Designer Dresses in Chicago

CLIPSE dresses are delivered across Chicago and the suburbs — evening, cocktail and corset styles from a Canadian label, shipped by tracked courier from our Calgary warehouse.

Chicago has a formal calendar as serious as anywhere in the country, and a climate that argues with it for half the year. Most local dressing decisions come out of that conflict.

Dressing against a Chicago winter

The gap between the car and the door

From November to April the walk from valet, garage or rideshare to the lobby is short but genuinely hostile — wind off the lake, ice underfoot, and a temperature that makes bare shoulders a two-minute proposition. The local answer is not a heavier coat; it is a dress that does not need rescuing once the coat comes off. Sleeves, a lined bodice and dense fabric — velvet, crepe, heavy satin — mean you arrive finished rather than reassembling in the cloakroom.

Gala season is an institution here

The Lyric Opera, the Art Institute, the symphony and a long list of hospital and civic benefits run a real black-tie season from autumn through spring, and the rooms are old and formal. That rewards a clean column or A-line in a serious fabric over anything trend-led: see evening dresses.

Summer is short, so it is crowded

Everything outdoors happens between June and September — rooftops, the lakefront, the compressed wedding season. Lighter cloth and a midi length carry most of it, with a wrap for when the wind turns after sunset, which on the lakefront it reliably does.

What the year asks for

Gala season, October to April

The long half of the year, indoors and after dark. Floor length, heavier fabric, sleeves worth having: evening and black dresses.

Wedding season, June to September

Short and busy, much of it on rooftops and along the lake. The guest guide covers colour etiquette; the dress code guide explains what the invitation is actually asking for.

Graduation, May and June

Northwestern, DePaul, Loyola and the University of Chicago finish within weeks of each other. A midi that works under a gown and again at dinner is the useful choice — see the graduation guide.

Delivery to Chicago

• Ships from our Calgary warehouse by tracked courier, with signature on delivery.
• Typically 2–5 business days after dispatch. Timeframes are estimates, not guarantees — weather, customs and carrier schedules can move them.
• Shipping cost is calculated at checkout from your address, and shown in full before you pay.
• Any import duties or taxes are set by the destination authorities and are the recipient's responsibility. Full terms are on the shipping page.
• Orders are processed Monday to Friday, so an order placed on Friday evening leaves on Monday.
• Same terms across Chicago, Evanston, Oak Park, Naperville, Schaumburg and the North Shore.
• Returns within 14 days of delivery.

Getting the size right the first time

Ordering across a border makes a return slower and more expensive, so it is worth ten minutes with a tape measure before you choose.

1. Measure over bare skin or thin underwear, wearing the bra you plan to wear with the dress — a padded bra moves the bust measurement by several centimetres.
2. Take four numbers: bust, underbust, waist and hips. Keep the tape level all the way round; the most common mistake is letting it ride up at the back.
3. Match them to the size chart, which maps our sizes to US, UK and EU equivalents — our sizing is cut to European proportions, so do not assume your usual US number.
4. Between two sizes, size up on anything structured. A seam can be taken in; fabric cannot be added.

For corset and bustier styles the deciding measurement is underbust, not bust — a boned bodice has almost no give and has to sit correctly vertically as well. Our corset sizing guide covers it, and the measuring guide walks through each number.

Still unsure? Send your measurements and the dress you are considering to info@the-clipse.com — we answer with an honest recommendation, including when the answer is that neither size will work.

Returns, and what happens if it doesn't fit

Returns are accepted within 14 days of delivery. Items must be unworn, with tags attached and in original packaging. Email us with your order number and we reply with instructions — please don't send anything back before that, as unannounced returns can go astray.

Refunds go to the original payment method within 5–10 business days of the parcel reaching us. Return shipping is the customer's responsibility unless the item arrived faulty or incorrect, in which case we cover it. Because the parcel travels back across the border, allow longer than a domestic return — another reason to settle the size before you order.

Frequently asked