Black Midi Dress with Pleated Skirt and Long Sleeves

A black midi dress with a pleated skirt that catches the light

This black midi dress by Italy Moda has long sleeves, a crossed V-neckline and a skirt in narrow pleats. In the photos the fabric has a soft pile with a sheen like velvet, so every pleat shows as a line of light and shadow.

It comes in one size. The maker gives a total length of 108 cm and a chest of 84 cm, and the composition is 95% polyester with 5% spandex.

At a glance

The piece: model 160395, and what we don't know

We want to be open about this one. Italy Moda lists model 160395 under evening dresses and gives us four facts: the colour, the composition, the length and the chest. There is no description text. Everything else on this page comes from looking closely at the three photos.

Those photos show a dress in two parts. The top is smooth, with a wrap front and long, slim sleeves. The skirt is pleated and swings out when the model moves. At the front of the waist sits a short gold-tone chain.

Who it's for

For you if you want a black dress for the party season that covers your arms and your knees. And for you if you wear a smaller size: a chest of 84 cm in a one-size dress points to roughly an S, with some help from the stretch.

Closer look: maker's data and photos

• Crossed V-neckline (photos)
• Long sleeves to the wrist (photos)
• Pleated skirt from the waist (photos)
• Gold-tone chain detail at the front of the waist (photos)
• Hem below the knee on the model, 108 cm total length (photos and size table)
• 95% polyester, 5% spandex (maker's data)

We can't tell you how the dress closes or whether it is lined. The maker doesn't say and the photos don't show it. Ask us before you order if that matters to you.

Fabric and feel: polyester with a velvet-like look

The composition is 95% polyester and 5% spandex. The maker does not name the fabric. In the photos it has the short pile and the shifting sheen you know from velvet and velour, so that is how we describe the look, without claiming more.

The spandex gives stretch, which a one-size dress needs.

Fit and size: one size, two numbers

The maker gives two measurements: a total length of 108 cm and a chest of 84 cm. There is no waist or hip number. On the model the top fits close, the waist is defined and the pleated skirt has plenty of room.

The chest is the number to check. Measure a fitted dress you own across the chest and double it. If you end up far above 84 cm, this dress is probably too small for you, even with the stretch.

Styling: pick up the chain

The model wears sandals with a clear block heel. We would take the chain at the waist as the starting point and repeat its colour once: gold-tone earrings, or a bag with a chain strap. Black tights and pumps make it a winter outfit.

Occasions

The maker files it under evening dresses. It fits a Christmas dinner, a theatre night, a birthday in a restaurant or New Year's Eve. The length and the sleeves also make it suitable for more formal family occasions.

Care: follow the label

The maker's data has no care instructions, so go by the label sewn into the dress.

Pile fabrics and pleats both dislike heat and pressure. Hang the dress up and steam it lightly if the label allows.

The wow detail: pleats in a fabric with a sheen

Pleats in a matte fabric are graphic. Pleats in a fabric with a sheen move like water. In the photo where the model swings the skirt, each fold lights up along its edge and goes dark in the valley next to it. On a black dress that is all the decoration you need.

Fashion that gives back

Dressing well and doing some good can go together. 5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose. The causes on our list are matched to 11 of the 17 SDGs of the United Nations.

Our promise

Ships from the maker's wholesale partner in Poland, inside the EU, with tracking. The wholesaler lists up to 3 days to prepare an order; within the EU delivery usually takes 2–7 business days after dispatch. Delivery is free within the EU on orders from €69; below that it costs €4.95 in the Netherlands and €6.95 elsewhere in the EU.

You have 14 days after delivery to ask for a return, as long as the dress is unworn and still has its tags. Our promise is plain: if what arrives does not match what this page says, send it back within 14 days and we refund you.

More dresses for evenings out are in our evening dresses collection.