the most durable velvet for upholstery is mohair ...hands down. it cleans up very well and will live through DECADES of abuse. my MIL has an upholstered mohair velvet chair and the velvet is in better shape than the frame. it is over 50 years old. it shows no signs of fading or any other damage from light. we used mohair velvet on our english club chairs, bought ten years ago and they look brand new. the downside: i've never spent so much on fabric EVER. won't even talk numbers, but if you want longevity there is no comparison. we have two kids and a gross, shedding cat.

Wasn't that the whole point of a Little Black Dress? That you can wear it over and over, with different accessories to change the look if desired? My suggestion is to check your local consignment or thrift store(s). If you don't find something on your first visit, check again in a week or two, because new items come in daily. In my area the consignment store buys and prices scarves by brand, and the thrift store prices by amount of fabric. Typically between $2-$10 depending on the scarf and the store. At that price I take the risk of hand washing. Haven't ruined one yet. I've read that Woolite is now designed for synthetics, so I use Ecover for delicates, which is Woolmark approved. I go by look and feel rather than brand name. You already know how to recognize quality. With practice, you can also learn to recognize silk and cashmere by touch. Choose what you find beautiful and accept that the brand or designer may be a mystery forever. And you can and should wear used items with pride. Listen to Macklemore if you haven't heard the "Thrift Shop" song yet.

I have a quilted throw I made out of an oyster colored velvet with a little poly mixed in (I forget the percentage of poly but it is more cotton than poly), it looks and feels exactly like cotton velvet. I also have an antique chair upholstered in cotton velvet and some throw pillows also. I can't recall if the chair and pillows are all cotton or have some poly mixed in. They all look and feel the same though and I wash and dry them in the washing machine with no problem. (not the chair obviously). there has been no pilling or shininess etc. I think they are both really great durable fabrics. Mine all came from calico corners, but from years ago.

Take your velvet samples and pretend you dropped some food on it. Now take a damp cloth and spot clean the velvet. Let it dry. How does the sample look? I had dining room chairs upholstered in a very expensive Schumacher velvet. The chairs were barely used for a few weeks, when one of my kids spilled some water. It looked like acid had been spilled on the fabric and it was ruined. Had to have the chairs reupholstered, because that fabric was useless for anything more than a rarely used decorative pillow. The velvet was sold as upholstery grade! After that experience I always do a water/spot clean test on any fabric I am considering.