Designer dresses

What decides it

Fabric: silk, wool crepe and good viscose drape and breathe; heavy polyester feels warm and looks cheaper. Lining: a full lining makes a dress hang better and last longer. Alterations: a dress with seam allowance at the side seams and hem can be tailored; many delicate dresses cannot.

The pieces we would buy

Start with the Diane von Furstenberg Wrap Dress: the original jersey wrap dress. The Zimmermann Linen Midi Dress is the better buy if you want romantic summer dresses. Usual prices run from $400 to $25,000. See the full buy-or-skip list or the head-to-head Diane von Furstenberg Wrap Dress vs Zimmermann Linen Midi Dress.

Buying in the US and Europe

Buy occasion dresses in the end-of-season sales if you can plan ahead; for an event within weeks, check return windows carefully. Buying in Europe: Italian (IT 38, 40, 42) and French (FR 36, 38, 40) clothing sizes are not the same; IT 40 is about a US 4 and an FR 36. Check each house’s chart, and keep returns in mind when you order from another country.

Quick answers

How do I choose a wedding guest dress? Midi length in silk or crepe, no white or ivory, and a color you would wear again. Is a designer dress worth it for one event? Only if you will wear it again. Otherwise consider renting or choosing a versatile designer piece.

Luxury prices move in a different rhythm from everyday shopping. The great houses (Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Rolex) raise prices once or twice a year, often in January and in spring, and almost never discount their icons. Seasonal pieces, colors and many shoes, coats and knitwear drop 30–50% in the end-of-season sales in January and from late June. Watches from brands such as Omega, TAG Heuer, Longines and Breitling, and most fragrance, see the best prices around Prime Day and Black Friday. Judge any deal against the usual price we show.

Buy from the fashion house, an authorized retailer or a reseller that authenticates and guarantees every piece, and keep the receipt, the dust bag, the box and any warranty card: they matter for repairs and for resale. Swiss watches carry a 2- to 5-year international warranty when bought from an authorized dealer, and buyers in the EU and UK also have a legal guarantee of at least two years on new goods.

How we make the call: we read the house’s own product details and care guides, compare materials and construction, follow owners’ long-term experience and track the usual retail and resale prices. A piece gets “Buy” only if we would tell a friend to spend that money on it. No fashion house can pay for a verdict.