Cocktail dresses are semi-formal dresses that were primarily custom made and designed for pre-dinner alcoholic parties and mostly the aristocrats could afford these luxurious looking dresses. They were somewhat a quintessential in a rich woman’s wardrobe. Eventually women got their independence to dress up the way they wanted and the definition of cocktail dresses started modifying. Different lengths, necklines and ornamentation were experimented but since they were worn to exclusive evening soirees and elite parties, the cocktail dresses have always had certain unsaid norms that are required to be followed.

Now, cocktail dresses have taken a huge leap and they’re not just restricted to only cocktail parties but also for weddings, formal evening soirees, prom parties, birthdays or engagement parties, basically any event or party that requires you to look sophisticated whether day or night. And since they’re a separate genre in the world of fashion, many designers and brands have an extensive range of these dresses with endless options at the price range that you can afford.

Since the beginning, the most loved silhouette of AND has been its dresses. The design team has been catering to every women’s body type and choices like colours, prints, cuts and have only evolved with respect to, creativity and designs over the years. Our evening wear section has always been eligible for sophisticated and elite parties but this year we’ve transcended up by a notch and raised the bar high for evening wear. AND has curated a capsule collection called ‘Premium Wear’ specially designed for women who’re looking for fabulous styles at an affordable cha-ching!

Keeping in mind that these dresses come with a lot of sophistication, it’s always a good practice to follow some do’s and don’ts that’ll help you take your style game to another level. Here, we’ve listed down some basic but very essential guidelines on how to wear a cocktail dress with utmost sophistication to look like an absolute stunner.

Less is more and more is less. Accessorising too much can take the charm away from the gorgeousness of the cocktail dress. Since these dresses are always made from plush materials and are mostly embellished, it’s only fair for them to be the hero of the evening. To maintain sophistication, one statement piece can enhance the beauty of the dress and at the same time won’t dim the limelight of the cocktail dress. For example, long dangling earrings or a dainty necklace if the neckline is plunging and a bracelet or a statement ring for a high or closed neckline. Even if the dress is minimalistic and solid, not more than two accessories should be worn. Earrings with a bracelet or necklace with a ring and vice versa. The kind of jewellery you choose is of utmost importance; casual day accessories like beaded or artificial junk jewellery, beach accessories like shell or cane jewellery wouldn’t be a great idea. Usually diamond and colour coordinating precious stone studded jewellery is preferred. Refrain from wearing something that might look completely contrasting or a precious metal that wouldn’t match the colour scheme or the embellishment of the dress. Our Premium Wear collection will give your evening soiree a sultrous charm and it’ll undoubtedly turn all the heads.

It’s a known fact that women love to carry everything they “might need” to places they’re going to. Situations like cocktail parties where it’s imperative to look their best at all times might be more pressurising to carry a bag big enough to throw in the stuff they might need. Essentially make-up, wallet, keys and the phone. But, unfortunately big or even medium sized bags don’t bode well with chic and sexy outfits. A small hand sized clutch or a sling bag that is colour coordinating or at least a neutral option like nude, black or white are the safest picks. A better way to deal with this dilemma would be, carry loose money or cards, just one key instead of a whole bunch and travel sized make-up. Most essentially women would like to retouch their lipstick or blush, try carrying just either. AND has a range of such options with a variety in size and colours, making it easy for you to pick and choose suiting your colour and dress’ mood.

Dominantly, cocktail dresses are crafted from light and flowy fabrics that tend to get crumpled easily and they would lose their rich look if the dress wasn’t ironed perfectly. Cocktail dresses hold a level of sophistication because they are designed for elite occasions hence, dressing up in a certain manner and keeping a few fundamental rules in mind is imperative. Getting the garment steam pressed and dry cleaned from time to time and storing them in fabric garment bags or covered will help you maintain the garment for a long time. The gown must look flawless when you wear it to a grand occasion. A crumpled gown can give an impression of being sloppy or messy and nobody would like that. AND’s premium collection gowns are made from fabrics that are easy to maintain and iron.

It is always advised that a cocktail dress shouldn’t be too long or too short. Experts say that princess-like dresses only look good on big screens and a real ball gown must have a perfect length, either a midi, tea or an ankle length. Something that’s above the knees or below the ankles can be a real deal breaker. The patterns, colours, choice of fabrics, embellishments can be experimented with, depending on the body type and skin complexion but the length of the dress must not be hampered with. Dressing up well is a sign of good effort, for sophisticated and formal occasions try choosing more elegant pieces and not the regular shapes or something that might look sloppy. You might end up getting negative attention. AND’s premium wear collection lets you choose from a range that are designed in a way that won’t let you question or break your head over these exhausting rules.

It’s undeniable that flat footwear, flip-flops and sneakers are far more comfortable than heels. But they are a big no-no for cocktail dress occasions. Heels might be uncomfortable and painful but the demand for these graceful and elegant dresses are stilettos, wedges and other heels. Heels elevate the look of the ensemble and give you a better posture and grace.
AND has curated a varied range of heels and stilettos that you can choose from for different kinds of occasions.