Long, floor-length or short. Ample like that of a princess or tight and snug as a glove. Soft or made in almost geometric shapes. Classic or a bold object of experimentation. These are evening gowns, difficult to classify in a single style, yet all follow one rule: they should make you dream and embody the very idea of elegance, refinement and class. In addition, they should serve as reminders that, as Giorgio Armani said in his famous statement: "Elegance is not about being noticed, it's about being remembered." And what strikes the imagination more than a long, sumptuous dress? It is precisely the evening gown that often becomes the absolute protagonist, even more than the person wearing it or the occasion that it starred in. Like that truly princess-like white and legendary gown worn by Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch. And one can't forget Givenchy's little black dress designed for Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's ? testimony to how much film and fashion are joined by a link of reciprocal exaltation. Even if the collective imagination wants it to be long and sumptuous, the evening gown has undergone various evolutions, paths and trends, often becoming the preferred field of experimentation for many designers. Last to appear on the catwalk in a fashion show, even escaping overly defined stylistic codes, where being wearable or not doesn't matter, what counts is that it always elicits emotion and surprise. AUTHOR: Maria Maccari was born in Milan, earned her degree in Italian Literature, specializing in History of Costume and Fashion, and then got a Master's degree in New Technologies. She began a career in journalism almost by chance, beginning with a brief working experience with Mondadori Publishers. Since 2000 Ms. Maccari has been a web editor for Conde Nast, specializing in Beauty and Well-Being, and has also contributed to the creation of such sites as iosposa.it, style.it and vanityfair.it. Ms. Maccari is now engaged in launching a Glamour Beauty portal. She is an aficionado of cinema, art and history, and is also very interested in politics. Illustrated
