Huishan Zhang Cocktail Dresses: 18 Short and Midi Pieces for an Evening Dress Code

Cocktail is the dress code most people get slightly wrong, almost always by underdressing. It sits above smart and below black tie, which means knee length to midi rather than floor length, and a fabric that is doing something. A plain jersey dress in the right length is still not a cocktail dress.

These are the eighteen pieces in the current Huishan Zhang collection that answer the brief, grouped by what you want the dress to do.

Short

The house cuts very few minis, which makes the ones it does cut worth knowing about. All three are in substantial fabrics rather than light ones, which is what keeps a short dress from reading as casual.

• Maia Mini Dress in Black Crepe, $3,560
• Paola Mini Dress in Brown Suede, $2,340
• Heidi Dress in Jet Black, $1,300

Black, and not plain

Organza, jacquard and embroidery are what separate an evening black dress from an office one. Every piece here is black and none of them is a plain sheath.

• Perry Dress in Black Crepe, $1,220
• Gwendolyn Dress in Black Crepe, $1,450
• Jodie Dress in Black Crepe, $3,270
• Violette Dress in Black Organza, $2,490
• Daffodil Dress in Black Jacquard, $1,170
• Pat Dress in Black Embroidered Cotton, $1,050

Sequins and embellishment

If the event is photographed, this is the group to look at. Applied sequins and embroidered tulle both catch light in a way that survives a flash, which plain satin does not.

• Violetta Dress in Orange Embellished Sequins, $2,530
• Lyra Dress in Smoke Embroidered Sequins, $1,740
• Blakely Dress in Champagne Satin Embellished Tulle, $1,590
• Rosella Dress in Pale Blue Metallic Embellished Taffeta, $1,770
• Camelia Dress in Citronelle Black Embroidered Tulle, $1,820

Colour

Coral, peacock, wild lime and bright apple. Colour at a cocktail event is a low-risk decision, because unlike a wedding there is no one you can accidentally upstage.

• Halle Dress in Sugar Coral Organza, $2,190
• Carmen Dress in Peacock Crepe, $1,300
• Arthemis Dress in Wild Lime Embellished Crepe, $2,340
• Mae Dress in Bright Apple Tulle, $1,970

Getting the length right

The one rule

If the invitation says cocktail and you arrive in a floor-length gown, you have overruled the host. It is the single most common mistake at this dress code and the least forgiving, because unlike underdressing it cannot be fixed by confidence.

Frequently asked questions

What is a cocktail dress?

A dress for an evening event that is formal but not black tie. In practice that means knee length to midi rather than floor length, in a fabric with some decoration, failing that some body, worn with a heel. A mini is acceptable at an evening reception and usually too short for a daytime ceremony.

Is a midi dress acceptable for cocktail attire?

Yes, and it is now the default. Midi reads as more current than knee length and covers a wider range of venues. Floor length is the one thing that is genuinely wrong for a cocktail dress code, because it outranks the invitation.

How much is a Huishan Zhang cocktail dress?

Short and midi occasion dresses in the current collection run from about $1,000 to $3,560. The sequinned and embellished pieces sit in the middle of that range, around $1,700 to $2,600.

Can I wear black to a cocktail event?

Yes. Black is the correct answer to most evening dress codes and the only common exception is a wedding where the couple has asked you not to. What makes a black dress read as cocktail rather than as work is the fabric: organza, jacquard and embroidery all do it, plain jersey does not.

What shoes go with a cocktail dress?

A heel, and one you can stand in. With a midi, a pointed court keeps the leg line long, and so does a strappy sandal. With a mini, almost anything works, so choose for the floor you will be standing on.

Keep reading

• Every Huishan Zhang midi dress
• The 12 best Huishan Zhang dresses
• Huishan Zhang evening gowns, by occasion
• How to style Huishan Zhang
• Shop the full Huishan Zhang collection at Luxury Shoes