News » Fashion

• **CONTEST ALERT!!** - #staydressedchallenge

  Published Apr 02 2020 in #staydressedchallenge, Contest, COVID-19, Dresses, Fashion

  These past couple of weeks, the whole world seems to have implemented preventive measures against a certain virus. The order is clear: Stay home (if you can)! Many of us are working from our living rooms and home offices, while others are simply staying home, without much to do.

  Although the initial impulse when staying home may be to relax, perhaps stay in your pyjamas, or wear your hair in a messy bun and abolish pants altogether, we are here to say: Halt!

  

  Stop right there if you're wearing your nightgown past noon!

  It is known that staying in PJs all day can be a hit to your self-esteem and overall mood. On the other hand, it is beneficial to your productivity (whether you are working from home or doing other activities) to change into day clothes. At the end of a productive day, getting into your loungewear is a great way to relax and "leave work".

  To look after you (because we care!), we're challenging you and all your friends to Stay Dressed - And what's more, there're prizes!!

  So put on a frock, and show us how you rock it at home - be it doing your chores, doing your job, working out, or passing the time in any way (such as doing our coloring pages!)

  

  And with a dress, you still don't have to put on pants!

  INSTRUCTIONS:

  * Take a photo or video of yourself passing the time while sporting a retro-inspired dress/look - Bonus marks for creativity and styling!
  
  * Share your look via Instagram or Facebook, and tag #staydressedchallenge in your post to be entered into our draw to win 1 of 3 Cherry Velvet E-Gift Cards - You could win a $100, $150 or $200 E-card. Don't forget to nominate your friends!

  **For every 3 nominations, you'll get an extra entry to the draw, so tag your friends and challenge them, too!**

  We can't wait to see your entries, good luck!

  XOX Cherry Velvet

• Style Inspiration - The Claire Capelet

  Published Dec 18 2019 in Accessories, capelet, Claire Fraser, Design process, Fashion, fashion illustration, Fleur Delacour, inspiration, Made In Canada, Outlander, Short cape, Shrug

  Does the term 'Capelet" make you think of a strong female character in a whimsical fantasy? Inspired by pieces worn by Claire and Brianna on the show "Outlander", we designed our Claire Capelet so you can be the heroine of your own magical story. This is a charming, flirty piece made to enhance the look you have on underneath.

  

  Considering your helpful feedback on our Samantha Shrug collection, we wanted to keep this design clean around the neck, without a tie or collar. An important aspect to us was achieving the flowing, cape-like aesthetic, while ensuring that it would stay on your shoulders. For this reason, we set out to create a garment with sleeves.

  

  

  The resulting effect would be that of a gentle swinging curved line, blending the sleeve in with the back, creating a unified smooth flow. We achieved this look after many versions and fit tests!

  

  The fit was designed for 4 different sizes instead of our usual 8, as the capelet’s shape accommodates a wider range of body shapes. The smallest one, labeled “M” will fit from a tiny XS body to a true M. Size “XL” will fit L-XL, “1X” fits 0X-1X, and “3X” fits 2X-3X. (It would make an easy fit gift!)

  

  Equally suitable over a casual outfit; elevating even a t-shirt and jeans the Claire Capelet is a versatile addition to any closet. Pick up this soft and lovely accessory to give your outfits a romantic, sophisticated finishing touch!

  XOX Cherry Velvet

  P.S. Try one on at the last Studio Shop of the year:

  Friday Dec 20 from 2-7 pm and Saturday Dec 21 from 11-5

   

   

• Holiday Party Outfits for the Vintage Vixen

  Published Dec 13 2019 in Christmas, Fashion, Holidays, Outfits, Party, Party Dress, Party Outfit, Pin Up, Vintage Inspired

  The holiday season is upon us, and with it, the most fun part (for many): Parties! Offices, families and friend groups alike are organizing merry celebrations for the end of the year. Gift exchanges, delicious dinners… And dressing up! It's all part of the fun. How many of us wait all year for this time to shine?

