The Demetrios Evening A106 is a floor-length mermaid gown cut from matte stretch crepe, and its signature is a beaded peplum set at the natural waist. A wide folded off-the-shoulder band crosses the collarbone into a deep sweetheart neckline and rests on the upper arm as a short cap sleeve, leaving the shoulders bare while still covering more than a strapless gown does. The princess-seamed bodice is completely clean until the waist, where vertical lines of tonal bugle beads, seed beads and fine sequins radiate downward and spill into a short shaped peplum that flares over the hip and wraps all the way around to the back. Because the beading is worked in the same shade as the crepe, it reads as texture and shadow rather than sparkle, which is why this gown photographs beautifully under both daylight and reception lighting. Below the peplum the skirt traces the hip and thigh and releases below the knee into a soft flare and a sweep train. The back is high and fully closed over a concealed center zipper: no slit, no cut-out, no illusion panel, which makes A106 a natural choice for house-of-worship ceremonies, bar and bat mitzvah mothers, military balls and conservative black-tie dress codes. Jan's carries A106 in Red, Wine and Navy (the gown shown is the navy sample), in sizes 0 through 28, so the same design is available to plus size and evening plus size customers in the identical fabric and beadwork. It is a gown that works as hard for the mother of the bride or groom as it does for a wedding guest, a guest of the couple, a grandmother of the bride, or a charity gala or black-tie fundraiser. Browse the full Demetrios Evening collection and our best-selling evening and cocktail dresses for the rest of the line.
A peplum gown is one of the few silhouettes that genuinely has to be tried on. The peplum only flatters when it breaks at the wearer's own narrowest point, the off-the-shoulder band only holds when it lands at the outer edge of her shoulder, and the mermaid flare has to release at the right height for her leg and her actual heel height, or the skirt reads short and the train drags. None of that can be judged from a photograph, which is why we invite you to see A106 in person at Jan's Boutique, 406 Marlton Pike E, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 — call 856-428-8181 or book an appointment online. Our 13,000 square foot store holds more than 15,000 dresses with 50 dressing rooms and a full in-house alterations department, so the peplum seam, the shoulder band and the hem can all be set to you by the same fitters who see these gowns every day. Jan's Boutique charges no sales tax on clothing, which is why customers drive to us from Philadelphia and the Main Line, Delaware County and Bucks County, Wilmington and all of Delaware, Staten Island and New York, Baltimore and Maryland, and from across South Jersey including Cherry Hill, Marlton, Voorhees, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Haddonfield, Medford and the Shore. While you are here, compare A106 against the royal blue off-the-shoulder mermaid B105, the black draped rosette A114 (also offered in wine), the fuchsia high-neck sheath A113 and the navy blue ruched column A107. Walk-ins are welcome, appointments are recommended on weekends, and our stylists will pull the Red, Wine and Navy colorways side by side so you can see which one is right for your venue and your photographs.
