The 16Arlington Electra Gown: Black, Lilac and Silver, the Woven Sequin, the Fit and the Sior

The Electra is 16Arlington’s sequin column: all-over woven sequin on a slim, square-necked, thin-strapped gown that falls to the floor, made in Portugal and lined. It is the dress the house is photographed in at the Fashion Awards. Coveti has it in black, lilac and an earlier silver. This guide covers the cloth, the fit, the shades, the shorter sibling and how to wear it.

The colourways

1. Electra Gown in Black

Black woven sequin, slim, lined. The one to buy first.

2. Electra Gown in Lilac

Tonal lilac woven sequin, lined in organic cotton. Spring/Summer 2026.

3. Electra Gown In Sequin

Silver woven sequin from an earlier season, made in the United Kingdom.

The cloth

The sequins are woven into the fabric rather than glued, so the Electra drapes like a heavy satin, does not shed and reads as a solid shine across a room. There is no stretch in it. The polyester composition is the standard for sequin cloth; the lining on the newer colours is GOTS-certified organic cotton, which is why the dress is cool against the skin. It weighs more than a satin gown and needs its side zip fully closed to sit right.

The fit

Designed for a slim fit, the house says, and it is: close through the bust, waist and hip, with the square neck sitting straight across and the straps thin enough to hide under hair. Because the cloth has no give, take your usual size and size up if you are between sizes; the size guide converts the ladder. The floor-length hem is cut for a 178 cm model in a heel.

Black against lilac

The black is the one the house is photographed in; it reads as a shadow with a shine and needs no jewellery. The lilac is the Spring/Summer 2026 colour, tonal so that the sequin and the ground are the same shade, lined in organic cotton, and it reads as silver under artificial light, so it takes silver jewellery and a silver shoe. The earlier silver is a brighter, mirror-like sequin from a season when the house produced the style in the United Kingdom. All three share the cut.

The shorter sibling

The Sior is the same woven sequin cut as a square-necked mini, in ivory and in blush pink. Same cloth, same neckline, same slim fit, a third of the length; the sequin edit sets them side by side with the square-sequin Otis and Mika.

Electra against the other columns

The Otis is the square-sequin column, chocolate, with short sleeves, a mock neck and a puddle train, heavier and more textured than the Electra. The Malena is the satin column, bias-cut with a plunging lace-trimmed neckline. The Dioni is the spiky-sequin halter. Among them the Electra is the plainest and the most versatile: square neck, thin straps, no train, the one that can be worn twice a season without being recognised. The gown guide ranks the rest.

How to wear it

As a column. A satin sandal, one cuff, hair back, a clutch, nothing at the neck. Silver with the lilac, nothing with the black. A jacket over the shoulders on the way in, never worn. A smooth nude base underneath; the lining is opaque. Sit with the skirt smoothed to one side so the sequins do not crease at the hip. The gown guide and the styling guide go further.

Care

Dry-clean only. Store it flat, never folded, away from direct sunlight: on a hanger, the weight of the sequin cloth pulls on the thin straps. Never iron over the sequins, and keep the cloth away from rough surfaces, which pull the threads holding the sequins.

Key facts

• Electra colourways at Coveti: black, lilac and an earlier silver
• Woven sequin cloth, no stretch, lined (organic cotton on the newer colours), made in Portugal
• Slim fit, square neck, thin straps, floor length; store flat, dry-clean only
• Shorter sibling: the Sior mini in ivory and blush pink

Read next

The sequin dresses. The gowns. The size guide. Dupes and cheaper alternatives.

Frequently asked questions

How should I store the Electra gown?

Flat, never folded, away from direct sunlight, since the weight of the sequin cloth pulls on the straps when it hangs. Dry-clean only, and never iron over the sequins.

Does the Electra gown stretch?

No. The woven sequin cloth has no elastane, so the fit is close and the side zip is the only ease. Size up if you are between sizes.

Is the Electra gown lined?

Yes. The black and lilac are lined; the lilac in GOTS-certified organic cotton.

What is the short version of the Electra?

The Sior, the same woven sequin cut as a square-necked mini, in ivory and blush pink.

Where is the Electra gown made?

Portugal, where 16Arlington produces its woven-sequin pieces; the earlier silver was made in the United Kingdom.

Can the Electra gown be shortened?

Yes, by a tailor used to sequin cloth, who will re-hem it below the sequins rather than cut through them. Buy the hem for a heel and take it up rather than the reverse.