Choosing a ball gown: silhouette and colour, seen in movement and light

A ball gown is judged at three moments: when you walk into the room, when you dance and when you sit down at the table. A catalogue photograph shows only the first. So before you think about colour or style, ask yourself how you want to move on the night.

The silhouette changes the way you move

A cut is more than a beautiful line on the hanger. Each silhouette asks something different of you: the length of your stride, the space you need, the way you take a staircase.

Mermaid silhouette: a long line, measured steps

A mermaid cut follows the body to around the knee, then flares out. The effect is one unbroken vertical line, and the elegance comes from its simplicity. The trade-off is a shorter stride, so stairs and dancing need a different approach. At your fitting, don’t stop at the mirror: take a few steps, climb a step if there is one to hand, and sit down. Check that the fabric stretches without pulling and that you can breathe normally when seated.

One example from the showroom is the Amour 10 evening dress: a long coral mermaid gown in Chantilly-style lace over stretch satin, with long flared sleeves and an embellished belt at the waist. It is available in size 38 and can be made to order in other shades or sizes. The flared sleeves bring movement to the upper half, so the close-fitting silhouette never looks stiff.

Full skirt: freedom and volume

If you long to dance without a second thought, a full skirt leaves your steps free. The volume comes from the fabric and the way the skirt is constructed: stretch taffeta holds its shape, while chiffon falls more softly and moves with every step. Your aim at the fitting is to see how the skirt behaves when you turn quickly, and how much fabric you need to gather in your hand to climb a step.

On the Amour 26 evening dress (long, mauve, size 42, a one-of-a-kind piece), the bodice and three-quarter sleeves are in embroidery hand-embellished with sequins, the neckline is a V, and the full skirt is in fine, silky chiffon over stretch taffeta. It is a study in contrast: a worked surface above, a skirt that moves easily below.

Colour is read through the fabric

The same shade looks different on taffeta, chiffon, velvet or lace. Taffeta catches the light in broad folds and makes colour look more intense. Chiffon filters and softens it. Velvet absorbs light and deepens the tone, while lace lets what lies beneath show through, so the shade also depends on the lining underneath.

In practice, coral on lace and satin will not look like coral on glossy taffeta, even if the shade has the same name. So look at the gown in its own fabric rather than at a colour swatch, and ask to see it both in natural light by the window and under the showroom lights.

How to choose the colour for your evening

There is no ‘right’ colour for a particular complexion or figure. There are, however, a few practical pointers to help you decide:

• The lighting at the venue. In rooms with warm, low lighting, darker shades (navy, green, black) drift closer together and lose contrast. Lighter or brighter colours stay visible.
• The photographs. A flash can alter a pastel shade. If you want to look in photographs the way you look in the mirror, take a test shot on your phone, with and without the flash.
• The accessories. The shoes, bag and jewellery you already own can narrow or widen your choice. If you have a favourite pair of shoes, bring them to the fitting.
• How you feel in it. A colour that seems ‘safe’ but leaves you unmoved shows in your posture. One you love wearing shows just as quickly.

Ball gowns also lend themselves to bolder shades than you would wear by day, and evening light is kinder to a strong red or green. But don’t push yourself towards a tone simply because it is in fashion.

What to check at the fitting

1. Walking and stairs. Take long strides, as you would crossing a ballroom, and climb a step. If you tread on the hem or it catches, say so straight away.
2. Sitting down. Stay seated for at least a minute. The fabric should not pull at the hips, and the bodice should not ride up.
3. Your arms. Raise them as if for an embrace or a dance. Do the sleeves and neckline stay in place?
4. Support. If the gown is strapless, see how the bodice holds as you move. We have written about structure in more detail in our article on the dress corset.
5. Colour in motion. Turn slowly in front of the mirror. The shade shifts with every fold.

Alterations: what to discuss before you decide

A ball gown rarely fits to the millimetre straight off the hanger, and there is nothing wrong with that. Hem length, waist height and the width of straps or sleeves are all routine alterations. What matters is to discuss them at the fitting and find out what can be changed given the cut and the fabric: embroidered lace or a layer of chiffon is altered differently from plain taffeta. How long it takes depends on how many changes are needed and what they involve, so ask early and leave plenty of time before the date of your event. You will find details of the work we can do on our evening dress alterations page.

To see more long styles, you can start with our evening dress collection. Sizes and shades vary from one design to another, and some can also be made to order.

If you already have a silhouette or colour in mind, bring the idea with you to a fitting at the atelier. You can compare the options one by one, in the right shoes, and decide by how you feel in movement, not just in the mirror.