Styling · The Evening Edit
Night Moves
Ruched silk, lace, corsetry and asymmetric hems. Dark romance, and what to wear it in.
Ruched silk, lace, corsetry and asymmetric hems. Dark romance, and what to wear it in.
Dark romance is how the evening gets dressed this season. Not sweet, not sparkly, nothing that reads as a party dress — but not severe either. Sexy, and never obvious about it.
It came out of March at Alexander McQueen and Ann Demeulemeester, both after the same thing. At McQueen it was feathered high-necked boleros layered over corsets and lace. At Ann Demeulemeester, Stefano Gallici sent out silk and chiffon bodice dresses. And at Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello leaned all the way into jewel-toned lace — minis and separates rather than gowns.
There are four things going on and you can wear any one of them on its own. Ruched silk, gathered so it catches the light. Lace, in black and jewel tones rather than white. Corsetry, boned or draped, holding the waist. And asymmetric hems that fall longer on one side.
The restraint is what makes it work. A lace dress that covers more than it reveals is far more interesting than one that doesn't, and that's the whole trick — there's tension in it, which a plain black dress never has.
Below, thirty pieces — the ruched silk, the corset dress, the corset top, the lace maxi, the lace midi and the silk dress. Black first, then burgundy, deep green and oxblood.
Every piece in the edit — tap to shop.
Ruching is what makes silk look like it cost something. Khaite's Raina and Victoria Beckham's Isabella both do it in pink, which is less obvious than black and reads warmer in low light. Rodarte and Alessandra Rich keep theirs at midi length. And Christopher Esber's Sonora is trimmed in tulle and the least expensive of the five — the one to start with if you're not sure the silhouette is yours.
The corset is doing the structural work this season, and these five wear it differently. Rachel Gilbert's Oscar is off-shoulder crêpe, cut for a room where people are looking. Magda Butrym puts floral appliqué over tulle. Alessandra Rich builds hers from lace and silk georgette, Zimmermann's Rhiannon is gathered rather than boned, and Vivienne Westwood's Mini Sunday is draped and under nine hundred dollars — the shortest and the least serious of them.
Tap any piece below to shop the whole edit.
Worn with a long skirt or wide trousers, a corset top is the version of this you can wear more than once a year. Wiederhoeft's is silk taffeta and the most expensive thing in this edit by a distance. Alexander McQueen's is corded lace with satin trim, and Givenchy's has a cape falling from the back, which does the work of a jacket without being one.
Full length, and the most romantic half of the edit. Chloé's is lace-trimmed silk satin at the top of the range. Isabel Marant's Lisia is cotton lace, Zimmermann's Rebellion and MONTSAND's Cascade sit in the middle, and then two under six hundred — SIR's lace-trimmed silk, and Helsa's column in black, which is $458 and the easiest way into all of this.
Shorter, sharper, and the half that actually gets worn. Dolce & Gabbana do two — a corded lace midi and a lace-paneled jersey mini, both black. McQueen does two as well, a viscose knit lace and a lace-trim A-line. Saint Laurent's satin lace dress is the one to buy if you only buy one. And Rodarte's lace-trimmed silk satin minidress and Alessandra Rich's midi bring it down under two thousand.
No lace, no boning — just cut. Saint Laurent's asymmetric tiered maxi is the piece carrying the uneven hem, and it's the one I'd photograph. Khaite's Nola is dark olive rather than black, which is the more interesting choice. Ann Demeulemeester's Elen is the quietest thing here, from the house that has been doing this longer than anyone. And Alessandra Rich's silk minidress is $755.
Every piece in this edit, by the houses behind it. Explore them all.
Mine is the Alessandra Rich lace and silk georgette bustier dress. Bold and chic at once, which almost nothing manages — most things that make an entrance can't also sit down to dinner.— K.W., Editor-in-Chief
Wear it in black and let the room work it out. The best evening dress isn't the one people compliment — it's the one they remember afterwards.— ESVRA