How to Style a Simkhai Dress, Occasion by Occasion

The mistake people make with Simkhai is styling it like a going out dress. It is built clothing, and built clothing wants less around it. The construction is doing the work, so most of what you would normally add becomes noise.

Here is how the house divides up in practice, and what each part actually needs.

The bustier gown, for black tie

This is the piece the label is known for and it is the easiest to get right, because it takes almost nothing. A bustier gown such as the Danielle Crinkle Jersey Bustier Gown in Ivory already has a defined waist, a held bodice and a long clean line. Adding a necklace fights the neckline. Adding a belt fights the seam.

What it wants: one earring statement, a bare sandal, and a clutch small enough to hold in the palm. If the room is dark, the Courtney Belted Gown in Midnight reads formal without weight, and a midnight blue photographs better under warm light than black does.

On outerwear: resist the tailored coat over a gown. A cape shape sits better over a built bodice because it does not compress the shoulder.

The lace dress, for a city dinner

Simkhai uses lace flat and wide, as the fabric of the garment rather than as trim, so the pattern needs room to be read. The Signature Laura Lace Dress in Black is the clearest case. Put anything textured next to it and both lose.

What it wants: smooth leather, hard metal, matte skin. A structured clutch rather than a soft pouch. Sheer hosiery only if the lace is opaque, otherwise you get two competing transparencies.

If you would rather have sleeves and the same waist, the Cortland Belted Bustier Midi Dress in Black Multi gives you a covered version of the silhouette.

The cotton dress, for daylight

The daywear is the quietly underrated half of this label. A cotton mini such as the Clemmie in White carries pintucking and volume that most contemporary brands would have flattened out to save money on the pattern.

What it wants: flat shoes and no jewellery at all. The volume is the point. A loafer, a mesh flat, a simple sandal. If you want to lengthen the leg, the Cleo Cotton Mini Dress in Buttercream in a warmer shade does more of that work than a heel would.

For a garden wedding where a mini feels too short, an organza skirt like the Dana in Fig with a plain cami gives you movement without formality.

The knits, for travel

The open knits are the most useful thing the house makes and nobody talks about them. They pack flat, they do not need pressing, and they hold a shape after eleven hours in a case. The Coralia Knit Charmed Midi Dress in Sand Multi is the one to take.

Build the rest of the trip around two separates. The Cruz Studded Linen Cami in Black works under a jacket at dinner and alone at lunch, and the River Straight Leg Denim in Distressed White covers every daytime hour.

Sizing, before you choose any of it

SIMKHAI cuts to the American ladder. Coveti converts to UK on every product page, so you shop in UK numbers: a US 00 reads as a UK 4, a US 4 as a UK 10, a US 8 as a UK 14.

The house runs true to size across most of the range. The distinction worth knowing is between the built pieces and the soft ones. Anything with a bustier, a corseted bodice and a fitted waist seam sits close and is meant to. The jersey, the knits and the cotton have ease designed in. Take your usual size in both, and size up only if you want room through a fitted bustier bodice.

Knitwear, jersey and swim come in letter sizes from XXS to XXL. Denim is sold on the inch waist. SIMKHAI publishes a body measurement chart rather than per garment measurements, which is why our product pages carry a written fit note instead of a measurement table.

The one rule

If you remember nothing else: take one thing off. These clothes are designed with the decoration built into the construction, so the styling that works is the styling that gets out of the way.

See the full range at the SIMKHAI brand page, browse more designer dresses, and read who is Jonathan Simkhai for the background on the house. Choosing between labels? We set it out in brands like Simkhai. For specific pieces, see the Simkhai edit.