Now the smoother side. Lamé is a shiny fabric woven with metallic threads, often gold or silver, and it comes from a French word meaning spangled or laminated. A good metallic dress feels light, not stiff.

The most famous example is Marilyn Monroe's gold lamé dress, designed by William Travilla for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1953. It appears in the film only from behind. Travilla altered it for off-screen wear because he thought it too risqué, making the neckline less plunging, and Jayne Mansfield later wore it too. Take that as permission to adjust a neckline you love, because a good tailor can do the same for you.

In this group the shapes are slinkier. Bebe has two, the Foil Finish Cowl Neck Midi Slip Dress and the Plunge Neck Metallic Slinky Maxi Dress, and both are the sort I would wear with a leather jacket and flat boots, so the evening does not feel staged. Hervé Léger brings The Metallic Louisa Dress and The Metallic Sara Strapless Gown, which are the more structured, body-skimming picks. Mac Duggal's Metallic Cowl Back Column Gown is the one to try if you want the drama at the back, and Lauren Ralph Lauren's Metallic Chiffon Halter Gown is the softest, since chiffon floats where the others cling.

For something shorter, Adrianna has a Foiled Jersey Mini Dress, Adrianna Papell has a Metallic Ruffled Dress, and SIMKHAI has the Darcie metallic-effect strapless mini dress. Self-Portrait's Metallic midi dress is the easy one to wear with heels or with a blazer over the shoulders. Ramy Brook's Aurora Silk and Metallic Plunge Neck Gown is the dressiest of the group. And Georgia Hardinge's Scope Dress Floorlength is a long, clean line that catches the light without a single sequin.

I added more metallic shapes to this grid too. Cult Gaia has two, the Mara and the Kaylilah, and Norma Kamali's Diana Mini Dress is the sporty one. PatBO's Golden Dust Lurex Plunge Dress has the deepest neckline, and Never Fully Dressed's Gold Metallic Ribbed Dress is the one I would wear with flat boots. GUIZIO's Elsie cowl neck, Nadine Merabi's Nina, retrofete's Lavinia, Michael Costello's Skylar Mini, Georgia Hardinge's Dazed, superdown's Vivienne and SEROYA's Emeri Metallic Mini sit beside them.

Gowns are where I slow down. A long dress in this color is a big gesture, so the details around it should be quiet: bare skin or plain black accessories, slicked hair, one ring. The shapes in this group are all about drape, and drape changes how metallic fabric moves more than anything else.

Norma Kamali's Sleeveless V Neck Shirred Front Fishtail Gown has the shirring and the fishtail, so it follows your shape and then flares at the floor. Try walking up a flight of stairs in it. CRISTALLINI's Vega knotted maxi dress has a knot detail that gives the waist some focus without a belt. JLUXLABEL's Draped Elegance Cape Dress adds a cape, which I like because it covers the shoulders and arms without needing a wrap. Donna Karan New York has two here, the V-Neck Draped Gown and the Metallic Brocade Sleeveless Wrap Ball Gown, and the ball gown is the one with real volume, so measure your doorway before you decide to take a taxi.

Ulla Johnson's Eugenia is a pleated gold gown with plenty of drape, Retrofête's Saba is a metallic pleated gown in golden port with a high slit, and L'Agence's Saphara is a dark gold halter with the cleanest line of the group. Zhivago's Lumen and Michael Costello's Felicity are the glossy, red-carpet pair, and Miss Circle's Priya Gold Draping Corset High Slit Velvet Gown is the heaviest, with velvet adding weight and a high slit adding movement.

More gowns joined the grid. Acler's Pullford Maxi Dress and Sid Neigum's Floor Length Reversible Cowl Dress are the long, fluid ones, and Georgia Hardinge's Torrent is the metallic floor-length line. YAURA's Ileri, Sabina Musayev's Peirce, Norma Kamali's Strapless Diana Gown, Retrofete's Desi Sequin Dress, Staud's Nikitta and House of Harlow 1960's Danna Maxi give you more ways into a long gold dress without a train.

What I would skip: stacking a shiny dress with shiny shoes, a shiny bag and a shiny clutch. The dress is already doing the talking. I would also skip hems you have not walked in, because a long gown that is a little too long is the quickest way to ruin a good night. Try everything with the exact heel you plan to wear, and look in the mirror from behind.

The last grid holds the extras, from Nookie's Suri gown and Bronx Banco's Allegra sequin maxi to the metallic pieces from Ilkyaz Ozel, plus a Marmar Halim lamé gown with a cape and a fringed Maticevski maxi if you want movement. L'IDEE's Black Tie Gown, AREA's Wrapped Sequin Mini Dress, MAJORELLE's Samara and a fringed Jaded London dress sit in there too.

Here is how I would choose. Decide the surface first: sequins and beads for a big night, metallic jersey and foil for a dinner, a gown when the invitation says formal. Then check how it moves, sit down in it, lift your arms, and take a few steps in your real shoes.

Care matters with these pieces. The usual care advice is to check the label first, dry sequin pieces flat on a towel and never use a tumble dryer, because sequins could melt or come loose. Many sequin pieces are dry clean only, so spot cleaning or a light hand wash is the gentle route, and sometimes an airing is enough. The gelatin sequins of the 1930s dissolved if they got too warm or too wet, so I treat the whole category gently.

My favorite reference is the Metropolitan Museum of Art's ca. 1925 French beaded evening dress by Anne & Thérèse, which it describes as an excellent example of 1920s flapper style, with beading made to catch the eye while dancing the Charleston. That is the real test of any of these dresses: does it make you want to dance. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Cocktail Dress Shapes, From Slinky Midis to Sequins and Birthday Dress.