For some reason it can be difficult to find good wardrobe staples: plain white t-shirts, unassuming jeans, and the other seemingly unexciting but actually essential elements that form the base of any wardrobe. Creative directors Jenny Graham and Toni Spencer started Velvet back in 1997 with the simple goal of creating basic but high-quality and long-lasting t-shirts for women. Since then, the company has expanded to include cashmere, denim, dresses, footwear and more. In 2004, due to popular demand, they launched a menswear line.
All of the company’s clothes are basic and classic. “It’s all about must-have staples that form the foundation of people’s wardrobe,” said Lu Spriggs, marketing director at Velvet.
Velvet originally sold its products through luxury department stores like Bloomingdale and Nordstrom, but over the past few years they have begun opening their own stores in a few select locations, primarily in New York and Southern California. The most recent addition to the company’s small collection of stores is in Greenwich, Connecticut, which marks a further expansion into the east coast market.
A basic t-shirt at Velvet retails for around $80, and most dresses are available for roughly $150. This may seem like a lot for the basics, but when you consider the long-term role these items play in your wardrobe, it’s worth it. “Once you go in, you’ll live in their clothes; they only get better with age,” said Spriggs. “It’s stuff you will buy and keep forever.”
