This bracket covers most weddings most people go to, and it is stronger than the price suggests. L'Academie's Giselle Maxi at $248 and LPA's Marisel Maxi at $299 are the two cheapest and both are full length, which is what daytime dress codes usually ask for. Norma Kamali's Long Sleeve Turtleneck Fishtail Gown at $375 is the most unusual shape in the group and the only covered-up option. Ronny Kobo appears twice, the Sidonie at $498 and the Anya at $578, both cut close. The Andamane's Sophie Deep Open Back Maxi at $545 is the one with a real back detail. Sid Neigum's Braid Dress at $625 and Marianna Senchina's Ivy Dress at $701 close the bracket and are the two most design-led pieces at this level.

The middle is where the fabric changes and the dresses start to feel like occasion clothing rather than a good dress worn to an occasion. Staud's Charli Silk Dress at $750 opens it and is the most versatile piece in the bracket. Alexis' Eterna at $795 and Aya Muse's Luma at $885 are the two sculpted shapes. Acne Studios' Dotti Silk Slip at $1,150 is the plainest thing here and the one most likely to be worn again outside a wedding. Sev's Draped Dress at $1,200 and Alex Perry's Off Shoulder Dress at $1,250 are the two most formal. Silvia Tcherassi's Fiore Tunic at $1,290 is the only tunic shape in the edit, and Zimmermann's Aster Scarf Dress at $1,350 is the most decorative. For an evening wedding with a stated dress code, this is the right bracket.

Above $1,390 the edit becomes designer eveningwear proper. The New Arrivals by Ilkyaz Ozel's Isis Dress at $1,390 opens the group. Johanna Ortiz's Hibiscus Compass Ankle Dress at $1,550 is the print entry and Tove's Gio Dress at $1,720 is the most restrained. Victoria Beckham's Smocked Halter at $2,150 sits in the middle. At the top, Tom Ford's Cocktail Slip Dress at $3,590, Bottega Veneta's Sleeveless Jersey Dress at $3,900 and Gabriela Hearst's Peyton Dress at $3,950 are three very different answers to the same brief, and the Bottega jersey is the one that would survive a whole night comfortably. The Alaia Edition Zip Asymmetric Body Sculpting Dress at $8,950 is the most expensive piece in any of these edits and is a structured garment rather than a draped one.

The uncomfortable maths of wedding dressing is that cost per wear is almost always bad, which argues hard for the first bracket. A $248 full-length maxi photographs the same as a $795 one at the distance most wedding photos are taken from. Where spending genuinely changes the outcome is fabric that holds a shape through a long, warm evening, and that starts around the Staud silk at $750 rather than at $3,000. The Acne Studios slip at $1,150 is the single most reusable dress in the edit, because it is the only one that reads as normal clothing the following week. Above $3,500 you are buying construction for one night. If you take one thing away, choose the dress you could wear to something that is not a wedding.