  Here at Cherry Velvet, we have some beautiful dresses to give you vintage flair and retro style as you dazzle at your functions! Whether you’re looking for kitschy fun, glamorous glimmer, or flattering classics, we have options for you.

  These outfits were prepared to showcase a bit of what we have, but there is so much more available at our online store and during our Studio Shops!

  And without much ado... The outfits!

  Hot Stuff

  

   

  Are you a bond girl, femme fatale, or a smoke show bombshell? This is the outfit for you! A glimmering black dress - our Lana in Black Shimmer. With its seductive curved V neckline, when paired with our red chiffon crinoline... It's like the Louboutin of party dresses. Add our red Samantha shrug for warmth; and to really set things ablaze: the Light My Fire matchstick necklace and earring set!

  Yuletide Sensation

  

  When traditional, magical Christmas captures your heart, you'll be perfectly suited for out Brigitte in Festive Fairies print! Magical folks frolicking amongst poinsettias, perfectly evoke the ancient traditions of the season. A black chiffon crinoline gives this dress lovely volume, and our Claire capelet will cover your shoulders in whimsical, magical drape. Accessorize with the subtle accent of a black necklace, such as our Black Atomic necklace and earring set.

  Glimmering Goddess

  

  For the glamour of a silver screen diva, look no further than our shiny, metallic frocks. The Norma in Silver Filigree, for example, captures light beautifully in its regal silver pattern. A chiffon crinoline gives your dress a glamorous shape, and our Samantha shrug in black sparkle will cover your shoulders in warmth and shine. For that final twinkling touch, use the Atomic Galaxy necklace and earring set, and you'll shine on all night long!

  We hope to have inspired you to find your perfect holiday outfit, be it for a casual party at home, or for a glamorous night out on the town!

  And make sure to share your photos with us by tagging #cherryvelvet or sending them by email to info@cherryvelvetdresses.com for a chance to be featured on our social media!

  Browse all our dresses online,
  Or Shop in person at 1635 Powell Street, Vancouver BC on our next Studio Shop dates:

  • Dec 13 from 2-7pm
  • Dec14 from 11-5 pm
  • Dec 20 from 2-7 pm
  • Dec 21 from 11-5 pm

   

  XOX Cherry Velvet 

• That Gleam In Her Eye...

  Published Jun 28 2019 in Cherry Velvet, Customer Appreciation, Fashion, handmade revolution, jewelry, Made In Canada, what's new

  As a proudly Canadian company, we love working with local brands and businesses that exemplify the level of care & quality that we maintain ourselves.
  
  ...So...that being said...
  
  ...have you met Pam? ♥️

  
  
  She's the lovely face & talented hands of Mirror Mirror Bijoux, a well-known local jewellery designer here in Vancouver, BC and an overall entrepreneurial force.
  
  She also loves our dresses 😘 (She's Team Chrissy!)

  
  
  Under MMB, she designs and handmakes vintage-inspired jewellery that echoes old Hollywood glamour. Primarily working in crystal and glass, she adds elegant detail like ethereal finishes that sparkle like the night's sky. 

  She’ll often also incorporate real vintage beads or brooches into her pieces, giving that legit Vintage vibe.

  

  CV Aficionados will be quite familiar with her & MMB, we not only carry her jewellery, including exclusive pieces, but she sometimes drops by our events...
  
  
  
  ...and often pops in to collaborate with our designer, on the next beautiful baubles to go with our dresses. 
  
  
  
  Whenever they meet, they pour over a multitude of beads and pendants, to create complementary pieces that add versatility and flair to our clients' wardrobe. 
  
  
  
  
  Recently, she's branched out to save us all from the worst thing imaginable...A bad hair day!
  Have you tried a Great Hair Day Turband? We have!
  
  
  
  They're easy-to-wear, insta-wow accessories for those days when a ponytail or plain ol' hat simply won't do.
  
  
  
  Want to try one? Pam will be on hand at our next studio shop weekend @ 1635 Powell Street with a variety to try!  
  
