Rebecca Vallance Bow Dresses: Every Style and How to Wear Them

The short answer: the Rebecca Vallance bow dress to buy this season is the Nottingham Mini Dress, metallic corded lace with three oversized black satin bows down the front. For black tie, choose the Preston Diamante Bow Gown. For a day wedding, the ivory Christopher Midi Dress with its bow trim neckline is the safest choice. Every one of them fits true to size, and AU sizes match UK sizes.

Bows have run through Rebecca Vallance for most of the label’s life, and searches for a “Rebecca Vallance bow dress” have followed them. What makes the house version different is placement. A Vallance bow is rarely a loose ribbon; it is sewn onto a boned bodice, a patch pocket, a strap, which is why it still looks crisp at midnight. The Resort 2026 and Holiday 2026 collections bring the detail back across lace, crepe, and printed cotton, so here is how the styles compare.

Every Rebecca Vallance bow dress this season

The black bow dress: Nottingham

If you have searched for a black bow Rebecca Vallance dress, this is the one. The Nottingham Mini Dress in Gold is cut in metallic corded lace over a fitted bodice with a front cut out, sheer long sleeves and a crew neck, and the three black satin bows run from the neckline to the waist. The contrast is the point: champagne lace and black satin read graphic in photographs, and the long sleeve makes it workable in cooler months. The Blue Topaz version swaps champagne for a pale powder blue and keeps the black bows, which softens the look for daytime events.

For a longer line, the Nottingham Short Sleeve Gown uses the same lace with a high neck, an open back and a single black bow at the waist, finishing in a mermaid skirt with a scalloped lace hem.

The black tie bow gown: Preston

The Preston Diamante Bow Gown is the most formal piece in the group. A sweetheart neckline on rouleau straps leads into a fitted bodice with front cut outs, bow details picked out in diamante, a cinched waist and a column skirt with a back split. In hydrangea blue it is a strong choice for a formal wedding guest who wants colour without print. Its daytime sister, the Preston Short Sleeve Midi Dress, keeps the bow details on a stand collar bodice with a circular midi skirt.

The white bow dress: Christopher

Searches for a white Rebecca Vallance bow dress land here. The Christopher Midi Dress puts a bow trim along a square neckline on wide straps, then cinches the waist with a self belt above a full circular skirt. The Christopher Mini Dress moves the bows onto two patch pockets and adds a stand collar and short sleeves. Both are ivory stretch crepe, and both are covered in our guide to Rebecca Vallance white dresses.

How to wear a bow dress without looking costumed

Treat the bow as the only statement in the outfit. A plain satin pump, a small clutch matched to the bow and stud earrings are enough. Keep the hair back so the neckline reads. On the Nottingham, resist the urge to add a black shoe as well as black bows; a nude sandal lets the bows stand alone. For colder events, a tailored coat worn over the shoulders keeps the front of the dress visible.

Sizing a fitted bow bodice

The brand states that every piece fits true to size, and Rebecca Vallance cuts to Australian sizing, which uses the same numbers as UK sizing. The model in the campaign is 178cm and wears an AU 8. Bow bodices are fitted and lined, so there is little ease at the bust; if you sit between two sizes, fit the bust first. The full chart is in our Rebecca Vallance size guide.

Shop every style on the Rebecca Vallance edit at Coveti, browse more designer mini dresses and evening gowns, and see the full Rebecca Vallance gown guide for black tie. If you like the bow but want another label, Rachel Gilbert and Shona Joy both work the detail into occasion dressing.

Frequently asked questions

Which Rebecca Vallance dresses have bows?

In the current Resort 2026 and Holiday 2026 collections: the Nottingham Mini Dress and Nottingham Short Sleeve Gown (contrast black satin bows on metallic corded lace), the Preston Diamante Bow Gown and Preston Short Sleeve Midi Dress, the Christopher Mini Dress (bows on the patch pockets) and Christopher Midi Dress (bow trim at the neckline), the Windermere Mini Dress (bow pocket detail) and the Fleur de Lis Midi Dress (bows at the back straps).

Is the Rebecca Vallance bow dress a signature?

Yes. The bow is one of the most repeated details in Rebecca Vallance eveningwear, and the label usually treats it as structure rather than decoration: a bow sits on a fitted, boned bodice, on a pocket, on a strap, so it holds its shape through an evening.

Do Rebecca Vallance bow dresses fit true to size?

The brand states that every piece fits true to size. It cuts to Australian sizing, which uses the same numbers as UK sizing, so an AU 10 is a UK 10. The fitted bodices leave little ease, so if you sit between sizes, choose the size that fits your bust.

What is the black bow Rebecca Vallance dress?

In the current season it is the Nottingham Mini Dress, cut in metallic corded lace with sheer long sleeves and three oversized black satin bows down the front, in Gold and in Blue Topaz. The Nottingham Short Sleeve Gown carries the same contrast bow at the waist.

How do you style a Rebecca Vallance bow dress?

Let the bow be the only statement. Choose a plain satin pump and a small clutch in the colour of the bow, keep jewellery to studs, and wear hair back so the neckline and the bow read clearly.