Fall Is the Perfect Time to Swaddle Yourself in Velour

If you lived through the 2000s, you probably have a complicated relationship with velour. Maybe your associations with the fabric are tarnished by memories of bedazzled tracksuits with pithy catchphrases printed on the ass. Or maybe you remember velour more as an accent, a detail on a lapel or a pair of handcuffs (wink wink). So if you’re reading this with any preconceived hang-ups related to velour and velvet, its higher-end sibling, we’ve got big news: as a matter of natural law, velour and all its variations are back and better than ever.

What is velour, exactly? Good question. Unlike flat-woven fabrics like twill and canvas, velour and velvet are pile fabrics, materials woven in such a way that the yarns are raised up from the surface, giving them a distinct three-dimensional feel. (If that texture reminds you of a terry cloth towel, an especially plush rug, or a hardy pair of cords, you’ve got the right idea.) Pile fabrics include some of the most decadent textiles around, so it’s no wonder that many of them used to be the exclusive domain of actual royalty like kings and queens—and wannabe royalty like Paris Hilton and your eccentric uncle who insists he's a duke. 

What’s behind the pile fabric craze right now? In the early 2010s, streetwear’s ascent helped elevate sweats and hoodies to the forefront of the fashion agenda, throwing cozier fabrics into the spotlight. Then came the tracksuits (...again). In the latter half of the 2010s, brands like Needles and Kapital put the silhouette back on the global map with the help of modern-day menswear kings like A$AP Rocky. But now velour is moving even further from the fringe to the forefront. It’s no longer reserved for red carpet events, and it’s long since transcended its tacky origins (though, lest you forget, gaudy is good).

And why not? It’s sultry and elegant, it’s sleazy and luxurious, it’s sporty and comfy in equal measure. Perhaps it was this very dichotomy that kickstarted velour’s comeback in the first place: it proved the fabric’s got some serious range. And as we head for gloomier months, we could use another cozy quill in our quiver beyond the usual wools and cashmeres. So to prove the point, we rounded up a heavy-hitting roster of luscious, impossibly decadent velour joints to help you lounge like a don all fall long.