The Best Evening Dresses for Sundown Splendour
Been invited to a formal gathering and need something suitably fancy to wear? Here's what to wear
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The Best Evening Dresses for Sundown Splendour
Been invited to a formal gathering and need something suitably fancy to wear? Here's what to wear
By: George ElliotFor the fanciest events in your diary - be that a party or dinner at an exclusive restaurant you’ve been waiting to try out for months - only one wardrobe hero will truly rise to the occasion: one of this season’s best evening dresses. The dressiest of dresses, perched at the top of fashion’s formality scale, there’s not one hard and fast definition of what an ‘evening dress’ looks like. In reality, they come in many shapes, sizes, colours and finishes. From those that tick off this season’s biggest trends to gowns that prove wearing black is never boring, this definitive rundown of spring/summer's standout evening dresses will help you decide exactly what to wear.
Fashion-Forward Finery
For those whose wardrobes appear distinctly of-the-moment, all the time, you’ll be pleased to see there are many evening dresses that speak to the season’s biggest trends. For instance, you might opt for a dress that nails fashion’s current love affair with asymmetry and off-kilter angles, or one that reflects the revival of historic silhouettes (think: dresses that mimic the shapes of crinolines and panniers). Sheer gowns and lacy chemise once only found in the bedroom and extravagant embellishments are other trends very much accounted for, too.
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Rise and Shine
Any occasion that calls for an evening dress is your opportunity to shine, quite literally. From sequinned midis to minimalist slips cut from sumptuously soft, high-shine satins, revel in all that shimmers this season. Voluminous and crafted from a pink jacquard damask, THE MEANING WELL’s Kate Dress, £1,010 is one such conversation-starter, while Rick Owens’ Athena One-Shoulder Gown, £385 showcases the designer’s gothic grunge edge, complete with a glossy rubber coating for a rebellious punch.
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Award Winners
Perhaps you were hoping to take your cue from the red (or should that be champagne-coloured) carpet at this year’s Oscars. Sculptural silhouettes reigned supreme this time around and so too did shades of pink. To secure your place on the Barbiecore bandwagon, might we suggest going big with Bernadette’s shocking-pink Manifestation Gown, £690? Many award-goers opted for white gowns instead, proving that this colour is no longer reserved for brides. RIXO’s Liza Dress, £595, is Inspired by the golden age of Hollywood and trimmed with feathers. A dream for night’s out.
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Contemporary Cocktail Dresses
Practical, comfortable, but ultimately elegant, for decades the cocktail dress has long been a firm favourite of night time revellers. If you consider yourself a print-loving maximalist, try KITRI’s Maisie Mini-Dress, £155 on for size? It’s patterned all-over in a large-scale, richly coloured leopard print. Should you prefer pared-back shapes and subtle colour palettes, feast your eyes on the Monthly Colours January Dark-Green Dress, £410 by Pleats Please Issey Miyake, it’s slick and minimalist, just the way you like it.
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Best of Black Tie
Black dresses are far from boring, particularly those coming from the most exciting womenswear ateliers around. Take Stine Goya's Elena Floral Embroidered Dress, £360 as a case in point; fully decked in 3D flowers, this 60s-style mini is far from conventional. Looking for something a little longer? Turn to The Night Flight Dress, £1,595 designed by The Vampire’s Wife. Made from onyx-black velvet, embellished with diamantés and finished-off with shirred sleeves, it’s the epitome of monochrome, maxi-length elegance.
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