Off shoulder dress and bardot dress styles

An off shoulder dress drops below the shoulder line and leaves your collarbones bare, and in the UK the same neckline goes by the name Bardot dress. We make it two ways, in white muslin and linen for hot weather and in velvet with sleeves for cold-month celebrations.

Bare shoulders at a winter wedding, sleeves included

Wedding, dinner with a dress code, an awards night. You want your shoulders out, but you don’t want to freeze between the car and the hall, and that’s exactly what our black velvet maxi with full-length sleeves is for. The pile’s dense. Black looks deep on it even in evening light, and it doesn’t need any sparkle.

Burgundy velvet comes floor-length, with sleeves that stop below the elbow and a leg slit. Thin heels show in the slit with every step, and they keep you off the hem too. Leave the necklace at home. A bracelet or a watch on that bare wrist does more.

Planning to dance all night? Then it’s the red pleated velvet midi, which moves with you. Pleats hate pressure, though. Don’t squash it into a bag on the way there, and keep it on a hanger at home.

For sparkle, the black lurex midi has drapery and a leg slit, and stilettos or strappy sandals show it off. Want only one shoulder out? That’s on our asymmetric one-sleeve page.

Pink flowers, eyelet and crinkled linen for July

The summer off shoulder dress is mostly white. Muslin’s a thin cotton, light and airy, and the white muslin mini with little pink flowers is the one for a date or a friend’s birthday. Pearl studs, hair up, nude shoes after dark.

Our floral midi is crinkle linen, a fabric with a creased texture that’s planned from the start, and it doesn’t look crumpled after a long drive. Espadrilles and a straw hat. The knee-length eyelet style with short sleeves can even go to an office with a relaxed code if you wear nude underwear under the white. These styles take the winter off and come back in March.

Keeping the neckline where it belongs

Lift your arms at the fitting. The line across your upper arms shouldn’t slide. In the summer cuts, choose by your bust, since the neckline has to sit snug. With the fitted black velvet midi with drapery, it’s your hips that matter more. Sizes go from XS to XL. An S comes out close to a US 4.

Frequently asked questions

What bra goes under it?

Strapless. Ordinary straps show with this cut.

How do I iron the white linen midi?

With a hot iron while it’s still slightly damp, after a delicate wash. The crinkle linen is meant to look a little creased anyway.

Is there an off shoulder dress in a softer color than black or red?

Try the beige velvet mini with three-quarter sleeves, made for a birthday or a photo shoot. With thick nude tights and heeled boots it’s fine on a frosty day. More light colors are on the white dress page, and everything else is in the full catalog.