Couture

What sets these dresses apart

It is the construction rather than the look. A couture gown here might be beaded over every inch, or built on a satin corset bodice with a pearl and beaded skirt, or cut in lace and finished with bead embellishment. The weight and the handwork are what you notice when you pick one up, and what you feel when you put it on.

Silhouettes you will find

Fitted and mermaid gowns lead the collection, cut strapless or to a halter, with deep V necklines, open backs and slits through the skirt. Fringe skirts appear across several of the newest styles, layered so the whole gown catches the light as you move.

Colour

The palette runs to nude with silver, ivory with silver, gold, periwinkle, peacock, blush, wine and red. Most styles are made in a single colourway, but several of the fully beaded gowns come in as many as nine, so a dress you like in one shade may well exist in yours.

Sizing

Most couture styles are cut from 00 or 000 through 18, though not every style is made in every size. Formal sizing is not street sizing, and many people wear one to two sizes larger here than they do everyday. Beaded gowns can usually be altered, but how far depends on where the beadwork sits, so let a seamstress look at the dress itself before you plan on a big change.

Where to find a couture gown

Only a select few of our retailers carry couture, and they are the same stores that take on custom and made-to-measure work. You will find them under the Couture filter in the store finder. Call before you visit, tell them the style number, and they will tell you what they have and what they can order. The store will quote you on the dress.