  Friday :: July 5th :: 2pm-7pm 
  Saturday :: July 6th :: 11am-5pm 
  
  We hope you enjoyed this little spotlight on one of our favourite local entrepreneurs.
  We think it's so important to support our fellow #womeninbusiness ♥️

  XOX Cherry Velvet

   

• Actually, Dresses ARE Easy

  Published May 07 2019 in Cherry Velvet, Cherry Velvet Dresses, comfort, cotton, day dress, Dress, Dresses, everyday, Fashion, Made In Canada

  There’s a part of me that never outgrew the dress-up stage of childhood. Back then it was pretending to be an empress or witch-queen – anything that was equal parts regal, mysterious, and magical. 

  

  These days, give me a halfway good reason, and I’ll still spend the better part of an afternoon getting all dolled up for an evening out. It’s a lengthy process that starts, of course, with deciding which dress suits the occasion and my mood.  After that, a host of secondary decisions: does it need a crinoline? Which shoes will match? How should I do my hair and makeup? Then there’s jewelry, accessories, a purse, hosiery, and various underthings. It’s dress-up, but for adults: less “witch-queen” and more “grown-up glamour” – but still full of whimsy and pleasure. Admittedly, getting “dressed up” like this can take a lot of time, and most of us wait for special occasions when the extra effort seems worth it. In the meantime, our dresses end up relegated to the back of the closet, on hold until a special dinner, wedding, or some other equally fancy event crops up.  But wearing a dress is not always the same as getting “dressed up.” Believe it or not, wearing a dress can be just about the simplest wardrobe decision to make, and the most comfortable and efficient way to get dressed and out the door in the morning.

  Everyday Easy Dresses

  Without fail, when I wear a dress someplace casual – like picking up the kids after school or having a quick coffee with a friend – I get a compliment for taking the time and energy to get “dressed up.”

  

  But pulling that dress over my head and popping on a pair of shoes was likely much more simple - and more comfortable – than any other outfit I might have chosen. More often than not, the dress was the easy solution. Pants and tops have to be coordinated. Waistbands pinch and pull. Shorts ride up uncomfortably. Trousers rarely fit properly in length or inseam without tailoring. Blouses come untucked, skirts twist around. To be honest, it feels like I’ve cheated my way into this compliment when I get it - and I almost always confess this sentiment to the person offering it. People see a dress and assume it’s taken a lot more effort because we’ve married the idea of dresses to the notion of being dressed up. Or, even worse, we’ve concluded that dresses themselves are uncomfortable and unwieldy – usually because we’ve worn styles that didn’t suit our bodies, made out of unpleasant or cheap material, or were constricting and uncomfortable in some way.

  

  Keep It Simple

  Obviously not all dresses will do for everyday wear. Leave the satin and sequins for evening glamour and fancy events. Instead, go for less structured shapes (I like an empire waist because it feels so comfortable for my body type) and try a cotton dress, in a simple colour or with a fun, lighthearted print. Skip the fancy hair and makeup. Pop on a cardigan and wear it with a pair of white Keds, simple sandals, or even flip-flops. Pull on a pair of matching capri or full-length leggings underneath, if the weather is cooler; in warm weather, don’t worry about hose or tights at all. Finish with a ponytail or messy bun. No doubt, dresses won’t work for everything. You’ll still need the right kind of clothing to hit the gym or weed the garden (although I’ve been known to mow the lawn in a simple t-shirt dress). But for almost all other settings and activities, don’t overlook the ease of a dress. It really can be as simple, or as complicated, as you want it to be.

  

  Fancy is Still Fun

  Wearing a dress doesn’t need to be a major production – it can be as easy as pulling on a pair of pajamas, but just a lot more fashionable. The notion that a dress is complicated, fussy, or time-consuming is largely a reflection of how we perceive fashion, and the abundance of ill-fitting, constrictive, overly stuffy or too-formal dresses many of us have in our closets. But if you find the right dress, the simplicity will surprise you … and you won’t want to keep it tucked away in the closet for a special occasion anymore. And if even the easiest of easy dresses still leaves you feeling a little bit fancy? Take a deep breath and just go for it anyway: you’re never too old for dress-up, even if you’re only going to the grocery store.

