I thought the chairs were velvet.  Really look at the pictures throughly. I purchased the artic grey and its covered in a premium linen material.  Turned out they look great in the den and turned out perfect. This is my second set of these chairs and I couldn't be happier.   The chairs are super easy to assemble and look very high quality.   If you are looking for a set of elegant chairs then look no further.  I love mine A LOT!!