Plus size formal dresses, cut from your own numbers

Front length over a fuller bust or tummy

A dress has further to travel over a fuller bust or tummy, which is why bought dresses often ride up at the front while the back hangs lower. Give a front length, from the shoulder beside the neck over the bust to the hem, and a back length as well, so the hem can be cut to hang level. Our article on brand size charts and made to measure covers the other places shop patterns tend to fall short.

How it should feel, sleeves and lining

Then say how you like a dress to sit: close, regular or relaxed. A dress you own that sits well can be measured laid flat instead, with every number marked as a garment measurement; body or garment measurements explains the difference, and our guide to ease in a dress shows how much room each shape needs.

Check the sleeves first, since that is where bought dresses tend to let a fuller arm down. Four designs here have long sleeves, each cut to your upper arm with room to reach forward, and the gown, the lace frock and the cape kaftan can have sleeves added, lengthened or closed. The chiffon Tiered Maxi is slightly sheer, and any design on this page can be lined.

Cocktail length, and a black formal dress

Not every invitation calls for the floor. The Black Red Roses Frock is fitted at the waist with a flared midi skirt, and its long sleeves are covered in red roses and green leaves. It is shown in crepe and can be made any length from the knee to the floor, so it serves as a black cocktail dress or a long formal one. The Charcoal Minimal Frock is the quiet choice: a wrap V-neck closed with one button, three-quarter sleeves and a pleated skirt to the calf.

For weddings, our plus size wedding guest guide looks at staying comfortable over a long day, and the wedding guest dresses and evening dresses have more designs to cut to your numbers.

Plus size evening gowns: A-line, full skirted or black

The burgundy gown is the A-line one, widening gently from its lace bodice to the floor, for anyone who wants room at the hip without a lot of skirt. The Peacock Feather Gown is the plus size ball gown shape, a full skirt from a fitted bodice, and it can take sleeves or a matching shawl for a black tie evening.

For a plus size black evening gown, the black frock with red roses can be cut to the floor, and the Tiered Maxi comes in Black. The peacock gown and the yoke dress can also be asked for in another base colour, black included, confirmed in your quote.

Plus size mother of the bride dresses

A plus size mother of the bride dress has to get three things right at once, which shop dresses rarely manage: sleeves with room at the upper arm, a skirt with room at the hip through a long day of sitting and standing, and a hem that hangs level in the photographs. The Royal Blue Yoke Dress does all three once it is cut from your numbers, with long sleeves and a skirt that flares from the yoke to the floor. The Emerald Vine Cape Kaftan is the easier long dress, falling straight from the shoulder with the upper arm free under its cape sleeves, or with closed sleeves if you prefer.

The same choices suit the mother of the groom. Give a front and a back length so the hem sits level, leave white and ivory to the couple, and ask for a base colour that sits well with the wedding colours on the yoke dress or the kaftan, confirmed in your quote.

Plus size party, birthday and semi formal dresses

For a Christmas party or a birthday dinner, the black frock with red roses is the festive one, and the Tiered Maxi in Maroon or Navy is the softer choice. For semi formal events and graduations, the Charcoal Minimal Frock, with its one-button wrap neck and pleated skirt, and the Ginkgo Wrap look smart without heavy embroidery. The designs on our party dresses page can be cut from your measurements too.

Plus size maxi sundresses

Any dress on this page can be made sleeveless for summer: choose Sleeveless under sleeves on the order form, or write it in the changes box, and it is confirmed in your quote. The Tiered Maxi makes the easiest plus size maxi sundress, because its fullness sits in the three chiffon tiers rather than over the bust, and a lining keeps it from being see-through. Without a sleeve, the shoulder and armhole numbers from the list above matter more, so take them with care, and say if you want the shoulder wide enough to cover a bra strap. If you would rather keep some cover, short or elbow sleeves are on the same form.