Winter dress styles in velvet and angora knit

A winter dress has to survive a twenty-minute walk through sleet and still look like you tried once the coat comes off. That’s why nearly everything we cut for the cold has long sleeves and a dense fabric, rib knit and angora-blend knit for weekdays and velvet for the holidays.

A Monday in January in rib knit or angora

Start with the black Mustang rib mini that zips up the front to a stand collar. The rib is thick and warm, and once the office heating kicks in you open the zip a few inches and forget about it. Below the fitted bodice the skirt flares, and your hips get some room. It comes in three lengths, and the longest, 93–94 cm, covers the knee. Put the one you want in the order comment.

The red angora-blend turtleneck midi is basically a sweater you don’t have to layer. High collar, long sleeves. Under a puffer, that’s the whole outfit. A wide bracelet or a watch is enough jewelry, because the collar already covers your neck.

Nobody needs a winter dress that only looks good standing still, either. Sit in it, reach for the bus rail, climb the stairs at work before you decide.

Our black angora mini with ruffles at the shoulders wants a coat without padding up top. A short straight coat or a sheepskin won’t crush them.

Velvet once the party season starts

By mid-December you’ll want velvet. We make wrap minis in burgundy, beige and blue, all with long sleeves. Under warm restaurant lights, chocolate brown velvet comes across warmer on the skin than black. Gold earrings help. For a formal New Year’s party or a winter wedding, look at the maxi and floor-length velvet gowns, a few cut with a high leg slit, others off the shoulder.

Pick the coat before you pick the dress. A close-fitting midi slides under a long wool coat, while a mini looks right with a short puffer and knee boots. Opaque tights either way. It’s also worth trying your winter dress on over the exact tights you’ll wear, since thick ones change how a fitted knit sits.

Going to a wedding? See our ideas for a December or January wedding. For softer everyday pieces there’s a page of sweater-style knits, and earlier in the year our October and November picks take over.