The Ultimate Guide to Dries Van Noten: Style Picks & What to Invest In

Dries Van Noten is one of fashion’s most respected designers—admired for his artistic sensibility, rich use of textiles, and refusal to follow mainstream trends. While many brands compete for attention through logos or hype, Van Noten creates quietly powerful collections that hold long-term aesthetic and financial value.

This guide covers the signature elements of Dries Van Noten, what pieces are worth investing in, how to wear them, and how to use Tellar.co.uk to ensure every piece fits you perfectly.

1. Who Is Dries Van Noten?

Dries Van Noten launched his namesake label in 1986 and quickly became known as one of the “Antwerp Six”—a revolutionary group of Belgian designers who challenged the status quo of 1980s fashion. What makes Van Noten so revered is his singular approach to textile-driven storytelling, intellectual design, and emotive composition.

Unlike brands built on branding, Dries Van Noten builds on narrative, craft, and colour theory. He’s celebrated for his:

Opulent brocades
Layered florals and painterly prints
Mixed-fabric contrasts
Gender-fluid tailoring
Avant-garde silhouettes that remain wearable

Every Dries piece is quietly radical: not designed for mass appeal, but for long-term artistic appreciation.

2. Why Invest in Dries Van Noten?

Here’s why fashion insiders and collectors view Dries as a long-term investment:

✅ Small Batch Production

Limited quantities mean exclusivity and stronger resale value.

✅ Timelessness Over Trend

Styles don’t follow trend cycles, so pieces from a decade ago are still wearable today.

✅ Textile Innovation

Dries uses jacquards, devoré velvet, hand-beaded silks, and artisan weaves from India, Italy, and France. These are not mass-market fabrics.

✅ Functional Avant-Garde

His clothing combines high design with daily functionality—pieces are durable and constructed for real life.

✅ Proven Resale Value

Styles like the embroidered coats, jacquard skirts, and wide-leg trousers frequently hold their price or increase in value on the secondary market.

3. Investment-Worthy Pieces: What to Look For

Here are the styles worth prioritising if you’re curating a collection of Dries Van Noten staples:

1. Printed Silk Shirts

Regularly featured in both men’s and women’s lines.
Known for botanical motifs, surrealist overlays, or layered dye techniques.
Looks best styled tucked into black trousers or oversized and layered.

2. Jacquard Statement Coats

Bold metallic or brocade textiles.
Oversized silhouettes, belted wrap shapes, or structured long-line cuts.
Wear over black tailoring or tonal wide-leg trousers for balance.

3. Wide-Leg Printed Trousers

High-waisted with floor-length volume.
Often feature ombré fades, abstract floral overlays, or digital motifs.
Pair with solid knits or soft silk shirting.

4. Velvet or Satin Blazers

Offered in amethyst, emerald, sapphire, and burnt copper.
Typically single-breasted or asymmetric.
Perfect for events, styled with silk skirts or cigarette pants.

5. Sequinned or Metallic Eveningwear

Not seasonal partywear—these are theatrical, long-lasting gowns and separates.
Shimmering finishes paired with architectural cuts.

6. Structured Bombers or Shearling Jackets

A hybrid of classic shape with modern texture or colour.
Often quilted, contrast-lined, or padded with soft volume.
Easy entry point into the brand for first-time buyers.

4. Signature Design Codes

Dries Van Noten’s visual identity is rooted in contradiction—soft against hard, dark against vibrant, tradition against abstraction.

Colours: forest green, wine, gold, navy, fuchsia, ochre, bronze, violet
Materials: handwoven jacquard, silk georgette, raw-edge cotton, brocade, metallic lamé
Silhouettes: cocoon coats, sharp trousers, full skirts, fluid dresses

What ties it all together is precision—nothing is unconsidered. These are wearable sculptures.

5. How to Style Dries Van Noten

✔ Daytime:

Silk blouse + wide-leg tailored trousers
Jacquard midi skirt + ribbed knit jumper
Oversized bomber + cotton shirt + relaxed denim

✔ Smart casual:

Velvet blazer + black tailored trousers
Printed silk shirt + palazzo pants + sandals
Satin slip skirt + minimalist turtleneck

✔ Evening:

Sequinned full-length gown + minimal accessories
Brocade coat over monochrome base layers
Gold embroidered top + structured culottes

Let one piece dominate, and let everything else recede. Dries doesn’t compete—he orchestrates.

6. Why Fit Matters—and How to Get It Right with Tellar.co.uk

Dries Van Noten is known for deliberately exaggerated volumes and silhouettes. But when shopping, the difference between “fashionably oversized” and “poorly fitted” comes down to precise sizing.

That’s where Tellar.co.uk changes everything.

✅ No need to guess your Dries Van Noten size.

✅ Match your body measurements or known brand size to over 1,500 fashion brands.

✅ Shop with confidence knowing your shoulder, waist, bust, and hip measurements will align with Dries’s specific sizing structure.

✅ Works for women’s and men’s collections.

Use the Store Size Lookup tool to check what size you should order from Dries Van Noten—based on real garment data and your own profile.

💡 Not sure where to begin? Start here:

👉 Create your free profile

👉 Explore how Tellar works

👉 Download your free printable measuring tape

7. Read More in the Free Tellar Fashion Hub

Dries Van Noten may be bold, but your wardrobe can still be functional and cohesive. That’s where Tellar’s Fashion Hub comes in—a free, stylist-curated collection of guides covering everything from fit to styling and brand comparisons.

Explore now:

🔗 The Ultimate Clothing Sizing Guide

🔗 Finding Your Clothes Size: The Ultimate Guide

🔗 UK vs USA vs European Clothing Sizes: The Ultimate Guide

🔗 The Ultimate Guide: Flattering Jeans for Every Body Shape

🔗 The Ultimate Guide to SmartCasual Blazers for Women’s Body Types

🔗 The Ultimate Guide to Women’s Tuxedo Suits

Everything on Tellar is:

✔ Expert-written

✔ Independent

✔ Always free to access

8. Follow Tellar for Designer Sizing & Investment Dressing Advice

📍 Instagram: @Tellarsizing

📍 Twitter/X: @TellarSizing

📍 Facebook: Tellar Sizing

📍 Pinterest: TellarSizing

Final Thoughts

Dries Van Noten is more than a label—it’s a form of wearable expression. His designs are collectable, versatile, and built to be treasured. For those seeking intelligent luxury that doesn’t expire, Dries offers a depth few other brands match.

Make the most of every investment with Tellar.co.uk—

Find your size in 1,500+ brands real-time. It’s free & easy.