Formal maxi dress in velvet with slits and sleeves

We sew each formal maxi dress on this page from velvet with a soft pile, which is why the whole page belongs to the cold months and to invitations that say black tie. The hems end at the ankle or on the floor. Sleeves are where the styles really differ.

How close the velvet sits, and how to pick a size

Most of these gowns follow the body from the shoulders to the hips, so your tape measure matters more than the size on the last dress you bought. Take your bust and hip numbers and find them on our chart, which runs XS to XL, about US 2 to 12. The navy mermaid is the one to watch. It stays close down to the knee and then flares like a fishtail, and the hip number decides everything there.

Two of the one-sleeve cuts, the red and the burgundy, are made from velvet with good stretch. Between two sizes in the burgundy? The smaller one usually works.

Hem length is the other half. Velvet that reaches the floor looks right with one heel height and wrong with the rest. Bring your party shoes, walk across the room, then sit down for a minute. On any one-sleeve style, lift that arm high and check that the shoulder line doesn’t shift. Creases from the trip get steamed out from the inside, never ironed on the pile.

Which colors go to a wedding, a gala or the office party

White velvet works for a civil ceremony or a winter engagement party, and it’s one of the few times a light formal maxi dress feels right after dark. We make it with one sleeve, and also off the shoulder with a slit.

Going as a wedding guest? Skip the white. Burgundy, emerald and navy are safe there, and velvet keeps those colors deep under warm lamps.

Powder pink is the softest shade we have in this cut. It looks best with pearl earrings and nude heels, since anything shiny competes with the pink. Champagne gold is warmer and glows at a New Year’s ball. Black stays the easy answer for an awards dinner, and a black formal maxi dress with a boat neck is the one we’d send to a company party at a restaurant.

If you’d rather have both arms covered, see our gowns with full-length sleeves. A dress code that allows a shorter hem opens up the formal looks in other lengths.

Frequently asked questions

What goes over a bare-shoulder gown on the way there?

A short fur jacket or a long coat that doesn’t crush the hem. Both come off quickly at the door.

Which jewelry works with one bare shoulder?

Earrings, and that’s enough. A necklace fights the asymmetric line.

Can I dance in a fitted floor-length gown?

In the styles with a slit, yes. The slit opens as you step, so nothing holds your stride back. Without one, try the mermaid. It’s close-fitting down to the knee and opens out lower, so you can walk and pose for photos in it without trouble.

Where do I find long dresses for daytime?

Our full maxi page has casual long styles next to the evening ones.