An evening dress made to order: how to choose the cut and the fabric

Besides wedding dresses we make evening dresses to order - for graduation balls, milestone birthdays, company parties and red carpets. Here is how to find yours.

Why made to order rather than ready-made

An evening dress off the rail almost always needs altering, and finding the one in your size and your colour is hard. Made to measure solves both problems: the dress is built to your measurements and your look, and no one else at the event will have it.

The cut, for your figure and the occasion

• Sheath and mermaid - for formal entrances; they follow the silhouette.
• A-line and empire - universal, they suit almost everyone and are right for any occasion.
• Floor-length - the classic for evening; midi and cocktail length - for less formal celebrations.

Take your cue from the dress code of the event and from what you want to emphasise.

Fabrics

For evening, satin and mikado work well (they hold their shape), as do flowing silk and crepe (soft draping), velvet for the cold season, and lace and embroidered net for accents. The class of fabric affects the price noticeably - we work the price out at the consultation, once the fabric is chosen.

Decoration

Bead and sequin embroidery, draping, slits, an open back - the evening format allows more expression than the bridal one. The main thing is not to overload the look.

An evening dress made for you works like a good setting: it brings you forward instead of arguing with you.

You can see the standard of our work in the gallery, read more about the process on the "Evening dress made to order" page, and talk your own dress through at a consultation.