My Decadelong Velvet Quandary

A little over 10 years ago, Gwyneth Paltrow attended the VMAs in a sleek, skinny red velvet pantsuit made for her by Tom Ford. It was, at the time, one of the coolest things I'd ever seen, and it kicked off a decadelong odyssey of velvet failures for me. See, there's a problem with this plush fabric. While it's soft, festive, and sometimes even regal-looking, it can also quickly slip into a Ren-Faire-1983-piano-recital-New-Age-Jimi-Hendrix-bad-fashion abyss. However, around this time of year, every year, my obsession is reignited, and I wonder: Can anyone look cool in velvet? I found some streamlined-looking blazers today on eBay (here, here, and here). Should I try to pull one off?