Sequin One-Shoulder Evening Gown

A one-shoulder neckline does most of the styling work by itself, and full sequin coverage means this gown reads as finished without much help from jewellery. The single long sleeve is what makes the asymmetry work: it balances the bare shoulder and gives the eye somewhere to travel, rather than leaving the silhouette looking accidentally lopsided the way a plain one-shoulder cut sometimes can.

The stretch base fabric underneath the sequins lets the gown follow the body instead of standing away from it in stiff panels, which is the usual giveaway on a poorly made sequin dress. The leg split restores the stride length that a long column skirt otherwise takes away, so stairs, dance floors and getting in and out of a car all stay manageable across a long evening. The floor-skimming hem is cut on the assumption you will be wearing a heel.

It is built for proms, black-tie receptions, awards evenings, cruises and New Year parties. Sequinned fabric is best looked after by spot cleaning or specialist cleaning rather than a domestic machine wash, which strips sequins quickly.

• Full sequin coverage
• One-shoulder neckline
• Single long sleeve
• Leg split
• Stretch base fabric