Elegant ball dresses in velvet, midi to floor length

Elegant ball dresses rarely need decoration, and ours don’t carry any. Most are plain velvet with sleeves, and the cut and the color do the work. Once you know what kind of ball you’re going to, the choice gets short quickly.

Black tie and charity galas

Elegant ball dresses for black tie run to the floor. Our black velvet maxi bares the shoulders and covers the arms to the wrist, and we didn’t add sparkle or trim to it on purpose. Wear your hair up with it. A coat that slips off easily at the cloakroom saves you a struggle in the lobby.

White is the braver pick. We sew a white velvet maxi with a single sleeve, and that one bare shoulder is all the ornament it has. For a deep color, look at the emerald gown with a leg slit, which loves gold earrings and little else.

University and winter balls with a lot of dancing

How many hours will you be on your feet? If the answer is most of the night, think about a midi. Our black velvet one is cut with a V at the neck, and its skirt flares out and moves softly when you cross the room. The blue pleated velvet midi comes alive when you turn, since the tiny folds open and close with every step. Red pleated velvet with bare shoulders does the same thing in a louder color.

All three have sleeves. That matters in a drafty hall in January.

Dinner dances and balls with a looser code

Some invitations only ask for smart dress. For those we’d reach for the emerald velvet wrap midi, where you set the waist with the belt and the V stays shallow. There’s also a boat-neck midi in blue velvet that stops near mid-calf and looks calm at a round table.

Short can be elegant as well. Our blue velvet mini measures 88 cm from the shoulder and has a high neck with long sleeves. Because the top is so closed, the short hem passes even at an official event.

Frequently asked questions

What makes a ball dress look elegant and not flashy?

Elegant ball dresses stick to one idea each. A slit, a bare shoulder or pleats, but not all of them at once. That’s how we design the gowns on this page, and it’s why plain velvet works so well.

Which colors look most formal?

Black, navy, burgundy and emerald are the safe four. Red and white get noticed sooner, so pick them when you want that.

How do I check the length of a long gown?

Walk around in the shoes you’ll wear to the ball. The hem should clear the floor without showing your whole foot. For size, compare your bust and hips with the chart, since velvet sits close through the shoulders and hips. We make XS to XL.

Where should I look for more gowns?

Every length is on the ball dress page. Strict codes are covered under black tie dresses, and floor-sweeping cuts are with our long elegant styles. If you’d like a little shine after all, the elegant evening group has lurex next to the velvet.