One choice to look at is Stardust by Comfortex. This exquisite solution wraps either room-darkening or light-filtering vertical vanes in flowing sheer fabric. The look is soft, simple, and classic, lending itself to traditional or contemporary settings. The traditional look can be enhanced with the choice of an alternative wood valance that gives the headrail the look of an elegant drapery rod; or you can select the sleek styling of the contemporary valance. There are a variety of sheer fabrics, which can be coordinated with horizontal Sheer Shadings selected for smaller windows.

If this sounds a little bit too ornamental for you, but you'd still like something softer than conventional vertical blinds, there's a new product on the market called Harmony Cellular Verticals, also by Comfortex. Harmony vanes are soft and elliptical, and can be either room-darkening or light filtering. As a bonus, they are energy saving too! Like vertical blinds, you can easily adjust the light, visibility to the outside, and privacy by rotating the vanes. Like cellular shades, they form an insulating layer that helps boost energy efficiency up to 20% more than traditional vertical blinds. As with Stardust, they may have a color-coordinated valance or a custom wood fascia, and the vane fabric can match those offered in the horizontal Sheer Shadings.