Ball gown style graduation dresses for a long formal night

What a ball gown looks like in our workshop

Think column, not cupcake. Most of our floor-length velvet follows the figure from the shoulders down and opens at a side slit, so you can climb stairs and dance without lifting the skirt. The navy mermaid is the exception. It hugs you to the knee and then widens into a flared hem, which is about as close to a classic gown shape as we go.

Color’s doing most of the work. Champagne velvet with one long sleeve has a warm golden glow under evening light, and we’d keep the jewelry gold to match it. Powder pink with one bare shoulder is softer and lovely with pearl earrings. White off-shoulder velvet has three-quarter sleeves and a slit, so a thin bracelet on the bare wrist finishes it.

Prefer emerald, burgundy or red? They’re long too, in the same velvet. Our long graduation styles show them all.

Planning the fitting before the ceremony

Graduation season arrives fast. We’d start looking a few weeks before the end of the school year, since a floor-length hem has to be checked in the shoes you’ll wear that night. Walk, sit, take a step forward and watch where the slit opens. Is the hem catching your toe? Go for a higher heel.

Fitted velvet tells the truth about your size. Take a tape to your bust and hips, then check the size grid. If the two land in different sizes, let the hips decide on the mermaid and slit gowns. We sew every one in XS to XL.

Not sure a gown suits your school’s party? Ball gown graduation dresses aren’t the only route. Velvet midis with long sleeves and our short satin cuts work for a dinner and disco, and the full range sits under graduation dresses.

Frequently asked questions

Will a velvet gown be too hot for a spring ceremony?

Velvet’s dense and made for the cooler months. For an outdoor afternoon, one bare shoulder or open shoulders help a lot, and you can change into a lighter dress for the after-party.

Is dancing hard in a slim long gown?

Not really. The slit gives your legs room without making the skirt wide.

Which shoes go with a long hem?

Heels high enough to keep the front edge off the floor. Champagne or nude pumps work with light velvet, silver or black with dark shades.

Where do I see the long gowns in other colors?

Our floor-length evening gowns page gathers them. For green, try the emerald graduation picks.