Short black dresses cut above or right at the knee

Above the knee, now and then right at it, and black from the collar down. That’s every short black dress on this page, with rib knit and velvet for January and satin florals and polka dots for July.

From a desk at nine to a club at midnight

Monday first. The V-neck mini with shoulder pads holds its line like a jacket, and below the fitted waist there’s a pleated skirt with flap details. Thick black tights, loafers, a briefcase. If your office allows a short hem, that’s your dress. The rib mini with a small keyhole is quieter still, since the drop at the chest shows very little, and it goes to dinner afterwards with tall boots and a quilted chain bag.

Friday is another matter. Our black velvet mini on thin straps was made for a club, a cocktail bar or a dinner for two, and in winter you’ll hide your shoulders under an oversized jacket or a short fur jacket until the dancing starts. Its description says that velvet doesn’t crease, so it can ride in your bag and go on straight away. Stilettos and a thin chain. Nothing else.

For the office party or New Year’s Eve, there’s the lurex wrap with long sleeves and a short skirt. By day it calms down under an oversized black blazer and chunky boots.

Summer gets the prints. A one-shoulder polka dot mini has a ruffle running down the neckline, a second one finishing the hem, and the skirt swings loose from the waist. White sneakers, a denim jacket on your shoulders, earrings on the bare side. Under it, wear a strapless bra or one with a single clear strap.

Choosing your own length

Two of these come in three lengths, and we sew either one at whichever of those you pick. The zip-front rib mini, the one with the stand collar, comes at 80, 88 or 93–94 cm, and the jersey style with two rows of flounces at 80, 88 or 92–94 cm. Shorter suits petite women. The longest covers your knees, which is handy for a family table. Just write the length you want in the order comment. A short black dress made at the length you chose, in our workshop in Ukraine.

The zip mini flares out below the bodice and stays clear of your hips, so choose its size by the bust. The jersey one is soft and stretches, and your usual size is fine there. In the shortest version it looks great with over-the-knee boots.

All these sizes run XS to XL, about a US 2 to a US 12. Want sleeves all the way down? Head to our long-sleeved black styles. Every length of the color is on the main black page, and other shades of a short hem live under minis in every color.