Black Evening Gowns: 25 Designer Styles, Chosen by Occasion

The best black evening gowns are chosen by silhouette and fabric first, then by price: a crepe column, a structured sable gown, a sheer embellished piece and a sleeved gown each suit a different evening. This edit picks 25 black styles from seven designers at Luxury Shoes , priced from $1,270 to $16,890, and groups them so you can shop by the shape you want.

Huishan Zhang leads, with ten black gowns and two black midi dresses. Carolina Herrera, Costarellos, Jenny Packham, Rachel Gilbert, Simkhai and Carla Zampatti fill in the rest. If the question is what the dress code on your invitation actually requires, start with our guide to black tie dresses and come back here to buy.

Why a black gown is still the smartest buy

A black evening gown is the piece you will wear most across a formal calendar. It works at a charity dinner, an opera opening, a winter wedding where black is welcome, an awards evening. It hides a long night, it photographs cleanly under flash, and it takes jewellery of any colour. Spend on the cut and the cloth, because nobody remembers a black gown for its colour.

The three questions that narrow the choice: how much structure do you want, how much skin do you want to show, and how much decoration does the evening deserve. The sections below follow those questions.

Column and jersey: the clean black line

A column gown runs close to the body from shoulder to floor. It is the easiest gown to wear for a long evening, it packs better than anything with volume, and it suits women who prefer a sharp line to a big skirt.

• Huishan Zhang Reign Gown in Black Crepe, $5,320
• Huishan Zhang Irina Gown in Black, $2,900
• Huishan Zhang Mia Gown in Black Crepe Jersey, $2,520 (new, pre-order)
• Carolina Herrera Column Gown with Back Bow in Black, $7,550
• Costarellos Belina Embroidered Crystals Column Gown in Black, $5,470
• Costarellos Jevi Crepe Sleeveless Gown in Black, $3,100
• Rachel Gilbert Malik Column Gown, $2,600
• Rachel Gilbert Anya Column Gown, $1,395
• Simkhai Norvelle Draped Jersey Gown in Black, $1,270

The Mia is the new Resort 2027 piece to know. It is a floor-length column of black viscose crepe jersey with a sheer yoke and an embroidered flower at the neck, finished with ostrich feathers. The jersey follows the body without clinging. It is made to order by the house and sold as a pre-order, so it ships later than stocked gowns. The Reign is the plainer option in black crepe, and the Costarellos Belina adds embroidered crystals to the same column shape.

Structured sable: shape that holds all night

Sable at Huishan Zhang is a fabric name, not fur. This season it is a smooth acetate and polyester weave, and it gives a gown a sculpted shape that stays put whether you are seated for dinner, standing for speeches, dancing late. Four of the brand’s black gowns are cut in it.

• Huishan Zhang Leila Gown in Black Sable Sequins, $5,140
• Huishan Zhang Charlotte Gown in Black Sable, $5,140
• Huishan Zhang Delphi Gown in Black Sable, $4,760
• Huishan Zhang Briony Gown in Black Embellished Sable, $4,390

Choose the Charlotte and the Delphi for a plain black surface. The Leila adds sequins and the Briony adds embellishment, which suits a gala where the room expects some light on the dress. The Delphi also comes this season in pink flower embroidered organza, if you want the same shape in colour. The Huishan Zhang fabric guide explains how the house uses each cloth.

Sheer and embellished: for a gala

Tulle, organza, lace and crystal. These are the black gowns for an evening that is photographed, where a plain column might disappear against a dark backdrop. Sheer layers add depth to black without adding colour.

• Huishan Zhang Micheline Gown in Black Embellished Tulle, $9,430
• Huishan Zhang Augusta Gown in Black Tulle, $6,260
• Huishan Zhang Beau Gown in Black Organza, $5,700
• Costarellos Andrie French Lace Gown in Black, $3,730
• Simkhai Zoriel Embellished Halter Gown in Black, $1,570

The Micheline is the most expensive Huishan Zhang gown Luxury Handbags carries, at $9,430. The Augusta gives you the tulle without the embellishment. The Simkhai Zoriel is the entry point to the group at $1,570.

