Black tie dresses and long sleeve evening gowns

A black tie dress almost always means a gown to the floor, and that’s where this page starts, with long velvet in black, burgundy, emerald, navy, red and white. Further down you’ll find midis for the looser versions of the code.

The coat check, the welcome drinks, the long table

A lot of black-tie evenings land between November and February. You arrive, hand over your coat, and then stand with a glass for half an hour in a big hall that hasn’t warmed up yet. Sleeves help. Our velvet maxis with a slit at the leg all have long ones, and they come in black, burgundy and emerald.

The slit is practical. It shows your shoes and gives your knee room on the stairs.

Want something more fitted? There’s a navy velvet mermaid that stays close down to the knee and opens below it, plus a long-sleeved navy gown with a boat neck. Either one will get you through dinner, the speeches and the first dance without a shawl.

Bare one shoulder, or both

Some of the gowns have just one sleeve. We make that cut in black, red and white velvet, and the open shoulder does the work a necklace would, so leave your neck bare and put your hair up or in a low knot. With the white one, champagne heels look right.

The black velvet maxi with an off-shoulder neckline still has long sleeves. Shoulders out, arms covered, and that’s useful in a cold ballroom.

When the card says black tie optional

Then a long black tie dress is still welcome, but a velvet or lurex midi to mid-calf is fine too, and it’s easier at a standing reception. Our navy lurex wrap midi has a belt at the waist and a V-neck, and the metallic thread picks up every candle on the table. Save the minis on this page for the after-party.

Whatever length you take, try it on in the exact heels you’ll wear, because the hem of a floor-length gown should just meet the shoe and not pool on the floor. We cut every style in XS to XL. An XL fits about like a UK 16.