I brought a long velvet dress once and I felt out of place. It was the first of February and it would have been appropriate formal wear here, but it looked funny in the Caribbean.

 

Your outfit may be fine. Wear what you feel pretty in. It's your party.

[Jane110]

Shelley,

 

This is an ongoing debate here and I can tell you that you're not going to get a unanimous vote.

 

First off, let me be clear that I know where you're going. You didn't tell us where you'll be cruising. I'm assuming that you're off to the Carribbean or South America or some other tropical/summer climate.

 

If my assumption is correct then I'm a "no velvet" vote. My POV is that velvet is a winter fabric and you'll be in a tropical climate. Velvet is no more appropriate in the tropics than boots are.

 

And you'll also hear from the "yes" vote side that the ship is airconditioned, so that makes it okay. But to that I say, that it would then be appropriate for you to wear linen and sandals now in Chicago because homes and restaurants are heated.

 

Your outfits sound very pretty, however, very wintery.

 

Jane

[amapola]

People who live in the Caribbean (at least in my spot of land in the Caribbean -- Puerto Rico) wear velvet, boots and even sweaters in winter. Yes, "winter" here means 75F on a chilly day :D but that's what we do. If you go to any party here, you will find plenty of women dressed in velvet. And in offices, women wear tweed suits. BTW, we also wear jeans year round, even when it's 98F (I always get a laugh when people say "Don't take jeans, they're too hot for the Caribbean").

 

We don't wear tropical print shirts, sarongs* or other fashions that are marketed as "tropical" or cruise wear, except for people in the tourism industry, who I guess must put up that stereotypical tropical front.

 

YMMV, just my 2 cents :) , the usual disclaimers ;).

 

*except at the beach, of course

[folashade]

Shelli

 

I am going to be one of those who say no to velvet in the tropics.

 

F

[gymbrat33]

I wore a velvet dress on my summer cruises and never felt out of place. It is super cold on the ship.

[Cruise Arizona]

DD wore long sleves and velvet on Thanksgiving, we were at sea and the temperatures were cool, and it was burgandy velvet with a fall/winter print satin skirt.

 

She also wore a short sleeved velvet and satin midnight blue dress when we were leaving Lahaina. I'm not sure that was the most appropriate selection, but its what she wanted to wear, and she is 7, so I'm sure that it was reallly no big deal.

 

I would say that in the tropics you can wear velvet if the over all style and cut of the dress or pants suit is appropriate for the warmer climate. Also if it is the smaller percentage of you outfit and not the entire outfit.

 

Jane is from New York wher they have 4 definite season and I live in Arizona where we have only three seasons, warm, hot, and really really hot, so our sense of fashion may go more with the spirit of the season rather than the actual weather.

 

My thought is that velvet is OK for a holiday cruise as long as it is not head to toe.

[Shelley9962]

Thank you for all the responses and I was just curious if anyone wore velvet... I've decided to not take the pantsuit, but I might take the dress -- while it's velvet, the style of it isn't a "heavy" style (with shorter sleeves, knee-length hem and a wrap-around style). I'm not sure I"ll wear it, but I may :)

[Laetitia]

I wore a hunter green velvet dress for the 2nd formal night of our 10/23 Mariner sailing. It has a halter neckline and is about mid-calf length. My SIL wore a black velvet dress with floral embroidery on the bodice. Hers had spaghetti straps and an open back, as well as a walking slit. My vote? Velvet can be OK.

[momofmeg]

People who live in the Caribbean (at least in my spot of land in the Caribbean -- Puerto Rico) wear velvet, boots and even sweaters in winter. Yes, "winter" here means 75F on a chilly day :D but that's what we do. If you go to any party here, you will find plenty of women dressed in velvet. And in offices, women wear tweed suits. BTW, we also wear jeans year round, even when it's 98F (I always get a laugh when people say "Don't take jeans, they're too hot for the Caribbean").

 

We don't wear tropical print shirts, sarongs* or other fashions that are marketed as "tropical" or cruise wear, except for people in the tourism industry, who I guess must put up that stereotypical tropical front.

 

YMMV, just my 2 cents :) , the usual disclaimers ;).

 

*except at the beach, of course

 

Ofcourse not-you got to tell the tourists from the natives. (LOL) Actually my hubby will wear his tropicial shirts on dress down Fridays at work-he could care less if he looks "touristy".

 

I absolutely hate the sarongs. I do not think they are veryattractive so you will never catch me wearing one-on or off a cruise.

[zebster15]

Velvet/velour, wool is sold and worn in FL. While we are in the Caribbean, it is still a sub/tropical climate.

[caviargal]

I do not think velvet is appropriate for a Caribbean cruise. IMO, it is winter fabric and not suitable for the tropics.

 

I live in FL and would only wear velvet here if is is cold - 40 degrees or so - and it is the holiday season. Even then, it would not be a velvet outfit appropriate for a northern climate.

[BlueHerons]

Velvet/velour, wool is sold and worn in FL. While we are in the Caribbean, it is still a sub/tropical climate.

 

I live in South Carolina and have four wool sweaters. One is a ski sweater I've had for 15 years. One is a cashmere sweater set, the other two are cashmere. I'm lucky if I wear them once a year.

 

While we aren't as warm as Florida or the Caribbean, our climate is still considered sub tropic.

