In 2006, Richard Saghian opened the first Fashion Nova store at the Panorama Mall in Panorama City, Los Angeles. He had grown up around his father's women's clothing stores, where he worked summers, so the shop floor was home turf before it was his business. The company began as a chain of stores in Los Angeles-area malls and only added its website in 2013. I like that history. Fashion Nova dresses still read like something designed for a Saturday night out, not for a boardroom. I went deeper on a related idea in 90s Fashion: Slip Dresses, Baby Tees, Cargos and Low Rise.

 

What makes the brand different is speed. Business of Fashion reported about 1,000 manufacturers and 600 to 900 new styles a week, with many items made in Los Angeles, and Saghian's own line was "We have no seasonality." For you, that means the minis below are not a capsule that arrives once a year. They are a constant, loud conversation about what people want to wear this weekend.

 

For October, I would start with the minis that carry their own warmth. In my fashion dreams, she is walking into a Sunday brunch in the Varsity Blues sweater mini in cream, a 100% acrylic knit with a v-neck and a patch detail, tights underneath and flat boots. The Rianne plaid shirt dress in brown has puff sleeves and buttons, and it is the one I would wear to the office with a belt. The Sonic Zoom denim mini has a zip front and a working pocket, which settles the question of where the phone goes.

 

For night, the Girls Night Out chiffon mini in chocolate has a cowl halter neck and lace trim, and the Frankie satin mini in chartreuse has adjustable straps and a back zipper. Check the length: the listed flat lengths run from 25 to 34 inches, so hold the number against your own thigh before you fall for the photo.

Length is the whole story with a midi, so read the measured flat number before anything else. The pieces here run from 42 inches in the Marilyn cape set to 54 inches in the Spice It Up tricot dress, and a few inches changes where it lands on your calf. I would hold it against your favorite boots and see if the hem clears the shaft.

 

The Fashion Nova catalog moves fast, but the midis lean on classic shapes. The Giada wrap shirt dress in magenta has a collar, a tie waist and a draped skirt, and I would wear it with a flat loafer and nothing else. The Monique tweed in cream has shoulder pads, a high neckline and a belt, which is the one I would pick for a dinner where everyone else is in black. The Tori houndstooth in burgundy has a collar and a hidden back zipper, and the Elise button-up in chocolate has short sleeves and a belt, so it works as a transition piece in October with a long coat.

 

Black is covered by the Shawnie mock neck lace dress with its slit, the Zyana mesh with long sleeves and a lining, and the Marilyn set with a detachable cape. In my fashion dreams, she is wearing the Zyana to a gallery opening with a tiny bag and tall boots.

 

What I would skip: the sleeveless Spice It Up if you need layers under it, since the nylon and spandex tricot is a close, ruched shape.

Maxi dresses are an October fabric question first, and a length question second. In the knits here, the Estelle sweater maxi in black has a mock neck, long sleeves and fur trim, and the Savannah tie-dye in black has a turtleneck and ruched detail in rayon and spandex. Those two are the ones I would wear from late October into winter, with a puffer or a long wool coat on top.

 

Fashion Nova's Los Angeles roots show in how many of the long ones are made for an event. The Valencia pleated metallic gown in chartreuse has a halter, a v-neckline and a drop waist. The Daniella lace corset maxi in cream has padded cups, removable straps and a hidden zipper, and the Anastasia tulle in black has a sweetheart tube neckline, a corset waist and lace trim. For a holiday party, picture her crossing a ballroom in the Anastasia with a velvet wrap.

 

The In Full Bloom mesh maxi in black has long sleeves, a mock neck, flocked velvet and a side slit, and the Brenda leopard maxi has a high neck, short sleeves and a back keyhole. The Simple Saturday in eggplant is the relaxed one, with spaghetti straps, a v-neckline and pockets, and I would pair it with a denim jacket and boots for a weekend errand run.

 

Before you commit, check the lining on the sheer styles, check that the zipper sits flat, and walk up a stair in your shoes to see the hem.

 

What I would skip: a long gown with a lot of pleating if you will be in a crowded bar, since it will catch on everything.

Bodycon is the silhouette that brought Business of Fashion to describe a signature tight, high waisted style, and it is the shape most people picture when they hear the brand name. It is also the one with the most fit logic, so I would read the fabric lines before choosing. Most of these combine polyester or nylon with spandex, which gives the stretch to hold the shape.

 

The Celeste halter mini in black is 82% rayon and 18% spandex in a compression rib, with a plunge neck. The Gracie double lined mini in black has a mock neck and a mesh contrast, and the Mila corset mini in black has a tube neckline, boning and ruching. For the structured pieces, the Victoria bandage midi in white has a corset waist with boning, hardware detail and a hidden back zipper. The Rosetta bandage gown in red has an off-shoulder neckline, floral applique and a slit, and it is the one I would picture at a winter wedding reception where red is welcome, not at a church service.

 

For cooler nights, the Mirabella off shoulder midi in black has long puff sleeves, and the Nightfall croc faux leather mini has a high neck and a back zipper. Faux leather is a polyester with a polyurethane coating, so wipe it with a damp cloth and keep it off a radiator.

 

The woman I picture wears the Mirabella with tights and heeled boots, a long coat open over it.

 

What I would skip: a tube neckline with boning if you want to raise your arms all night, because you will notice the band every time.

Going out in October means the dress has to work with a coat, and a few of these are built for exactly that. The Call It Even blazer mini in black faux leather has a collar, side pockets and front buttons, and I would wear it with sheer tights and ankle boots, no jacket needed. The Sexy Swindle tie front bandage mini has a square neckline and sleeveless cut, with a tie that lets you adjust where it sits.

 

Fashion Nova has been selling to a going-out crowd since the clubwear days of its first stores, and these dresses keep that spirit. The So Lovely bolero lace micro mini set in black is strapless with a detachable lace bolero, so you can arrive covered and then take it off. The Oralee off shoulder organza mini in white has balloon sleeves and a ruffle hem, and at 26 inches measured flat it is the shortest of the set. The Cabernet tassel satin mini has long sleeves, an off-shoulder neckline and a fringe hem that moves when you do.

 

For a longer line, the Haley corset draped satin midi in black has a square neckline and adjustable straps. The Blakely cut out backless maxi in black has a halter and a keyhole. The Skyler deep cowl mesh micro mini in olive has a tie back and long sleeves, and I would wear it with a leather jacket thrown over it.

 

Check the straps and the tie closures for adjustment before you buy, and ask yourself if you can sit down comfortably.

 

What I would skip: the micro minis for a dinner that starts early, since they are a late-night length.

I would begin with the shape I live in. If that is a knit, take the Varsity Blues mini; if it is a night out, the Haley satin midi. Then I would check the measured length, the lining and the zipper in that order, and hold the hem against my boots.

 

The story of Fashion Nova is a store in a Panorama City mall that turned into a weekly flood of new styles, and the Curve line followed in 2016, offering sizes 1-3X in the same designs. So the question is never whether a dress exists in your size, it is whether it is the one you want to be photographed in.

 

My pick for the first October party is the Anastasia tulle in black. It is a good reminder that this brand started as a mall store in Los Angeles and still dresses people for a big night.