The warning first: occasion dresses are sized for a photograph taken at the start of the evening, not for the three hours of sitting, eating and dancing that come after. Try it sitting down before you buy it. Still worth the bother, because nothing else does what a proper occasion dress does, which is let you stop thinking about what you're wearing the second you walk in.
In the shop, ignore how it looks standing still under good lighting and check the things that actually matter later. Sit in it. Reach up above your head and see what the armhole does. If there's a side split, check how high it runs when you're sitting rather than standing, because those two measurements are rarely the same thing and I have learned this the hard way on a chair that was lower than expected. Check the lining separately from the outer fabric, because a polyester satin shell over a polyester lining will cling to tights and show every seam of your underwear by nine o'clock, whereas the same dress with a proper lining or a slip of viscose underneath will sit away from the body and behave itself all night. Look at where the zip sits and whether it's hidden under a seam or just sitting there waiting to show through under flash photography. And always check the fastening can actually be managed alone, because a hook and eye at the back of the neck is a design decision made by someone who has never got dressed in a hurry.
What an occasion dress should not be worn with is anything else that's trying to be the main event. A heavily structured dress with a statement sleeve or a lot of embellishment wants a plain coat, flat or low shoes you can actually walk in, and jewellery you choose once and then forget about. Save the big earrings for the plain dresses. Where this kind of dress really earns its outing is weddings, especially the awkward outdoor ceremony followed by an indoor reception that catches people out every summer, and the winter dinners and parties where a coat is inevitable and you need something that survives being covered up for half the night without creasing into a crumpled mess.
The one mistake worth avoiding is buying for the size on the label rather than the fit on your body, particularly with anything structured through the bodice. A size up with room to breathe through a meal beats a size down you can't do the zip on by the second course, every single time.
Yellow DressesYellow Occasion Floral Dresses: The Edit
Yellow DressesYellow Occasion Lace Dresses That Always Get Compliments
Yellow DressesYellow Occasion Maxi Dresses You’ll Want to Live In
Yellow DressesYellow Occasion Midi Dresses That Tick Every Box
Yellow DressesYellow Occasion Mini Dresses: What We’d Buy Now
Yellow DressesYellow Occasion Satin Dresses We Can’t Stop Looking At
Yellow DressesFinding the Best Yellow Occasion Slip Dresses
White DressesWhite Occasion Satin Dresses on Our Radar
Sequin DressesThe White Occasion Sequin Dresses Worth Planning an Outfit AroundAlso worth a lookMidi DressesI used to think midi dresses were what you wore when you'd given up on deciding whether to…See the collections →
Bodycon DressesWhite Occasion Bodycon Dresses That Always Get Compliments
Shirt DressesWhite Occasion Shirt Dresses You Can Dress Up or Down
White DressesWhite Occasion Denim Dresses You Can Dress Up or Down
Skater DressesA Closer Look at the Best White Occasion Skater Dresses
White DressesWhite Occasion Floral Dresses That Tick Every Box
Slip DressesWhite Occasion Slip Dresses: Our Current Favourites
White DressesThe White Occasion Jersey Dresses We’re Eyeing Up This Season
T-Shirt DressesEffortless White Occasion T Shirt Dresses We Love
Knitted DressesEffortless White Occasion Knit Dresses We LoveAlso worth a lookMaxi DressesA maxi dress is only as good as its hem, because that is the part that catches wind,…See the collections →
Tiered DressesShop Our Favourite White Occasion Tiered Dresses
White DressesWhite Occasion Lace Dresses for Every Occasion on Your Calendar
White DressesThe White Occasion Wrap Dresses We’re Eyeing Up This Season
Linen DressesWhite Occasion Linen Dresses Worth a Closer Look
White DressesWhite Occasion Long Sleeve Dresses: Our Honest Shortlist
White DressesWhite Occasion Maxi Dresses You Can Dress Up or Down
White DressesWhite Occasion Midi Dresses We Think You’ll Love
White DressesWhite Occasion Mini Dresses for Every Occasion on Your Calendar
Off Shoulder DressesWhite Occasion Off Shoulder Dresses We’ve Been SavingAlso worth a lookMini DressesThe thing nobody mentions about a mini dress is what happens to the hem after the third wash and the fifth wear.See the collections →
One Shoulder DressesWhite Occasion One Shoulder Dresses That Feel Special
Polka Dot DressesWhite Occasion Polka Dot Dresses That Have Caught Our Eye
Bardot DressesWhite Occasion Bardot Dresses for Every Occasion on Your Calendar
Blazer DressesWhite Occasion Blazer Dresses on Our Radar
White DressesShop the Edit: White Occasion A Line Dresses
Velvet DressesEffortless Velvet Occasion Bodycon Dresses We Love
Corset DressesVelvet Occasion Corset Dresses Worth a Closer Look
Velvet DressesVelvet Occasion Long Sleeve Dresses We’d Happily Wear on Repeat