 

We wear boots for the look instead of for practical reasons.

 

Velvet: except for one pair of fabulous stretch velvet pants I rarely wear velvet. I have a fantastic skirt that has been sitting in my closet for 17 years.

[RumRunner01]

I was recently on the Tahitian Princess and I wore velvet several times, but never more than one item at a time. I'm a velvet lover and will wear it year round in appropriate pieces. On the cruise one night I wore a velvet sleeveless top that had beading on it and wore light weight black pinstripe capris to dress it down. Another night I wore black velvet pants with something lighter on top. On a formal night I used a velvet burnout shawl with a spaghetti strap dress. I say velvet is great and why not wear it if it's not too much at once!

[RumRunner01]

I was recently on the Tahitian Princess and I wore velvet several times, but never more than one item at a time. I'm a velvet lover and will wear it year round in appropriate pieces. On the cruise one night I wore a velvet sleeveless top that had beading on it and wore light weight black pinstripe capris to dress it down. Another night I wore black velvet pants with something lighter on top. On a formal night I used a velvet burnout shawl with a spaghetti strap dress. I say velvet is great and why not wear it if it's not too much at once!

[judyzoo]

My vote -- velvet is fine. You're going to wear it on the ship at night (where it's likely to be chilly, but at least isn't hot), not on a tropical island in the noon sun.

[zebster15]

Velvet/velour, wool is sold and worn in FL. While we are in the Caribbean, it is still a sub/tropical climate.

 

Woops I forgot the, NOT in the Caribbean,

[amapola]

Ofcourse not-you got to tell the tourists from the natives. (LOL)

 

:D :) :D

[Trevoli]

I can't believe we're still 'talking' about this. How many times has this been discussed to death?

 

If you like it and it fits, wear it. Nobody cares.

 

T

[Trevoli]

I can't believe we're still 'talking' about this. How many times has this been discussed to death?

 

If you like it and it fits, wear it. Nobody cares.

 

T

[momofmeg]

I live in South Carolina and have four wool sweaters. One is a ski sweater I've had for 15 years. One is a cashmere sweater set, the other two are cashmere. I'm lucky if I wear them once a year.

 

While we aren't as warm as Florida or the Caribbean, our climate is still considered sub tropic.

 

We wear boots for the look instead of for practical reasons.

 

Velvet: except for one pair of fabulous stretch velvet pants I rarely wear velvet. I have a fantastic skirt that has been sitting in my closet for 17 years.

 

That is me-I rarely wear heavy acrylic sweathers-it does not get cold enough here-but I do wear my cashmere ones-they are much lighter weight and "breathe" great-even if the day warms up- I am fine in a cashmere sweather. I wear a lot of velvet but not that heavy velvet and it is more of the casual type velvet-you know like QVC's Denim and company velvet and I wear it right up to the first of spring when it is cool enough. No I won't wear it on a 70 degree days but I will on a 50 degree day and I can tell you right now we are having plenty of those days. Heck I wish it would hit 50-it has really been cold here for Atlanta this time of year-usually it is not this cold until January.

[Shelley9962]

Sorry for bringing it up; I tried the search engine; unfortunately it is lousy.

[momofmeg]

I can't believe we're still 'talking' about this. How many times has this been discussed to death?

 

If you like it and it fits, wear it. Nobody cares.

 

T

 

Usually the people who post this are new to the boards-but you are right-if they would do a search would would find this was a hot debate a week or 2 back and then last month, the month before and on and on and on.

 

Sometimes for us regulars on this board it is just better to skip these but we also got to remember brand new folks come to this board every day. They are on their first cruise and are afraid of making a fashion faux paux.

 

No worry on that account is it? Every cruise I go on it seems people are getting more and more lax on how they dress and anything goes-I don't know why the cruiselines even have the "suggested wear" anymore-it seems fewer and fewer follow this and no one is turned away.

[momofmeg]

Sorry for bringing it up; I tried the search engine; unfortunately it is lousy.

 

Even if the search engine does not work you can always scan down 4 or 5 pages until you find "velvet" in the thread title.

 

But no biggie Shelly- we do not have to read every thread do we? So no real need for anyone to say "I can't believe this is being discussed again". (Apparently they like me come to this board too much.)

 

Other hot topics are - white shoes, white pants are they okay in the caribbean? Are jeans okay for dinner? which cruiselines enforce dress code? (and I could go on and on.)

 

I guess though as I said if the regulars on this board did not want to discuss these subjects-they would not click on these threads would they?

[Jane110]

Sorry for bringing it up; I tried the search engine; unfortunately it is lousy.

 

Shelley,

 

No need for apology. As a subject you're interested in, I don't think you should be repremanded for bringing it up. Yes, the "velvet in the caribbean" is an ongoing debate that pops up regularly here.

 

For those of us who've discussed it in the past, we can choose to give our opinions to the OP (original poster) or we can choose to ignore the thread.

 

Feel free to ask about any fashion/beauty topic you want to and don't worry if it's a topic that's been discussed before. Just like other sections of this forum talk about things like currency exchange, ATM's in foreign countries, ship's tour vs private guides, alcohol policy's - there are simply some topics that get asked about over and over by people who want the information. Those who have been here for a long time often have "here we go again" thoughts, but that's their "problem", not the OP's.