Brigitte Cape Set: Georgette Maxi with Contrasting Side Panels

A two piece set, a sleeveless maxi dress with a matching full length cape, both cut from patterned georgette with a hint of Lurex running through the weave. Panels in a contrasting colour run down each side of the dress from the underarm to the hem.

The neckline is round. The dress follows the body closely and releases only slightly from the hip to the hem, so the line stays long and quiet. The cape falls to the same length as the dress and sits loose on the shoulder with nothing to fasten. Dress lined throughout in soft rayon.

Available in Offwhite with black side panels and Navy with black side panels, and sold only as a set. The model is 178 cm and wears a size S.

If the cape has no fastening, how does it stay on?

By weight and by cut rather than by a clasp. The cape is shaped at the shoulder so it settles there and the length of the fabric holds it in place as you move. That is deliberate. A clasp or a chain at the throat would sit exactly where the eye goes, and this set is built so that the line from shoulder to hem is unbroken. You adjust it with your hands, the way you would a shawl, and it stays where you put it.

Can I wear the dress on its own?

Yes, and many women will. On its own the dress is a sleeveless column with the contrasting panels doing all the work, which suits a warm evening or a room you already know. With the cape it becomes covered and formal enough for a mosque, a cathedral, a daytime ceremony or a conservative dress code. That is the real value of buying it as a set. It is two different levels of formality in one purchase, which is why the two pieces are not sold apart.

What do the contrasting side panels actually do?

They lengthen you. A dark panel running from the underarm to the hem down each side draws the eye vertically and narrows the silhouette through the waist and hip, which is the oldest trick in tailoring and still the most effective. On a dress that follows the body as closely as this one does, that panel is doing more for the shape than any amount of seaming would.

What do I wear underneath?

The neckline is round and sits high enough for an ordinary bra, so you do not need anything strapless, but you will want straps that stay inside the armhole. Georgette is fine rather than heavy, so a seamless bra in a colour close to your skin disappears better than white does under the Offwhite. Nothing else is needed, because the dress is fully lined.

Is georgette warm enough for a winter event?

The dress alone is not, and that is honest. Georgette is a light, fluid fabric chosen for how it falls rather than for warmth. The cape changes the answer completely. Worn together the two layers are comfortable for an indoor winter evening, and for the walk between the car and the door the cape does the job a coat would without ruining the line of the dress. For a January wedding we would wear the set and leave the coat at home.

You will find this set alongside the rest of our evening gowns, and it sits naturally with our wedding guest dresses for a ceremony with a covered dress code.