Adaeh Dress: Jacquard Maxi with Wide Waistband and Front Slit

A floor length gown in our signature jacquard, woven exclusively for Baruni. The bodice is cut close to the body and finishes in a wide waistband, and the skirt is gathered out from that band into real volume. The neckline is high and the shoulder is bare. A slit opens at the side front and rises about 40 cm from the hem.

Lined throughout in soft rayon. Available in Black and Mulberry. The model in Black is 175 cm and the model in Mulberry is 172 cm, both wearing a size S.

How high does the slit sit when I walk?

It rises about 40 cm from the hem, which on most women puts the top of the opening at the lower calf rather than anywhere near the knee. We publish the number rather than leaving you to judge it from a photograph, because a slit is the one detail a still image never tells you honestly. Walking, it shows the front of the leg and closes again as you stand. Seated, the volume of the skirt covers it.

Where does the waistband actually sit?

At your natural waist, the narrowest part, not raised to an empire line. That matters more than it sounds. A wide band at the natural waist marks the smallest point on the body and then lets the skirt go out from there, so the contrast between the two does the shaping. A band sitting higher would hide the waist and read as maternity, which is a different dress entirely.

What can I wear over it without flattening the skirt?

The Asabi Cape is the piece we would reach for. The problem with a jacket over a gathered skirt is that anything hitting at the hip presses the volume down exactly where you want it to stand out. The cape falls from the shoulder and never touches the skirt, so the silhouette stays as it was designed. It also leaves the high neckline and the waistband visible, which is where the gown is doing its work.

Why is this one less than the other jacquard gowns?

Because it is simpler to make, not because the cloth is lesser. It uses the same signature jacquard as our gowns at three hundred dollars more. What those have and this does not is hand finished detail, sleeves that unbutton and come away, handmade buttons, tailored collars. Adaeh is one clean idea carried well, a close bodice and a full skirt divided by a wide band, and you are paying for the fabric and the shape rather than for the hours of handwork.

What happens if it rains on the way in?

Let it dry on its own and do not rub it. Jacquard can show a water mark while it is wet, and the instinct to blot it with a napkin is what turns a spot that would have vanished into a ring that will not. Hang the gown somewhere warm but not hot when you get home and the mark goes as the fabric dries. If you are worried, the cape over the shoulders covers the walk from the car.

If you want the same high neckline and full skirt with sleeves, the Entrance Gown does it in three quarter length. Both sit in our evening gowns.