On A Velvet Kick

Susan B. wears an Eileen Fisher velvet jacket, French Kande jewelry and a Chanel classic flap bag. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

Everyday Elegance

Velvet is such a sumptuous and timeless fabric. These days you can dress it up or down, and you don’t have to save it for special occasions.

jacket (similar) | necklace (similar) | necklace (similar) |
top (similar) | pants | ring | bag (similar) | boots (similar)

I truly hadn’t planned on purchasing another velvet jacket this season, but when I saw this color I was smitten. It’s called Serpentine, and it’s hard to describe. It looks different depending on the light. Unfortunately the jacket in this color seems to have sold out in a heartbeat in all except Plus sizes. It’s still available in black in Misses/Petites here. (Plus here.) I’ve rounded up some other Eileen Fisher pieces in Serpentine here:

casual glam with a soft velvet jacket. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

Detail: Susan B. wears a silver ring with a vintage French medallion. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

I love this ring and wear it frequently. There’s a band of Swarovski crystals around the edge that adds some Glamour to the casual vibe.

Casual glam with a green velvet jacket and Chanel classic flap bag. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

See what I mean about this jacket changing color in different light? It’s a chameleon.

Susan B. enjoying wall art in Venice, CA. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

I like to interact with art. 😉  Photos by Tannaz Photography.

In other news, today’s the day! The demolition phase of our kitchen and bathroom renovation finally gets underway. We’ve set up a makeshift kitchen in our living room, and have been collecting takeout menus from local eateries. It’s amazing how much %#&*@ we’ve accumulated in 21 years, even a small house. What I didn’t toss is all packed up and stored. I’m hoping to cull even more during the move-back-in process.

Have you been buying and wearing any velvet this season?

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31 Comments

  1. We also have a make shift kitchen in our living room as we are at the same stage with our kitchen reno – maybe I need to treat myself to a lovely velvet piece to keep my spirits up until all the chaos is finished! 😉

  2. This is a beautiful look on you! If there was something that could change my mind about wearing velvet it would be this jacket lol
    Sending good vibes your way for a fabulous reno!

  3. OMG we had a makeshift HOUSE in our living room! We weren’t just renovating but also putting on two additions that included a new kitchen and master suite. With two little boys ( at the time) we occupied the living room one bath and two bedrooms. It was challenging but so worth it in the end. You’ll be soo happy with your new kitchen! That colour looks simply divine on you but sadly not for my blue eyed brunette self. This year I invested in a deep scarlet velvet jacket and a forest green velvet floral tunic, I plan on getting a lot of wear from both. Both from Zulily, under fifty dollars and the quality is excellent. Win-win!

  4. After I saw the Boden jacket in one of your recent posts, I ordered it. It came (from England) and I love it. It’s an unusual color. It’s called gold, but it looks like the EF serpentine to me…but my friend said it looks gold to her. Like the EF jacket you’re wearing, it looks different in different light.

  5. Love, love that jacket. And that colour is beautiful. Especially with navy. Planning to meet my buddy the personal shopper at Nordstrom for lunch later this week… may have to seek some serpertine myself:)
    Good luck with the reno. Just close your eyes to the mess and dream about your new kitchen. Ha. Easier said than done, I know!

  6. I love that color! I bought the EF wrap dress in Serpentine and just love it. I’m short enough not to have to layer pants underneath and it’s soft and comfortable. I do wish it didn’t just rely on the belt for closure and provided a clasp but that’s easily rectified. At 5’2″ it falls right below my knee. I tried the EF layering dress in the Blue Spruce but the pockets were oddly placed and the dress looked shapeless and just not worth the price.

  7. Just ordered a purple caftan & green Edwardian jacket in velvet. Can’t wait! My other pieces are black velvet & I’ve had them forever.

  8. That’s the exact jacket I bought several weeks ago. I had not planned on getting any velvet this season but after I tried it on in that gorgeous bronzy green gold color I had to have it! It looks great with my favorite French Kande necklace. What a special item! I’m planning on wearing it to a number of holiday events. Can’t wait!

  9. Well that is the attraction to velvet isn’t it? When you get these incredibly rich hues & the greens are always the absolute best. I’m crazy about green of every shade right now, especially paired with pink.

  10. Such a great piece! That depth and range of tones in the green is so seductive, really. I bought a midnight blue velvet dress by Vince earlier in the season, and it’s surprising how very versatile it is. And packable, quite lightweight, as your jacket looks to be also. Less versatile are the quite wide-legged black velvet (jersey) pants I bought last year, but they’re fun and I’m making an effort to work them into casual/daily wear. Easier in a dryer climate than ours though 😉

  11. Love velvet!!!!! Bought the black velvet coat by EF last year. Always on the look out for velvet! Good luck on your kitchen. If you have a Fresh Corn Grill near you, it great for takeout.

  12. Beautiful jacket! Thanks for the velvet jacket intel! When we remodeled our kitchen, i set up in the laundry room with 2 plates, 2 sets of silverware and 2 glasses and 2cups and the micro wave and coffee pot.It was one of the most freeing times I have had. Quick clean up for sure! And just being away from the massive volume of utensils, dishes and glassware was really quite nice! Hhmmmm? Makes you wonder how much is really needed?? I think I know the answer!

  13. I’ve always liked velvet. I have a couple of black velvet tops from years ago, and a dark green jacket; but since velvet is so popular this year, I picked up a pair of blue velvet loafers, black velvet mules embroidered with moons & stars, and just received a dark blue velvet blazer by Tahari, which I think you linked to last week. Was excited, when I got it, to see that it has a bound buttonhole! I am a sucker for a bound buttonhole.

  14. Love the colour of your chameleonic jacket and it stands out from all the mainstream velvets around. It’s a shape and colour that will look gorgeous dressed up or down. It’s a great piece to pair with an LBD too. Classy.
    Friends told me to look forward to loads of meals out and takeaways when I had my kitchen done. I was excited. I came home from work after the old one had been ripped out, only to discover a cooker and sink propped up by planks, which hubby proudly told me he’d got the workmen to do so that I could carry on cooking at home. Oh joy. And he thought I’d thank him ! Hope you are luckier than me, Susan!
    Hugs, x.

  15. You have really inspired me to up my game fashion wise! It is really fun to ‘dress’ again after too many years of ignoring the whole thing. We just bought a house in Amsterdam and I don’t want to look like a tourist. Thank you so much!!

  16. Your jacket is a beautiful color, very unusual. I’ve looked for a velvet jacket this year, but no luck. I didn’t want to order one without seeing the fabric and the fit. I tried a JCrew jacket at Nordstrom, but it felt too structured and the only color available was black. I saw a pink one at a mass market retailer, but the fabric looked cheap and I didn’t like the quality of the buttons. I suspect velvet jackets will be back next year, so I’ll get a head start! Good luck with your kitchen. We hope to do some updating to our kitchen in ’18, so I’ll be looking forward to seeing your “reveal”.

  17. I’ve just returned from a long anticipated late Fall visit to Venice. Before I left I saw this EF jacket and contemplated getting it to take with me, but baulked at the price. The whole time I was there I kept wishing I’d brought it… It would have been perfect in that location and season, and Serpentine is a good color on me. Che peccato!

    The high end shop windows in Venice were full of lovely velvets — cut, crushed — in so many colors. Velvet seems universally popular at the moment.

  18. Our Dallas EF Store still has a full range of sizes in this color. So–if someone really wants this jacket, they could call the Dallas Northpark Eileen Fisher Store.