Short formal dresses with sleeves for winter evenings

Velvet minis, plain or wrapped

Velvet is our main fabric for this page. The plain mini has a round neck, a long sleeve and a close fit. It’s the one to grab when you can’t decide. We make it in black, red, emerald, blue, burgundy and white, and the black one goes from a club to a business dinner if you put an ivory blazer over it.

Prefer a V-neck? Then look at the wrap minis. We sew the chocolate one in a velvet with stretch, so it fits tight and your steps stay as long as usual. Soft folds collect near the waist and cover the stomach, and the hem is asymmetric because one panel crosses over its neighbor. In the yellowish light of a restaurant, brown is kinder to the face than black. Gold earrings suit it.

Some evenings ask for a bit more shoulder. For those there’s a black velvet mini that covers one arm and leaves the opposite shoulder bare, plus off-shoulder styles in beige and lilac with the collarbones on show. Leave the necklace at home with these.

Lurex shine and a skirt that spins

Lurex gets its shine from metallic thread worked into the knit, so there’s no need for sequins. Our lurex wrap minis have a long sleeve, a V-shaped neckline and a tie belt for the waist. We sew them in emerald, black and powder pink for New Year’s, office parties and graduations. Since the fabric shines by day too, a blazer and plain ankle boots make it fine for a daytime celebration.

Will there be dancing? Go knee-length. The burgundy and emerald velvet dresses with a half-circle skirt flare when you turn. On the burgundy one the sleeves end in cuffs, and there’s a cutout at the back that people only see when you spin.

A few long-sleeved satin wrap minis live on this page too. They’re part of the summer collection and come back in the warm season.

Trying on a short dress properly

We’d do two things in front of the mirror. Raise your arms, then sit down. If the hem stays where you want it, the length is right. Fitted velvet goes by bust and hips, and we cut every style in XS to XL, so an L is about a US 10.

For cold nights, thick matte tights and a straight coat are all you need over a mini. You can narrow things down in short formal styles of every sleeve, long-sleeved formal dresses, formal minis or the winter formal shorts.

Frequently asked questions

Is a mini with long sleeves formal enough?

When the invitation says cocktail, yes. Velvet or lurex and a closed top make short formal dresses with sleeves look dressed, not casual. For black tie you’d want a long gown.

What tights go with a short velvet dress?

Thin black ones for the evening. Matte skin-tone tights work with brown and beige velvet.

Do you have short sleeves as well?

A few, mostly summer wrap styles in satin. In winter fabrics the sleeve is long or three-quarter.

Would one of these work for a winter wedding?

Yes, in any color but white. The knee-length dresses with a half-circle skirt are the easiest fit for a wedding, and they’re made for the dance floor.