Embroidered maxi and midi dresses

01

Sleeves, length and neckline for modest cover

Any dress on this page can be made with different sleeves, a different length or a different neckline, and the change is written into your quote before cutting. Length is the simplest fix. The Lilac Tiered Dress stops below the knee and the Wisteria Fit-and-Flare at mid-calf, and either can be taken down to the ankle. The Ginkgo Wrap Dress is drawn anywhere from midi to ankle, so you choose.

Necklines come next. The Royal Blue Yoke Dress and the Ginkgo wrap both open in a V, and you can ask for a higher or round neck instead. The Peacock Feather Gown is the only design with wide straps rather than sleeves; its design notes say sleeves or a matching shawl can be added on request, which turns it into a gown you can wear to a wedding with your arms covered.

A lining can go under any of the eight, which helps if the fabric agreed in your quote is light. Our guide to making a design more modest covers sleeves, lining and length in more depth.

02

Where the embroidery sits, dress by dress

The anarkali and the gown carry the most work. The Emerald Rose Anarkali has a closely fitted embroidered bodice, scattered flowers over a full flared skirt and a deep border at the hem, so it reads as an Eid frock rather than a day dress. The Peacock Feather Gown sweeps its feathers from the bodice down across the skirt.

The others keep the embroidery to one or two areas. On the ivory maxi, wildflowers are scattered over the balloon sleeves and gathered into a deep band at the hem. Ginkgo leaves follow the edge of the wrap and circle the cuffs. The royal blue dress frames its V-neck with a square yoke in silver and white, the lilac dress has a floral bodice and a scalloped hem, and the wisteria trails over the bodice and sleeves in lilac and silver.

03

Which dress for which day

For ordinary days, look at the Wildflower Maxi, the Ginkgo Wrap, the Lilac Tiered Dress and the Sage Arch Kaftan. The kaftan has a band collar, a closed front and a straight, relaxed line to the ankle, with nothing fitted at the waist, so it is the most relaxed of the eight. The wrap dress ties at the waist, which lets you set how close it sits.

The Wisteria Fit-and-Flare and the Peacock Feather Gown are for dinners and gatherings. The anarkali and the royal blue dress, both floor length with long sleeves and embroidered cuffs, are the two drawn with Eid in mind.

• Everyday: Wildflower Maxi, Ginkgo Wrap, Lilac Tiered Dress, Sage Arch Kaftan
• Dinners and gatherings: Wisteria Fit-and-Flare, Peacock Feather Gown
• Eid: Emerald Rose Anarkali, Royal Blue Yoke Dress

04

Wearing a dress under an abaya

A long dress is one of the simplest things to wear under an open abaya, because it gives one clean line from neck to hem. The kaftan and the wildflower maxi suit this well: the arches down the kaftan front show between the open edges, and the wildflower border shows at the hem.

Fuller skirts, like the anarkali and the wisteria dress, sit more comfortably under an open or loose abaya than under a closed, close-cut one. When you pair the two, keep them in related shades and let one piece carry the embroidery. There is more on this in what to wear under an abaya. For a frock built entirely around your own design, see our custom frocks service.