Short bodycon dress in knit, rib and velvet

Long sleeves on a short bodycon dress? That’s how we cut every one of ours. Arms stay covered, legs don’t, and the fabric decides whether it’s a workday dress or a party one.

Cotton knit with a keyhole for all-year wear

These are the simplest minis we sew. The knit is 95% cotton with 5% elastane, soft on the skin and stretchy, and it comes in black, white and pink. Its keyhole is a small one, set high on the chest, so the black one passes at an office with a relaxed dress code and then goes straight to dinner. Under the white, wear smooth underwear in a skin tone. It won’t show. The pink one is the playful option, good with white sneakers by day.

Velvet minis when there’s a party on the calendar

Velvet is the evening fabric here. We make a round-neck mini in black, red, blue and emerald, plus an emerald one with a stand collar. The covered top balances the short hem, and you can leave the wrap at home when you’re headed to a restaurant. For a club night or New Year’s Eve, the black velvet mini takes stiletto sandals. Red needs almost nothing else, so we’d keep the accessories quiet.

Which color for a holiday party in a dark room? Emerald. It shows up even in low light.

Rib and angora-blend knits that stand in for a sweater

Winter is where a short bodycon dress earns its place, odd as that sounds. Our rib knit turtleneck minis in black, white and emerald fit close and keep your neck warm. Opaque tights and a blazer make the black one right for the office, and the vertical ribs draw a long line down the body.

The angora-blend minis are softer. Two have a slit in the skirt and a plain round neck, and one in gray-blue has a stand collar and feels like a thin sweater. If a mini is shorter than you’d like, we also make a beige rib turtleneck that ends at the knee.

All of these run XS to XL. Check the hip measurement first, because that’s where a short fitted skirt rides up if the size is too small.