How to Style Elie Saab

Elie Saab is built for the occasion, so styling it is less about reinvention and more about letting the embellishment lead. Whether you are dressing for a wedding, a gala, and a milestone evening, here is how our editors wear the Lebanese couture house.

Let one statement piece do the work

An Elie Saab gown is already a complete look. Keep jewellery fine and sculptural, choose a column heel and a slim bags/clutch-bags/" class="cvx-al cvx-al--category">clutch, and resist layering. The bead embroidered gowns and sequin pieces carry the room on their own.

Style by body line

• Hourglass: the corseted bodices and sculpted waists were made for you. Let the fabric skim and finish with a fine heel.
• Tall: floor-length column silhouettes elongate beautifully, and the vertical run of embellishment draws the eye the length of the line.
• Petite: choose a clean shoulder and a defined waist, and a heeled sandal to draw the leg out, so the couture proportions stay balanced.
• Rectangle: a defined waist and a fine jewelled belt introduce gentle curve, and a draped, asymmetric neckline adds movement.

Daytime and separates

Elie Saab is not only gowns. The house tailoring and embellished separates dress up easily, so pair a tailored blazer with fluid trousers for an evening that does not call for a full gown, and add a heeled mule. Browse the wider designer jackets and trousers for the building blocks.

Occasions

Think red carpet, galas, premieres, weddings as a guest, and Ramadan and Eid dressing, the moments that ask for grandeur. For more, read whether Elie Saab is a luxury brand and explore brands like Elie Saab, then shop the full Elie Saab edit at Luxury Shoes .

Elie Saab sizing: how the numbers convert

Elie Saab is cut on French sizing. The house runs close through the bust and waist, and the
beaded fabrics carry no stretch, so the number on the label matters more than it would on a jersey
dress. Luxury Handbags lists every piece on the UK ladder.

If you sit between two sizes in a beaded style, take the larger one. A beaded seam can be taken
in by a tailor, and it cannot be let out, because the embroidery runs across the seam allowance.
Gowns are cut long for a heel of four inches to five inches, so expect to hem if you are petite.
Once you know your size, our guide on where to buy Elie Saab covers the channels and the returns terms.

Dressing for a wedding as a guest

The rule is to stay away from white, ivory, and anything close to it, and to read the invitation
for the dress code. For black tie, a floor-length column in a deep shade works, and the embellished
styles are appropriate. For a daytime wedding in a garden setting, a printed midi and a fine heel reads
correctly without competing with the bride.

Mother of the bride and mother of the groom dressing sits well with this house. A midi length
with a defined waist and a covered arm gives coverage without looking matronly, and a jacket over a
column dress carries a ceremony and then comes off for the evening. Browse
designer dresses and tops to build the look.

Caring for an embellished piece

Take beaded and sequinned pieces to a specialist cleaner who handles couture, and say so when you
drop it off, because a standard dry clean can pull threads and dull the beads. Store a heavy gown
flat, and if you hang it use a padded hanger with the weight supported, since hanging a fully beaded skirt for months
stretches the shoulder seams. Keep it in a breathable cotton cover rather than plastic. Condition is also what a piece is worth later, which we cover in Elie Saab second hand, vintage, and new.

Frequently Asked Questions