Fall marks a shift in sartorial preferences.
As the nights draw in, our diaries fill with invitations to everything from dinners and drinks to cocktails and celebrations. The mood is celebratory, embracing everything that comes with fall as well as the prospect of December, especially with Christmas on the horizon and the prospect of a true party season. Then comes the question of what to wear.
Designer evening dresses this season take on everything from thigh-skimming mini silhouettes to elegant floor-grazing ones; they hero luxuriously soft fabrics and covetable, textured ones. Navigating this sea of styles in search of what to do for your next RSVP event is anything but easy.
This, though, is where we come into our own. We’re leaving no stone unturned in exploring the long and short of evening dresses, with plenty of party potential to find the ones your closet is seeking.
SOMETHING SPARKLING
To go alongside a coupe of champagne, sequins instantly set the tone for celebrations and evening event outfitting. Best of all? They require little to no additions to create a bold look-at-me ensemble that places fun at the top of the agenda. This is proof - if ever you needed it - of partywear’s renaissance and women’s dresses that wholeheartedly embrace the joy of getting dressed up for drinks, dinner, and dancing your night away.
Clean cut, easy-to-wear styles are transformed with densely packed sequins to create these mini dresses. A universally flattering round neckline framed by long sleeves is covered in either black or multicolored sequins and falls to a neat straight hemline above your knees, leading the way to over-the-knee boots or tall socks teamed with sling-backs. Temper the shimmering embellishments with a leather jacket or a shearling coat in a bold, statement color.
These are the shortcut to building a party look in seconds. All that’s missing is a pop of bright lipstick or a pair of statement earrings before you step out.
A LITTLE SHIMMER
A more tempered take on all-out sparkle suited to more relaxed party settings. In long-sleeved silhouettes, these dresses celebrate shimmer, whether it’s flecked throughout a fabric or defined by a metallic yarn.
Starting from the top, with a short evening dress like our Metallic Pleat Detail Short Dress that heroes an above-the-knee hemline contrasted by a high neckline and long sleeves. Crafted from soft metallic jersey, it celebrates a silver metallic sparkle and is imbued with a hint of stretch to keep you comfortable, whether you’re entertaining at home or making your way onto a dancefloor.
Transforming a classic LBD into something with more partywear status, our Gold Polka Dot Swing Dress + Slip combines a black background with a scattering of metallic dots that add a lustrous shimmer to the long-sleeved style. Cinch in your waist with the optional tie or drape it around the adjustable neckline, adding mileage to your party season investment.
Falling to a leg-lengthening dipped hem below your knees, smart ponte tailoring with a soft metallic sparkle outlined with contrasting black trims defines our Metallic Fit and Flare Maxi Dress + Belt. Creating a subtle pouf shape through the long sleeves, the cuffs fit close to your wrists while the adjustable neckline switches between a crew and V-shaped one to accommodate different bust sizes and reflect different sartorial penchants. This long evening dress is also an effortless solution to post-work celebrations as the cut complements office dress codes while the fabric introduces a sense of fun.
A LUXE TOUCH
It makes sense to introduce the same inviting tactility as cozy knitwear and layering to your edit of event and formal dress options, too. This is where luxuriously soft velvet and velour come into their own, adding depth and intrigue to uncomplicated cuts and simple styles.
Our Cord Velour Fit + Flare Dress heroes smart cord velour jersey in a bold almost gem-like botanic green shade that shifts between light and dark finishes thanks to the fabric’s naturally soft, multidimensional properties. Framed by frill trims, the zipped neckline is easy to adjust, allowing you to choose between a neat crewneck or deep V-neckline to display layered necklaces or a single pendant.
Swapping velour for velvet, our Crushed Velvet mini and maxi dresses are beautifully unique; the velvet used to craft them is crushed in random ways, resulting in a different finish every time. This process ensures that the style you find a home for in your closet is a true one-of-a-kind. In both short and long silhouettes, the pieces flatter all frames and accommodate different leg lengths to guarantee a comfortable fit. Playing with different finishes, the long sleeves fall to adjustable cuffs detailed with zips that conceal lustrous satin inserts that are revealed when left undone to create a flared sleeve.
THE NEW LBDS
A true eveningwear staple and the perfect backdrop to your pick of sculptural jewelry, black dresses are a true closet hero, adapting to different settings with ease.
Introducing a shorter hemline to your closet, our Fluid Tux Shift Dress and Velour Swing Short Dress fall to just above your knees. While the former takes cues from classic suiting in a minimalist, clean-cut silhouette detailed with pleating through the skirt, the latter is home to a line of faux-pearl buttons for a luxe touch while allowing you to adjust the neckline. Switch up your look between preppy and polished and more pared back to suit your party setting.
Crafted from the same lustrous fabric and topped with a single faux-pearl button, our Velour Fit + Flare Maxi Dress falls to a longer silhouette to just above your ankles, as does our Mixed Media Ruched-Front Dress. This long-sleeved style plays with both opaque and semi-sheer finishes thanks to its long balloon sleeves crafted from dotted tulle and crepe-jersey body detailed with ruching at the waist to create a fitted-yet-flattering silhouette.
