Purple Formal Dresses

Purple Formal Dresses

You can wear formal dresses to tons of different occasions, making them excellent, versatile pieces to have on hand. Whether you’re looking for a gown for a particular event or you’re shopping for a dress to have in case you get a special invitation, a purple formal dress can go just about anywhere. 

Purple in darker or more saturated hues brings regal vibes, especially if you’re going with a floor-length dress with lots of detailing. This can be great if you’re going into an event where you’re being honored, like an awards ceremony, and want to feel like a queen. 

Light purples often represent romance, making them a great option if you’re attending a wedding in the springtime or you’re hoping to exude a flirty vibe at a formal event. 

Light Purple Formal Dresses

Light purple formal dresses add a sense of whimsy to the color and a longer silhouette. Flowy dresses or more decadent ball gowns can be very dreamy in a light purple, highlighting the romantic nature of the color. 

Dresses in light purple tend to make cool undertones pop in pictures, but if you have warm or neutral skin and hair undertones, don’t be afraid to try it anyway. Light purple is one of those colors that can either be warm or cool and suit a variety of undertones. Very light purples can also have a stunning contrast with dark hair. 

Formal dresses in this shade can be great for daytime events, as can purples that are more vivid. Light lilac purples go great with lighter color accessories, like metallics, light shades of brown, or pale blue. Vivid shades of purple can hold up to a pop of black, but don’t go overboard. 

Lavender Formal Dresses

Lavender can cover a few shades of purple, but for the most part, it’s a light pastel purple with blue undertones, much like lavender flowers. Lavender formal dresses are great for afternoon formal events like upscale garden parties that require an elevated look balanced with a bit of whimsy. 

Lavender dresses pair well with shoes and accessories in light neural tones, like silver or beige. Like with any light color, the more intricate your formal dress is, the more demure you’ll want to keep your accessories to avoid clashing. 

Dark Purple Formal Dresses

With a dark purple dress, you can go one of two directions. You can go with a more saturated shade of purple to stand out from the crowd and embrace regality, or you can do a deep, rich purple for a slightly more serious twist on the color. Deep purple is a good alternative to black if you love a dark dress, and you’re looking to stand out a little more.

Dark purple, especially more saturated shades of purple, tends to make warm skin and hair undertones pop the most in pictures. As always, though, if you have cool undertones, don’t be afraid to go with any dress that you fall in love with; what matters most is how confident and cute the dress makes you feel! 

If you’re pairing a dark purple with black accessories, you’ll want to try everything on first to make sure it doesn’t look like you mismatched your colors. That said, black does tend to work with dark purple for a subtle look, as long as it’s clear it’s intentional; for more contrast, try metallics or lighter shades of brown, blue, or pink. 

Plum Formal Dresses

Plum is a specific shade of purple that has red undertones. This makes a plum formal dress a great choice for individuals with warm or neutral undertones. If you have cool undertones and fall in love with a plum formal dress, though, don’t be afraid to get it if you try it on and it makes you feel cute! 

Plum formal dresses strike the perfect balance between bringing a pop of color to an event while being dark enough to fit in with a black tie dress code. If you’re looking for an ultra-formal dress in plum, consider a modest neckline and silhouette to balance the dose of whimsy that comes with this shade. 

Violet Formal Dresses

The color violet can range from an electric purple with cool undertones to a warmer purple, sometimes known as red violet. Red violet makes warm undertones pop in pictures, whereas cool violet compliments cool undertones. Regardless of your preferred shade, violet formal dresses can help you stand out from the crowd at any upscale event. 

If you’re heading to a very formal, white-tie event, you may want to consider a muted shade of violet; red violet formal dresses tend to work better here. For an event where you’re looking to have all eyes on you, a bolder violet formal dress will make an entrance. 

Short Purple Formal Dress

Contrary to popular belief, short dresses can be appropriate for some formal occasions, as long as the dress code allows for it. However, you may want to go with a darker purple and a dress with pretty detailing, like beading or sleeves, to maintain a sense of formality. When in doubt, go for a dress that at least hits the knee. 

If you’re hoping to bring a sense of whimsy with a formal dress that a shortened hemline gives, but you’re not sure about going short, try choosing a dress that has a print or a two piece set. A two piece set with a high-waisted long skirt and a crop top can give just as flirty and fun a vibe as a shorter piece without compromising on length. 

Long Purple Formal Dress

Long formal dresses typically are either fitted or have more volume in the skirt; what will be appropriate will depend on the event dress code (or overall vibe of the event). Tighter looks tend to be more versatile if you’re looking to get some mileage out of your formal dress, but there are lots of places you can wear an A-line long dress to. 

If you’re going with a sheath-style fitted long gown, it may be a good idea to go with an option that has a slit in the skirt to help you move. A dress that’s a little less tight can also help with this. A purple ball gown will be a showstopper at any formal event you go to, just be cautious that it’s the right place for such a piece. 

Regardless of the silhouette, you’ll want to keep accessories for a long formal dress dainty and minimal to keep attention on your gown. If you’re getting your dress altered, do be sure to wear the shoes you’re planning on wearing to the event to ensure that your dress’s hemline is the correct length. 

Purple Formal Dresses for a Luxurious, Romantic Vibe

Purple formal dresses have the ability to make a statement, but they can also be lighter in tone for a breezy look. If you’re looking for more of a showstopper at your next formal event, check out our collection of red formal dresses.