Bardot Dresses: Sizing, Fit and Best Buys

Bardot feels distinctly Melbourne to me, mostly because it was built from one shop instead of a fashion group. Carol Skoufis opened it in 1996, and Basil Artemides joined as her business partner a few years later. The story has not been a straight line. After a hard stretch in 2019, the two of them bought the business back and relaunched it as an online-only label, with a shift toward better design and clothes meant to stay in rotation.

 

I think that history makes the current clothes more interesting. Faux fur sits against hard tailoring, lace meets outerwear, and night-out shapes share a rail with structure. The label is at its best when it refuses to choose between sharp and sensual so both can live in one outfit. I see that tension all through this edit, in the lace, the satin, the fitted dresses and the leather-look layers, all with one foot in Australian occasion dressing. I went deeper on a related idea in ASTR the Label Dresses: Sizing, Fit and Best Buys. I went deeper on a related idea in Anna October Dresses: The Best Buys Right Now.

These tops begin with the neckline. The Francesca Top is black cotton with a high collar and pleated mesh trim, the kind of top I would tuck into a straight skirt or use to soften a trouser. The Eva Poplin Top goes the opposite way, white and off the shoulder with a ruched front and blouson sleeves. The Anya Satin Top and the Cello Bustier are the evening end of the shelf, and the Julietta Faux Fur Top is the loud, fun one.

 

Picture her walking from a gallery opening straight into dinner, with the Eva Poplin Top as the main event and everything else kept simple. One practical note: I would pair the Eva with a higher-rise bottom, and give the Francesca a smooth layer underneath so its texture shows.

Here the cut does the talking. The Liyana Ruched Mesh Dress in dusty blue has long sleeves, a little knot at the front and a side slit, and the pale color makes it feel ready for evening. The Capri Slip Dress is bright fire-red satin with a clean line and a deep V at the back. The Ashta Corset Mini Dress and the Estine Faux Suede Midi Dress are the sharper ends of the rail.

 

Picture her at a wedding after-party in the Capri Slip Dress, adding a jacket for the walk back to the hotel. For the Liyana, I would check where the slit lands on your height before choosing shoes.

The Monroe Maxi Skirt is black floral satin and low-rise, so I would let the print set the tone and keep the top half quiet. The Phenix Faux Leather Skirt goes in a sharper direction, burgundy and glossy and short. The Maika Mid Rise Mini Skirt is the lightest option here, and I would keep its top clean so the hemline does not compete with a pattern.

 

In my fashion dreams, the Monroe is paired with a fine knit for a dinner where the tablecloth is not the loudest print. Before choosing it, I would check where the low rise sits on your own waist.

The outerwear comes with a point of view, and the trousers give it room to breathe. I think the Leon Faux Leather Jacket is really soft faux suede, the polished layer for milder weather. The Sylvie Zip Faux Fur Jacket goes the opposite way, cropped and chocolate and very cozy. The tan Corset Pant gives either one a tailored base, and the Marlowe Faux Leather Pant is the darker option.

 

Picture her heading out on a cold evening in the Sylvie over a simple top, while the Leon is the layer for a restaurant patio. My rule is to keep one texture matte and one glossy.

Bardot feels most like itself when it holds polished and playful at once. Carol Skoufis started from a Melbourne shop, but the strongest looks now come from contrast: satin beside faux leather, a mini beside a maxi, a sharp jacket thrown over a soft dress.

 

If I were choosing a first Bardot piece, I would start with a dress for a specific night. Then one jacket can prove it works with the clothes I already own, although I suspect the dress will win.