Ball Gown

A Ball gown is the female attire for social occasions where white tie is specified on the invitation. It is traditionally a full-skirted gown reaching at least to the ankles, made of luxurious fabric, delicately and exotically trimmed. Most versions are cut off the shoulder with decollete necklines. Such gowns are typically worn with a stole (a formal shawl in expensive fabric), "good" (couture or vintage) jewellery and opera-length gloves. Standard accessories are dancing shoes and a clutch style evening bag. Where "state decorations" are to be worn, they are on a bow pined to the chest, and married women wear a tiara if they have one.

The ball-gown shape has changed little since the mid-19th century. Although man-made fabrics are now sometimes used, the most common fabrics are satin, silk, taffeta (Apparel Search note: visit our label definition page to learn about taffetta in regard to garment labels) and velvet with trimmings of lace, pearls, sequins, embroidery, ruffles and ruching.

Learn about different types of Gown.

Skirts and Dresses

Hobble Skirt

Artistic Dress Movement

Frock

Court Dress

Pant Definition

Trouser Definition

Petticoat

Clothing Definitions

An Unchanging Silhouette

Few garments in fashion can claim the ball gown's stability: its shape has changed little since the mid-19th century. The formula — a fitted, often off-the-shoulder bodice with a décolleté neckline above a full skirt falling at least to the ankles — survives because the occasion it serves has also stayed stable. White tie events ask for ceremony, and the ball gown answers with volume, luxurious fabric and elaborate trimming rather than novelty. Designers work within the formula through fabric and finish: satin for sheen, silk for drape, taffeta for crisp structure, velvet for depth, and lace, pearls, sequins, embroidery, ruffles and ruching for the delicate, exotic trimming the definition calls for.

Wearing the Complete Outfit

The ball gown is properly one part of an ensemble, and the accessories are prescribed rather than optional. The stole covers the shoulders the décolleté neckline leaves bare; opera-length gloves match the formality of the exposed arm; dancing shoes are chosen for an evening that may literally include dancing; and the clutch evening bag carries the minimum. Jewellery should be genuinely good — couture or vintage — because the simplicity of the rest of the code throws attention onto it. State decorations, when worn, go on a bow pinned to the chest. A wearer preparing for a white tie event should assemble the whole outfit together rather than the gown alone, since the effect depends on every element meeting the same standard.

Choosing a Ball Gown

Choosing begins with the invitation: a ball gown is the answer to white tie, the most formal code, so the gown should be full-skirted and at least ankle-length, in a fabric with genuine luxury — satin, silk, taffeta or velvet — rather than a lighter party dress. The off-the-shoulder cut and décolleté neckline are traditional, and they dictate the rest of the planning: the stole for the shoulders, opera-length gloves for the arms, and jewellery of a standard to hold its own in a simple, formal setting. Fit the gown for movement as well as appearance, since dancing shoes are part of the outfit for a reason; a skirt that cannot be danced in fails the occasion. Fitted and accessorized as a complete ensemble, the ball gown does what it has done since the mid-19th century: it makes ceremony visible.