Though I truly dread cold weather—and all the bulky clothing, hair-ruining hats and traction-centric shoes that come with it—there is one thing it does right. It ushers in velvet mini dress season.
Velvet mini dresses are some of the most magical pieces of clothing we’ve ever been blessed with. They’re edgy, glam and luxe all at once—and even better, they fit into any aesthetic. Whether you prefer a colorful wardrobe full of retro silhouettes, an achromatic wardrobe with sleeker lines or a slinky wardrobe in glitzy metallics, you can find a velvet dress that works for you. (Yup, metallic velvet is a thing. I’m ecstatic, too.)
Though velvet dresses are aesthetically versatile, they’re extremely seasonally limited. Velvet feels distinctly inappropriate for spring or summer; even if you get past the hurdle of breaking status quo, the fabric is miserable to wear in warm weather.
Though mini dresses beg to be worn during the calendar’s hottest months, velvet mini dresses do not—they demand to be paired with tights, summoned during fall and winter and shelved during any other time of year.
Needless to say, when velvet mini dress season arrives, we mustn’t take it for granted. We must pull out our go-to minis and look for every possible excuse to wear them. Because we deserve it. We deserve to look edgy, glam and luxe all at once, and we deserve to enjoy one of our world’s most wonderful pieces of clothing whenever we get the chance.
And if you haven’t yet stocked up on said piece of sartorial magic, flip through the below slideshow to find the velvet mini dress soulmate of your wildest, wildest dreams.
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A Comprehensive Guide to Velvet Mini Dress Shopping | @stylecaster
L'Academie The Wrap Dress
Perfect for the holidays—and any other time you feel like wearing a green velvet dress.
L'Academie The Wrap dress, $218 at Revolve
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Revolve.
De la Vali Jane Mini Dress
Metallic velvet. Can you think of anything more luxe?
De la Vali Jane mini dress, $543 at Farfetch
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Farfetch.
Oh My Love Pephem Dress
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ASOS.
Velvet Wrap Dress
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& Other Stories.
Isa Arfen Bow Wow Dress
The '80s called—they want you to enjoy this contemporary take on one of their favorite silhouettes.
Isa Arfen Bow Wow dress, $1,233 at Matches Fashion
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Matches Fashion.
Club L Plunge Wrap Dress
Velvet wrap dresses are totally on the menu.
Club L plunge wrap dress, $20 at ASOS
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ASOS.
Little Mistress Wrap Front Dress
Velvet can skew comfy-cute casual when you want it to.
Little Mistress wrap front dress, $36 at ASOS
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ASOS.
Valentino Long Sleeve Puff Dress
It may be expensive AF, but it's sooo pretty.
Valentino long sleeve puff dress, $5,980 at Farfetch
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Farfetch.
Color Block Velvet Track Dress
Velvet athleisure is here to make your life exponentially better.
Color block velvet track dress, $30 at ASOS
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ASOS.
Balenciaga Draped Velvet Mini Dress
All kinds of dynamic.
Balenciaga draped velvet mini dress, $2,897 at Matches Fashion
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Matches Fashion.
Parisian Cami Wrap Dress
OK, you'll be really tempted to wear this one year round.
Parisian cami wrap dress, $26 at ASOS
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ASOS.
Amber Dress
Shiny leather sleeves and a plunging velvet bodice? Yes, please.
Amber dress, $695 at Jill Stuart
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Jill Stuart.
Flounce London Mini Dress
Definitive proof that glitter and velvet aren't mutually exclusive.
Flounce London mini dress, $23 at ASOS
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ASOS.
Club L Velvet Wrap Dress
Luxe, figure-hugging velvet rendered in one of fall's most vibrant jewel tones.
Club L velvet wrap dress, $24 at ASOS
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ASOS.
A.L.C. Kendall Dress
Your favorite trench coat just got the velvet mini dress treatment.
A.L.C. Kendall dress, $358 at Revolve
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Revolve.
Tie and Stop Me Velvet Dress
A staple you'll turn to the next time you need a party dress in a pinch.
Tie and Stop Me velvet dress, $20 at Nasty Gal
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Nasty Gal.
Emilio de la Morena Velvet Dress
Vintage-inspired velvet—and it's on sale.
Emilio de la Morena velvet dress, $514 at Matches Fashion
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Matches Fashion.
Lovers + Friends Simone Dress
So, so sleek.
Lovers + Friends Simone dress, $138 at Revolve
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Revolve.
Saint Laurent Velvet Devoré mini dress
An anything but ordinary black, long-sleeve mini.
Saint Laurent velvet devoré mini dresss, $1,813 at Matches Fashion
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Matches Fashion.
Tularosa Tawney Dress
Magenta is a seriously underrated fall color.
Tularosa Tawney dress, $158 at Revolve
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Revolve.
Gestuz Crushed Velvet Dress
Not your average crushed velvet mini.
Gestuz crushed velvet dress, $82 at ASOS
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ASOS.
Boohoo '80s Plunge Bodycon Dress
That neckline.
Boohoo '80s plunge bodycon dress, $18 at ASOS
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ASOS.
Hailey Square-Neck Mini Dress
Because lavender's a pretty underrated color as far as velvet goes, don't ya think?
Hailey square-neck mini dress, $59 at Urban Outfitters
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Urban Outfitters.
Saint Laurent Plunge Neck Mini Dress
You won't be able to stop running your hands over this one.
Saint Laurent plunge neck mini dress, $3,002 at Matches Fashion
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Matches Fashion.
Club L Mini Dress
The cutouts add a little fun texture to an already dynamic piece.
Club L mini dress, $24 at ASOS
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ASOS.
One Sleeve Contour Mini Dress
Because white and velvet don't have to be mutually exclusive.
One sleeve contour mini dress, $238 at Revolve
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Revolve.
Tularosa x Revolve Ryland Dress
So simple, but so, so chic.
Tularosa x Revolve Ryland dress, $168 at Revolve
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Revolve.
Isa Arfen Drama Sleeve Mini Dress
We love a statement sleeve.
Isa Arfen drama sleeve mini dress, $1,082 at Matches Fashion
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Matches Fashion.
L'Academie The Military Dress
The double-breasted cut further elevates this already sleek mini.
L'Academie The Military dress, $198 at Revolve
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Revolve.
Glamorous High Neck Dress in Glitter Velvet
A velvet dress you'll definitely want to wear out on the weekend.
Glamorous high neck dress in glitter velvet, $23 at ASOS
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ASOS.
Velvet Wrap Mini Dress
Introducing your go-to December party dress.
Velvet wrap mini dress, $24 at ASOS
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ASOS.
By the Way Georgia Velvet Dress
Stars, short hems and shiny, shiny velvet.
By the Way Georgia velvet dress, $40 at Revolve
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Revolve.
Redemption Velvet Mini Dress
An '80s AF silhouette made appropriate for 2018.
Redemption velvet mini dress, $1,313 at Farfetch
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Farfetch.