  Christina Myers

   

• How To Get Your Dress in Your Size

  Published Apr 10 2019 in boutique, Cherry Velvet, Cherry Velvet Dresses, cotton, dress size, Dresses, Fashion, Fit, Limited Edition, Made In Canada, sizing

  Are you sometimes frustrated when you can't find your dress size? If so, we're here to explain how and why that might be and what you can do about it!

  

  Maybe this is a good time to state that we are a smaller, boutique-sized company. While our active online presence may give the impression of a larger business, we are actually a team of just five individuals! If we manufactured our dresses overseas like a lot of larger companies, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation. This is not something that will ever happen with us, as we are proud to be a Canadian company that manufactures our dresses in Canada. This is something that means so much to us as well as the knowledge that no one will ever be exploited while making our dresses. The good news is because we are small we can be more fluid and make small changes that we feel our customers want. 

  While we do our very best to offer the widest selection of dresses possible, it all comes down to the ratio of sizes. You may or may not know that most companies cut their production of clothing in a ratio. The majority of units will be cut in the most popular sizes (middle sizes) and the smaller and larger sizes will receive fewer units. This is common practice in the clothing industry and it's also how retail stores order clothing for their stores, too. 

  As a small online retailer with a local shop, we can't make masses of dresses in each print we offer. We usually make 12-40 dresses per each unique print and those units get divided up over the sizes we carry. That's not a lot of dresses per size as we make 8 different sizes! Unfortunately, some sizes can sell out quickly.

  FYI, we're bringing the classic Chrissy Dress back and it'll be available in all sizes at our Studio shop and online soon in these new prints:

  

  To avoid any disappointment, please consider ordering your size early. As we see an increased demand in different sizes, we'll add more units in those sizes. We truly care about you, our amazing customers and do our best to respond to all your requests. We're always listening!

  We love to hear all of your ideas, feedback, and comments!

  If you are in the Vancouver area this Friday and Saturday we would love to see you at our Studio Shop!

  Join us this Fri, Apr 12, 2pm-7pm and Sat, Apr 13, 11am-5pm 
  @ 1635 Powell St. Vancouver, BC (Free parking is available)

   

  

• Meet Leah Tuttle, Clothing Rep Extraordinaire

  Published Feb 28 2019 in Cherry Velvet, Cherry Velvet Dresses, Dresses, Fashion, Leah Tuttle, Leah Tuttle Agency

  Fashion can be a tough industry – to survive, you need to surround yourself with awesome people. Cherry Velvet is very lucky to be represented by our dynamic and gorgeous agent: Leah Tuttle.

  

  Leah’s agency focuses on Canadian designers who create clothing for sizes XS to 3X. When she was getting started, this was seen as a risky and rocky path in an industry obsessed with fast fashion and cheap imports with high margins. Lucky for us, another customer introduced Leah to our sister company, Diane Kennedy, knowing that Leah was the right agent to represent the brand. When Cherry Velvet got started a few years later, Leah was on board from the start. 

  

  Leah is a quintessential Cherry Velvet girl herself! She has the sass and style that goes so well with our vintage-inspired dresses. Her delightfully feminine curves look amazing in so many pinup styles – that’s why we’ve used her as a model on more than one occasion.

  

  We even named a dress after her; the Leah dress came in both black and blue lace. There was also a velvet flock version that Leah modelled for us. (Perhaps it's time to bring back this cut, maybe in classic black lace...?)

  

  (Leah Tuttle: centre)

  Having an agent who genuinely appreciates and wears your product is really special. We love sharing the excitement of fresh styles and fun prints with Leah, and we know that she always has our back.

  We consider ourselves very lucky to be represented by such a remarkable and lovely lady who truly understands our market. Thank you, Leah, for your unfailing support, unparalleled work ethic, and for being the strong, resilient, and incredibly beautiful human you are!

  XOX Cherry Velvet