Jenny Packham in Liquorice

Jenny Packham calls its black Liquorice. Both pieces below sit in Luxury Shoes ’s evening gown category and are at the top of this edit on price.

• Jenny Packham Twilight Dress in Liquorice, $8,440
• Jenny Packham Opera Dress in Liquorice, $8,240

Sleeved black gowns

A sleeve changes how a black gown reads: more formal, more covered, more suited to winter and to conservative dress codes. Look for sleeves that are part of the pattern rather than a separate shrug.

• Carolina Herrera Short-Sleeve Sequin Gown in Black, $16,890
• Carolina Herrera Rolled Sleeves Button-Front Gown in Black, $8,110
• Carla Zampatti Black Crepe Layered Sleeve Gown, $1,270

The Carolina Herrera sequin gown is the most expensive piece here. The Carla Zampatti is the least expensive, and it brings a sleeve to a crepe gown for $1,270. More covered options are in our edit of long-sleeve occasion dresses.

When a gown is too much: two black midi dresses

Not every evening invitation asks for floor length. For a black tie optional dinner, a cocktail party, a theatre night, a black midi in the same crepe jersey as the Mia does the job. Both are new for Resort 2027.

• Huishan Zhang Reese Midi Dress in Black Crepe Jersey, $2,250 (pre-order)
• Huishan Zhang Eleni Midi Dress in Black Crepe Jersey, $1,960

The Reese is draped across the bodice and gathered at the hip into a single embroidered flower, with long blouson sleeves and an asymmetric midi skirt. It is lined in silk and sold as a pre-order. The Eleni is a sleeveless sheath with a scoop neck and ruching gathered into an embroidered flower at the waist, and it is in stock now. For more, see Huishan Zhang midi dresses.

Black evening gowns by price

All 25 styles in this edit, sorted into four bands. The spread is wide, from $1,270 to $16,890, and most of the difference comes from hand work and cloth weight rather than length.

How to choose

• One black gown for many events: a crepe column. The Reign at $5,320 and the Rachel Gilbert Malik at $2,600 are the most versatile here.
• A gala with photographers: tulle, organza, embellishment. Start with the Augusta.
• Winter: sable and sleeves. The Charlotte, then the Carolina Herrera Rolled Sleeves gown.
• Travelling to the event: jersey. The Mia and the Simkhai Norvelle will survive a suitcase better than tulle.
• Sizing: Huishan Zhang cuts UK 6 to UK 18 and states its sizing is true to size. See the sizing guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best fabric for a black evening gown?

Crepe is the most versatile, because it drapes cleanly and does not crease easily. Sable and duchesse give more structure for a formal evening. Tulle and organza add depth and movement, which helps black read well in photographs.

How much does a designer black evening gown cost?

The 25 black styles in this edit run from $1,270 to $16,890. Huishan Zhang’s black gowns at Luxury Handbags range from $2,520 to $9,430. The price follows the cloth and the hand work, so an embellished tulle gown costs far more than a plain column.

Is a black evening gown appropriate for a wedding?

At an evening wedding, a black gown is now widely accepted, especially for black tie. Check the invitation and the couple’s wishes first, because some families still prefer guests to avoid black. If in doubt, a deep jewel tone carries the same formality.

What is a black jersey gown?

A black jersey gown is cut from knitted fabric, which follows the body and moves easily. The Huishan Zhang Mia Gown in Black Crepe Jersey, $2,520, is a floor-length viscose crepe jersey column with a sheer yoke, an embroidered flower and ostrich feathers. Jersey packs well and is comfortable for a long evening.

Which Huishan Zhang black gowns are available now?

Luxury Handbags carries ten black Huishan Zhang gowns, from the Mia at $2,520 to the Micheline at $9,430. The Mia is a pre-order piece made to order by the house, so it ships later than stocked gowns. The others are in stock.

Can I wear a black evening gown to black tie?

Yes. A floor-length black gown in a formal fabric is the safest answer to a black tie invitation. Our guide to black tie dresses covers the dress code in full.

Keep reading

• Black tie dresses: what the dress code means and what to wear
• Huishan Zhang evening gowns by occasion
• Gala dresses
• Feather dresses
• Huishan Zhang Resort 2027
• Shop the full Huishan Zhang collection at Luxury Shoes