Basima Dress: Cape Sleeve Taffeta Gown with Piped Waistband

The Basima Dress is cut from taffeta with a soft sheen, gathered at the neck and again through the skirt so the fabric carries weight and movement at once. The neckline is round, drawn into fine gathers and finished with metallic effect piping. At the waist sits a wide band set with four rows of the same piping, which is where the whole dress is held together. Cape sleeves fall from the shoulder, and a slit runs about 50 cm up from the hem at the front. Lined in rayon.

It is an evening dress. A wedding, a gala, an engagement, the kind of evening where you walk into a room and the dress arrives with you. If you want the arm fully enclosed rather than draped, the Zayna Dress does that in satin, and the rest of the evening pieces sit in Evening Elegance.

Both models are 172 cm and wear a size S. At that size the dress measures 97 cm at the bust, 75 at the waist and 145 cm from the shoulder to the hem.

How much of the arm does the cape sleeve cover?

The cape falls from the shoulder and hangs open, with your arm free underneath rather than inside a sleeve. Standing still, the fabric covers the arm from the shoulder down. Raise your arm and the cape lifts with it and falls back. It is drape rather than enclosure, which is worth knowing before you choose it for an occasion where you want the arm covered at all times.

Is taffeta stiff to wear?

This one is not. Taffeta is chosen here for the way it holds a gather and keeps the skirt full without any structure underneath. It has body rather than stiffness, and because the skirt is gathered rather than cut close, the weight falls away from you instead of against you.

What does the waistband actually do?

It is the piece that makes the dress. The band is wide and firm, so it draws the waist to a single clean line and gives the gathered skirt something to fall from. The four rows of metallic effect piping run along it and catch the light as you move, which is why the waist reads first on this dress and the hem reads second.

How high is the front slit?

About 50 cm from the hem. On a 145 cm dress that puts it below the knee, so it opens as you walk and closes when you stand. It is there to let you move in a full taffeta skirt rather than to show anything.

Will the sheen look shiny in photographs?

It reads as a soft lustre rather than a shine. Taffeta catches light along the folds and goes quiet in between, so in a photograph you see the shape of the gathers rather than a flat bright surface. It is why this fabric has been used for evening dressing for a very long time.

Is the Basima a good wedding guest dress?

Yes, for an evening wedding. The taffeta gives it the presence of a gown, the cape sleeves soften the shoulder, and the piped waistband catches the light in photographs. Maroon is the richer choice for an evening reception, and beige is quieter and suits a celebration that begins in daylight. Maroon is a rich shade for a fall or winter wedding, and the cape sleeves soften the upper arm for anyone who would rather not show it.

Where does the Basima Dress suit?

Evenings that call for a gown. A wedding, a gala, an engagement party, a formal dinner. It comes in beige and maroon, and the two read quite differently, the beige quieter and the maroon the one that carries a room.