Elegant maxi dress in velvet for weddings and balls

An elegant maxi dress, for us, means velvet to the floor. Every long style on this page is cut from dense velvet with a soft pile, so think of it as a cold-season lineup for weddings, award nights and New Year’s balls. Pick by the evening you’ve got ahead.

Winter weddings and nights with a dress code

Afraid of freezing at a January wedding? Take the blue one with long sleeves and a boat neck. Dense velvet keeps you warm, and you can skip the shawl once you’re in the hall. A navy mermaid cut is another option. It follows the body to the knee and flares below it, which makes walking and posing for photos easier than you’d think.

For an awards night, we’d go black. One style leaves both shoulders bare and covers the arms. Another has a single sleeve, so the shoulder becomes the main detail and any necklace would just compete with it. Burgundy, round at the neck and slit at the leg, suits a company party at a restaurant.

White, red and gold velvet for a ball or a milestone

White velvet isn’t for wedding guests. It’s for the woman signing the papers, for an engagement, a bridal photo shoot or a formal ball. Ours have one sleeve or open shoulders, and there’s no lace on them anywhere. Champagne-colored heels look right under the hem.

Red in a floor-length cut gets noticed across any room, which is the idea at an anniversary or a New Year’s ball. There’s also a golden style in a champagne shade with one long sleeve and a slit. Wear gold earrings and shoes close to the fabric color. And emerald? One of ours opens on the left leg, and the pile makes the green shift from dark to bright as the light changes.

Trying on a hem that reaches the floor

Put on the shoes you’ll actually wear. A floor-length hem needs a heel, or the fabric drags, and the only way to check is to walk a few steps in the real pair. Many of these open in a slit, so those shoes will show. We sew each elegant maxi dress in XS to XL. For long fitted velvet, go by your hip measurement first, then check how it sits on the shoulders.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a wrap over long velvet sleeves?

Not indoors. Outside, take a short coat that’s easy to hand over at the cloakroom.

How do I handle creases before the event?

Steam the dress from the inside and hang it up. An iron pressed on the pile will damage it.

What jewelry suits open shoulders?

Earrings, big or long, with your hair pinned up. A thin necklace is the most we’d add.

Where can I see other long dresses?

Stay with the fabric on velvet maxis, or browse every long cut we make. Shorter dressy options are under elegant dresses, and gowns for black tie sit with evening styles.