Fashion Week wrapped just a short few weeks ago here in NYC, and one of the trends in menswear that I saw for Fall/Winter 2014 was velvet. Rich and luxurious, this is a fabric that looks expensive (because it usually is) and yet is inherently comfortable. It’s perfect for the colder weather since it’s warm, yet it lacks the rigidity and itch factor of cool weather cousins like wool.

A few years ago I found this sweatshirt in a charity shop. I was immediately drawn to the color — a rich, royal purple that to echoed the Renaissance paintings that adorn the walls in Venice.

The shirt is loose without being baggy, slouchy while still being polished, which is generally how I like my clothes to fit. The collar gave it a little bit of a refined appeal, while leaving it unbuttoned still let me breathe.

While the Fall/Winter season is a few months away, I’m already ahead of the trend with this L.L. Bean vintage sweatshirt tucked away in my closet. Part of the appeal of vintage or thrift is finding items that nobody else has, and it’s that unique factor that really makes your wardrobe stand out. I paid about $2 for this, if that, so while I definitely did have some hesitations about buying sort of a wild item — I mean it is still purple velvet we’re talking about here — I felt like I could buy it and save it for a special occasion, or a time when I felt like purple velvet would be appropriate.

Don’t be afraid to buy the things you love, even if they seem a little bit out there — you never know when they’ll come into style.

I wrapped up the look with a pair of green slip on shoes, from H&M, and the jeans are Levis 510s.

Photos courtesy Kristin Booker for Giafrese