Gowns have a reputation for being the one purchase you only use twice and regret both times, bought in a hurry for an occasion that dictated the whole decision. I think that reputation is earned by bad shopping rather than by the garment itself, and a good one is a different proposition entirely.
The trick with a gown is not to treat it as something separate from everything else you own. The ones that get worn more than once are the ones that pair easily with things already in the house: a plain coat you can throw over it without ruining the line, shoes in a colour you already have in two other pairs, a bag small enough to carry and dull enough not to compete. Before you buy, look past the picture on the model and check the things that decide whether it survives an evening. Feel the weight of the fabric between your fingers rather than trusting how it drapes on a hanger. Look at the zip, not just whether it closes but whether it's sewn in straight and backed properly, because a crooked zip will announce itself the first time you sit down. Check the lining goes the whole way, not just to the knee with hope for the rest. Check any boning or structure sits where your body actually curves rather than where a smaller sample size assumed it would. A cheap gown often looks fine photographed still and falls apart the moment you move, walk, sit, or reach for a drink, while a good one is cut with the understanding that a body in a gown is rarely standing perfectly upright with its arms by its sides.
A gown that's made well will tell you so after a few wears rather than one. The seams stay flat, the fabric doesn't go shiny at the hips where you've sat in it, the hem doesn't start dropping after a single dry clean. Have it cleaned properly rather than steamed in a bathroom and hope, and store it on a proper padded hanger rather than folded in a bag at the bottom of a wardrobe, because creases in heavier fabric can take as long to drop out as they took to form. If you've none at all, start with the plainest cut you can find in the best fabric your budget allows, a simple column or a clean bias cut, rather than anything embellished in a fabric that can't carry the embellishment. Decoration hides a cheap cut for about one wear and then shows its hand.
Reach for it when the occasion is formal enough that nothing shorter will do, and buy it as though you intend to wear it again, because the good ones always give you the chance to.
Finding the Best Yellow Evening Gowns
Shop Our Favourite Yellow Gowns
Wrap Maxi Gowns That Make Getting Dressed Easy
Wrap Gowns That Feel Special
Our Top Work Gowns Right Now
The Winter Dressing Gowns We’d Wear Anywhere
Winter Gowns You’ll Want to Live In
The Edit: White Short Dressing Gowns
White Satin Gowns for Every Occasion on Your CalendarAlso worth a lookMidi DressesI used to think midi dresses were what you wore when you'd given up on deciding whether to…See the collections →
The Edit: White Occasion Gowns
The Prettiest White Long Dressing Gowns Around Right Now
White Maxi Gowns for When You Want to Feel Put Together
Our Pick of the Best White Fleece Dressing Gowns
White Evening Gowns We Think You’ll Love
White Dressing Gowns Edited Down to the Best
White Cotton Dressing Gowns Worth a Closer Look
The White Christmas Dressing Gowns on Our Wishlist
Shop the Edit: Wedding Guest GownsAlso worth a lookMaxi DressesA maxi dress is only as good as its hem, because that is the part that catches wind,…See the collections →
The Viscose Gowns Shortlist
Our Edit of the Best Waffle Dressing Gowns
Velvet Evening Gowns for Your Next Night Out
Velvet Long Sleeve Gowns That Do All the Work for You
Velvet Maxi Gowns That Tick Every Box
Where to Find the Best V Neck Maxi Gowns
Effortless V Neck Gowns We Love
Our Kind of Tulle Gowns
Turquoise Gowns for Every Occasion on Your CalendarAlso worth a lookMini DressesThe thing nobody mentions about a mini dress is what happens to the hem after the third wash and the fifth wear.See the collections →
Tiered Gowns We Think You’ll Love
The Tie Waist Gowns on Our Wishlist
Tie Waist Maxi Gowns for Every Occasion on Your Calendar
Tie Waist Floor Length Gowns You Can Dress Up or Down
The Teal Gowns We Keep Going Back To
Tall Gowns Worth a Closer Look
Our Top Tall Grey Gowns Right Now
The Best Summer Gowns to Shop Now
