Interestingly, most people interested in the fashion world may not know that evening dresses are different from cocktail dresses. If you are on that train, you are lucky to be reading this post as we will highlight their basic differences.
Firstly, it is important to note that cocktail events are special events where invitees are expected to appear in semi-formal clothes. The atmosphere of this type of shows sits between formal events and informal gatherings.
The basic differences between them are in the following areas:
1 Fabric
Gowns generally look good when they are made of taffeta, organza, satin or others in the same family. However, you will notice that evening gowns seem to come with heavier fabrics, including velvet and silk. You can see some ball gown examples here from Sherri Hill’s Ball Gown line.
On the other hand, cocktail gowns tend to lean towards lighter fabrics such as cotton and lace. Lighter fabrics are the most suitable material for voluptuous women. Of course, there are lots of trendy plus size cocktail dresses to choose from. Besides you won’t regret if you check out these shein dresses here at cheap prices as well.
2 Formality
In terms of formality, cocktail dresses are less formal than evening dresses. This is because cocktail parties are more relaxed where appetizers and drinks are usually served. Evening events, on the other hand, are formal events such as weddings, fund-raising events, and balls held in the evening. The dress code for attending them is usually more conservative and formal.
3 Colors and Patterns
Cocktail dresses are generally more available in a wider variety of colors than evening dresses. Bold colors and patterns that will look perfect on cocktail dresses will look inappropriate in evening dresses, thereby attracting lots of reproving stares.
4 Skirt Length
As a rule, most cocktail dresses have a skirt length that ranges from knee-length to mid-thigh length. Their lengths are determined mostly by the body shape of the wearer. Mid-thigh, long cocktail dresses are particularly suitable for women who have nice looking, long legs. Knee-length skirts are ideal for almost all forms.
Evening dresses, conversely, have lengths that generally range from the knees to the floor. Of these two, floor-length gowns are the most popular, especially for state or religious events where knee-length dresses are not appropriate.
5 Designs
Cocktail dresses tend to adopt more flexible and trendy patterns. Some of these are entirely for accentuating body curves and voluptuousness, especially in the case of trendy plus size cocktail dresses, where the design is intricately crafted to accentuate the curves. Sexiness is often the design backdrop for cocktail dresses.
On the contrary, the design concept of most evening dresses is geared towards decency and modesty.
6 Embellishments and Accessories
This is another subtle difference between the two. Cocktail dresses are prone to more exaggerations than evening dresses, which lean towards a plain, straightforward design.
Most cocktail dresses for festive events come with elaborate embellishments that would be highly inappropriate for evening events or parties. When it comes to accessories, cocktail dresses allow opportunity for more creativity than evening dresses. There is also an excuse to be wear brighter colors in cocktail dresses than evening gowns.
Read More:
A list of the dresses that are: one-dress and two occasions