Q: I own a fab dark blue velvet suit. I’d like to try the jacket with jeans in the daytime, but my friend told me that it’s an evening look. Also, I’m confused about vents: My velvet jacket has no vents. Are side vents more casual?

A: I just bought my first velvet suit since…oh, I don’t even want to say how long it has been. But I will say this: Members of the Rolling Stones would have worn a velvet jacket with jeans in the daytime, back when. Brian and Mick, anyway. A velvet suit is an elegant look, and so it’s suitable for evening, but I would wear it to a daytime event where champagne is likely to be served. Why not? As for vents, whether or not a suit has them has no relation to degrees of casualness. Casual means “occurring by chance,” and that’s the charm of casual dress: unexpected combinations that look like fortunate accidents, such as a velvet jacket with jeans.

April 2004

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