Velvet formal dress, midi to floor-length

A velvet formal dress answers the oldest winter question, how to look dressed up when it’s freezing outside. We sew ours in dense velvet with a soft pile, which some people call velour, and most of them have long sleeves. Every dress here comes from our cold-season collection.

Floor-length velvet when the dress code is strict

Some invitations leave no room for doubt. For those nights we’d look at the navy mermaid dress first. It’s fitted as far as the knee and widens from there, which means walking and posing for photos are both easy. Round neck, long sleeves, nothing bare. Is that too covered for you? Then there’s a black maxi with open shoulders and full-length sleeves, made for anyone who’d like to show some skin without shivering through the speeches.

We also make a champagne-gold dress on one shoulder with a slit at the leg. It glows under evening light.

A long hem needs a heel, or it’ll drag. Put your event shoes on for the fitting, and you’ll know at once whether the length works.

Midi velvet for dinners, theaters and anniversaries

Formal doesn’t always mean a gown. A round-neck burgundy midi with long sleeves suits a restaurant, the theater, or a family anniversary with three generations around one table. A covered top leaves room for bolder jewelry. In real frost we’d wear it with knee-high boots that almost meet the hem.

The emerald wrap midi gives you more freedom. Its belt sets the fit at the waist, and the V-neck isn’t deep. Tie the belt at your natural waist during the fitting, so the wrap lies flat. We do sew short velvet too, but for a truly formal evening we’d stay at midi or longer.

What to check when you try velvet on

Velvet doesn’t stretch the way knit does. Raise your arms. Sit down. If the fabric pulls anywhere, go up a size, because velvet looks its best when it isn’t strained across your bust or hips. We cut every velvet formal dress in XS to XL. Black, navy, burgundy, emerald, red, powder pink, they’re all here. Narrow it down through all our velvet, the long velvet section or formal dresses in other fabrics, and if the event is a wedding, velvet for wedding guests is the shorter list.

Frequently asked questions

Is velvet enough for a December wedding, or will I be cold?

You shouldn’t be. Velvet is warmer than satin, and with long sleeves you’ll be comfortable in the hall. A cropped fur-look jacket that comes off indoors covers the trip there.