Layered Ruffle Round Neck Mini Dress in Black

Tiers are a trick worth knowing. Stack a few layers of ruffle down a short dress and you get movement for free, which is why this Elowen mini in black looks alive on a body in a way a flat cut never manages. The round neck keeps the top half simple and lets the layers below do all of the work.

The fabric is 95% Polyester with 5% Spandex, and it is slightly stretchy. That small percentage of spandex is what makes the smocking work. Smocked panels need a cloth that can gather and release, and this one does exactly that, pulling in where it should and giving where you need it to. The body is not lined. Length runs from 33.5 inches at S to 35 inches at 2XL, so it sits as a genuine mini across the size range rather than creeping longer on the larger sizes.

Black in a ruffled mini is the useful version of a going out dress. It photographs well, it hides a spilled drink, and it takes whatever shoe you give it. Strappy heels and a small bag make it a dinner or a birthday dress. Flat sandals and a denim jacket pull it back down to earth for a warm afternoon. Once the weather cools, opaque tights, ankle boots and an oversized blazer keep it in rotation. Gold jewelry lifts the black. Silver keeps it sharper and cooler.

Why you will love it

• Layered tiers of ruffle through the skirt
• Smocked body and a round neck
• Features: Tiered, Ruffled and Smocked
• Stretch: Slightly stretchy
• Body: Not lined
• Material composition: 95% Polyester, 5% Spandex
• Offered in Black, sizes S through 2XL

Care

• Machine wash cold. Tumble dry low.