Royal blue maxi dress in velvet for winter evenings

Only one royal blue maxi dress comes out of our workshop, and it’s made for cold weather. It’s blue velvet down to the floor, with long sleeves and a boat neck. Nothing about the cut is open, and that’s exactly why it suits a winter evening.

A winter wedding, a theater night or New Year’s Eve

Afraid of freezing at a wedding in January? This is the dress we’d hand you. The velvet is dense and warm, and the sleeves reach your wrists, so you won’t need a shawl once you’re in the hall.

It also fits any invitation that asks for evening dress. A reception, a premiere, a New Year’s party. For the party, silver earrings with stones look right against the blue. For the theater, small studs will do, because the color already says enough.

Silver is the metal we’d keep to in general. A clutch in the same blue as the velvet finishes it off.

What the boat neck and long sleeves change

A boat neck runs almost straight from shoulder to shoulder. It covers the chest and shows a little collarbone. With a floor-length skirt and full sleeves, the whole royal blue maxi dress stays closed, and the fabric gets all the attention.

So where’s the interest? In the pile. Velvet looks deeper or lighter depending on which way it lies, and one light sweep of a soft brush before you leave evens out the blue. We wouldn’t iron it. Creases come out with a steamer held to the wrong side, and after washing the dress dries on a hanger.

Hem, heels and the right size in long velvet

You’ll want heels under this hem. Without them the velvet drags on the ground, and on a wet winter sidewalk that’s a pity. Put on the shoes you plan to wear and check the length in a mirror before the big night.

Stuck between two sizes? In a long velvet dress, let your hip measurement decide. Our sizes for it run XS through XL, with the largest sitting near a US 12.

Since this page holds a single style, you may want to see blue in other lengths on the royal blue page, or other colors among our long velvet dresses.