In June 2010 Jane Lu quit her corporate finance job in Sydney, and for months she kept it from her parents, pulling on a suit each morning as if nothing had changed. That September she and a partner settled on the name Show Pony, soon shortened to Showpo, and the business began with a laptop and two shelves of clothing in her parents' garage. It is a good story to keep in your head while you scroll Showpo dresses, because the label never lost that scrappy, make-it-yourself start.

 

What I like about the brand is how plainly it knows what it is for. Lu built the first website herself with the help of YouTube tutorials, and the company later described its customer as confident, fashion-aware and expressive. The point of view is dressing women for all the moments that matter, the everyday, the in-between and the big nights, and dresses are where that shows most clearly.

 

Start with the minis, because they set the tone. In my fashion dreams, she is walking into a late dinner in the Elle, black and strapless with a draped hip, a pair of sheer black tights and low boots keeping October out. The Margaux in antique gold has a plunge halter and a backless cut, so I would keep everything else quiet. The Estelle in dark chocolate has long sleeves and an off shoulder neckline, which makes it the easiest one to wear to brunch. The Maila in red floral wraps and ties at a halter neck, and the Sia in light blue has a lace tulip skirt that suits a wedding shower.

 

Practical tip: with the strapless and backless minis, check how the dress sits when you sit down and lift your arms. Fit at the bodice decides everything here.

Showpo started online in 2010 and by 2013 had closed its three physical stores, so it is a label that learned fashion through a website first. A midi has to read well in a flat photo and still move when you walk, and the details are what carry it.

 

The Rheiva is strapless in white with 3D embroidery, the one I would picture at a garden party with flat sandals. The Khari is a linen-look square neck A-line in blue, plain in the best way, and I would wear it with a denim jacket now that the evenings are cooler. The Gabriela in light pink lace and the Astra in a cream posey floral are both strapless, so a cropped cardigan over the shoulders makes them work in October. The Lovlin is a one shoulder ruched dress in chocolate, and the Helda in pink pairs a halter tie neck with a corset panel.

 

Before you buy any of them, run a fabric test: hold the hem up to a window and see whether the lining does its job, then press a seam to check the corset panel lies flat. For the ruched Lovlin, look at where the gathering sits against your ribs.

 

What I would skip: the strapless lemon Dahlia if you want a dress that will work in November. It is a summer color, and it is happiest with bare arms.

A maxi from Showpo tends to earn its place at the end of the evening, not the start. The brand says it dresses women for the moments that matter, and this is where that line becomes literal: long hems, satin that catches light, and shapes that need a good entrance.

 

The Shay in wine is a sleeveless satin with a sweetheart cut out and pleats, a color made for this exact time of year. The Lana in rose has a high neck, a contrast hip drape and a crossover back, and it is lined for a smooth finish. The Nora in white satin is a fit and flare with a leg split and a shoulder drape. The Kess in wine and the Alessandra in champagne both lean on a split and a close bodice. For something softer, the Astra in chocolate is a long sleeve V neck knit, and the Genie is off the shoulder, also in chocolate, which is the pair I would reach for on a cold dinner night.

 

Test the walk: take three long steps in the fitting room and see whether the split falls open too far. With a drape or sash, tug gently to confirm it stays where it was placed.

 

What I would skip: pairing satin maxis with a heavy coat that bunches at the hips. A long wool wrap looks better, with the hem showing underneath.

Showpo has a Wedding Guest edit of its own, and the Sonya Maxi is called a cult favorite there, so formal dressing is clearly part of the brand's identity. Before choosing, check the dress code on the invitation. A white or ivory dress is for the bride, not the guest, so I would keep the Tabitha in ivory and the Rania in cream for other occasions, a rehearsal dinner perhaps. I went deeper on a related idea in Casual Wedding Guest Dresses: Rose Pecchia's Detroit Lunch-Hour Dress.

 

For the ceremony itself, in my fashion dreams, she arrives in the Lillian in plum, a high neck halter with a hip drape and scarf detail, fully lined in satin. The Salome in wine is a halter column that lets the neckline do the work. The Karlie in lemon is a one shoulder fitted dress that is suited to bridesmaids and formal occasions, and the Nicolette in pink has a cape sleeve and an off shoulder neckline. The Benny is a pink sequin halter maxi, and the Sia in black is a cut out lace column with a split leg and a side zip.

 

Sit down in each dress before you decide. A long ceremony means sitting for an hour, so check that the split and neckline behave. Carry a wrap, because church doors are drafty.

 

What I would skip: sequins for a morning ceremony. The Benny belongs after sunset.

There is a reason a satin slip dress keeps coming back: it needs almost nothing added to it. Showpo's own description of its woman is confident and expressive, and the slip suits her: easy to style and quick to read.

 

The Quincy is a satin slip in black and champagne, and the Khalani is a deep V neck satin slip in navy. The Flynn in navy has a halter sweetheart neckline, while the Adilah in black has a cowl neck. The Charlita in chocolate is strapless with a cowl back, the Tess in green has a satin bodice with a draped skirt, and the Reeves in black has a contrast lace high neck. The Belrose is a short yellow satin with a square neck and a ruffle front.

 

For October I would layer a fine knit cardigan or a tailored blazer over the slips, and add tights with a low boot to the Belrose. Satin shows everything, so run a hand across the fabric before buying and look at how the seams sit along the waist.

 

What I would skip: a heavy necklace with the cowl necks. Let the neckline be the detail.

I would decide on the occasion first, then the neckline, then the length. A mini for a late dinner, a midi for lunch and daytime weddings, a satin maxi when the invitation says formal. Check the lining, sit down, and take a few steps before you commit.

 

It all comes back to that garage in Sydney and the girl in a suit pretending she still had a job. Showpo dresses are the result of someone betting on herself, and I would pick the one that makes me feel like I was making a decision of my own.