Black Tie Dresses

The Emily Post Institute's black tie guide lists three options for women: a formal floor length evening gown, a dressy cocktail dress, or your dressiest little black dress. I like that the gown comes first. When an invitation says black tie, a long dress is the answer nobody in the room will question, and every dress in this edit is floor length for that reason.

 

The harder part is choosing a gown with one clear idea. This first group is the clean end, where the line of the dress is the whole point. Lauren Ralph Lauren's V-Neck Column is the plainest and the one I would recommend to anyone who hates thinking about clothes. Eliza J's One Shoulder Satin Gown and BCBGMAXAZRIA's Solina both put the interest at one shoulder, the Eliza J in sheen, the Solina in gathered drape. AQUA's Solid Pleated Maxi lets pleats do the work. Hervé Léger's Sara is a strapless column with the brand's sculpted fit, and AQUA's Long Scuba Strapless is the same idea in red, for anyone who wants colour without decoration. Theia's Teresa adds an asymmetric overlay, and the BCBG Demi has a quiet twist at the front.

 

My test: sit down in it. A column that looks perfect standing can ride up or pull across the hips in a dinner chair, and black tie evenings involve a lot of sitting.

 

What I would skip: a strapless column if the venue is a cold marquee and you do not want to wear a wrap all night.

Black tie season is mostly autumn and winter, and that is where sleeves and heavier fabrics earn their place. This second group is for cold venues, older crowds and anyone who would rather not spend the night holding a wrap in place.

 

AQUA's Stretch Velvet Mock Neck gown is the simplest, a black velvet column that covers almost everything and still looks like evening. Teri Jon's Lace Pintuck gown has sheer long sleeves and a ruffled hem, which is the most romantic dress here. Eliza J's Long Sleeved Boat Neck gown has a bow and a mermaid skirt, so it reads formal without much jewellery. Hobbs London's Black Tie Collection gives you two: the Meryl in black with an embellished waist and the Cate in navy, both with long sleeves and a defined middle. Teri Jon's Metallic Jacquard gown is off the shoulder in a woven metallic, and JLUXLABEL's Celestina is a draped metallic maxi. Aidan Mattox's Stretch Mikado gown has a pleated bodice and a full skirt with real structure.

 

A pairing tip: velvet and lace already carry texture, so keep the shoe plain and the earrings small. Metallics want the opposite, a matte clutch and no second shine.

 

What I would skip: velvet at a summer black tie wedding. It is beautiful and it is very warm.

This last group is the one the opening of this edit warned about, dresses with a strong feature. Each one is worth wearing because it commits to a single detail and leaves the rest alone.

 

Dress the Population's Charlene has a cascade ruffle down the front and a square neck, and nothing else competing. Mac Duggal's Crepe V Neck Mermaid gown has a bow at the waist, and its Sleeveless Gown with Ruffled Skirt puts tiers of ruffles all the way down. Heiress Beverly Hills' Halter Slit Gown is a high halter neck with a long slit, and Dress the Population's Sandra does the slit in a warm mocha. BCBGMAXAZRIA's Oly has a corseted bodice over a tiered tulle skirt. Alice and Olivia's Bianca has twisted straps and a sheer skirt. Mac Duggal's Embellished Neck Trumpet keeps the sparkle at the neckline only.

 

My test here is the walk. Ruffles and slits move, so take ten steps toward a mirror and watch where the dress opens and how the skirt falls. A slit should open as you walk and close when you stand.

 

What I would skip: a statement necklace with any of the neckline pieces, the halter or the embellished trumpet. The dress has already chosen where it wants you to look.

A black tie dress should look like a decision. Whichever group you shop from, pick the one thing you want noticed, whether that is a shoulder, a fabric or a ruffle, and let the gown carry it on its own.

 

If I were buying one gown to cover the next few invitations, it would be a plain floor length column in black, like the Lauren Ralph Lauren or the AQUA velvet for a winter date. Both can be worn three times without anyone remembering, and both change completely with different earrings. The statement gowns are wonderful when you know the event and the crowd, and less useful when you need a dress that works for a gala, a wedding and a work dinner in the same year.

 

Finally, read the invitation twice. Black tie optional gives you room for a cocktail dress, but plain black tie, in the Emily Post sense, is where a long gown is never the wrong call. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together How to Wear Black Tie Wedding Dresses and Best Black Tie Gowns.