Almost every surface on this dress is pleated. The bodice is gathered into fine vertical folds and a wide pleated ruffle cascades diagonally from the shoulder down across the skirt, so the front has real depth to it instead of one flat drop of fabric. A narrow strap ties behind the neck and leaves the shoulders and the upper back completely bare, which keeps a busy front from ever feeling heavy on the eye.

The hem is cut short at the front and swept long at the back, which means you can see your feet and take stairs without gathering the skirt up while the back still trails behind you. The cloth is light enough that the pleats lift and settle as you move rather than hanging dead. It is the kind of dress that reads well from any side of a room.

• Neckline: narrow halter strap tied at the nape
• Bodice: finely pleated and gathered
• Detail: wide pleated ruffle cascading across the front
• Hem: high-low with a short front and a long sweeping back
• Back: open across the shoulders