Bias-cut liquid-satin evening gown — high waist, fluted mermaid fishtail hem, fully lined with a concealed back zip.
Free express delivery worldwide · import duties included
The Calpurnia is a maxi high-waisted bias-cut fishtail satin maxi skirt from the Livia collection — a dress conceived in Rome for evening, dinners and the after-dark hours. The high-waisted bias-cut fishtail satin maxi skirt is cut from fluid satin with a quiet, candle-lit sheen, fully lined so it reads opaque in daylight and flash alike.
Like every Hugo Caesar Tassi piece, the Calpurnia is finished by hand: a concealed closure, real linings, and seams sewn to last. It is offered in 3 colors from the imperial palette — Avorio, Basalt, Verde Antico — and built to be worn for years, not a single season.
| Style name | Calpurnia |
True to size. The Calpurnia runs true through the waist and skirt. Between sizes? The bodice is cut close, so size up for a fuller bust.
Open the size guide for bust, waist and hip measurements in centimeters.
Complimentary express shipping worldwide; dispatched within 1–6 business days, import duties included. Most orders arrive in 3–6 business days.
30-day returns on unworn items with tags attached. Each piece arrives in a porphyry box with the HCT seal.
For evening, pair the Calpurnia in Avorio with fine-gold jewelry and a barely-there heel. Add the Faustina silk scarf at the neck or wrist to complete the look.
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Rome carved its monuments tall and straight, then let the light do the rest. The Calpurnia is cut to the same rule — a single liquid line from the high waist that opens, at the last moment, into a fishtail.
Designed by Hugo Caesar Tassi for the Livia collection, the Calpurnia takes the bias-cut satin slip and lengthens it into an evening gown. The waist sits high and clean, tracing the natural figure like a fluted shaft; the satin then skims the hip and pours toward the floor, flaring into a sculpted mermaid fishtail that moves as you do.
It is a gown for the rooms that matter — a winter wedding, an opera box, a black-tie dinner under chandeliers. In the imperial palette it reads as quiet luxury rather than spectacle: champagne Avorio for candlelight, near-black Basalt for the most formal evenings, and the bronze-patina Verde Antico for something rarer.
Bias-cut, so it moves with you. Cut on the true bias, the satin stretches gently over the body and releases as you walk — no pulling at the waist, no break in the line.
A fishtail that holds its shape. The hem is weighted and panelled to flare cleanly at the calf and trail softly behind, then settle straight again the moment you stand still.
Lined and considered. A full satin-touch lining keeps the gown opaque under flash and smooth over the waist; a concealed invisible back zip and hook-and-eye keep the silhouette unbroken.
Made in Rome. Engineered and finished by hand with French-bound inner seams — an heirloom-grade evening gown built to outlast the season.
What she said after wearing it
The bias cut does all the work here. It skims past the hip and then the satin just pours down to that fluted hem, which sways behind you when you walk. I wore the Basalt to a winter gala and felt sculpted without a single bit of squeezing.
The mermaid flare at the bottom is the whole reason I bought it, and it does not disappoint.
The Avorio is everything I hoped, the bias satin pours beautifully and the fishtail is stunning in motion. My only personal niggle is that I'm petite and had to have a few inches taken off the hem, so I do find myself wishing they offered a dedicated petite length. That's entirely on my own height, not the gown, which is exquisite.
I dithered over the green for ages and I needn't have. Under restaurant lighting the Verde Antico shifts between a deep sage and something almost grey, and the satin catches every flicker. A waiter told my husband he thought I'd hired it from a designer house.
What sold me was turning it inside out. Full lining, neat French-finished seams, and a back zip you genuinely cannot spot once it's done up. For three hundred and odd dollars the making is far above what I expected.
Let me start with the gown itself, because the Verde Antico satin is genuinely lovely and the fishtail moves like water. The trouble was getting it here. I'm out on a small island at the very end of every courier route, and the parcel crawled through the network for over a fortnight before it finally appeared. The dress was perfect once it landed, the wait just frayed my nerves.
Thank you for your patience, and we're so pleased the Calpurnia was worth the wait. You're quite right that the final leg to remote destinations can stretch far longer than we'd like, and that is on us to set clearer expectations for. If you ever have another occasion on the horizon, do write to us first at contact@hctbeauty.com and we'll plan the timing around your location. Wear the Verde Antico in wonderful health. — HCT Atelier
My fault for cutting it fine, but I placed the order only a few days before the evening I needed it for, and it turned up the morning after the event had already passed. So I wore something else and the Basalt gown sat in its box for a week before I dared try it on. When I finally did, it was stunning, the satin and that high waist are exactly my taste. I just didn't get to wear it when it mattered.
We're genuinely sorry the Calpurnia didn't reach you in time for your evening, that must have been a real disappointment. We'd love to help you avoid this in future: a quick note to contact@hctbeauty.com before ordering and we can confirm realistic arrival dates and prioritise dispatch for a fixed date. We're delighted the gown itself won you over, and we hope its first proper outing is soon. — HCT Atelier
Dancing in it felt like the fabric was a half-second behind me, trailing in that lovely fluted sweep. Nothing clung where I didn't want it to.
I'm long in the body and high-waisted gowns usually sit at my ribs, but this one found my natural waist and held it. The column below is so fluid it makes you look about three inches taller. Ivory was the right call for a black-tie summer wedding.
Every shot from the evening came out beautifully. The satin reads as this soft sheen rather than a hard shine, so there's no harsh flare in flash photos, just a gentle lustre down the length of the skirt.
Wore the Basalt to a milestone birthday dinner and felt like the most polished woman in the room. The bias drape forgives a glass of champagne or two, which is exactly what an evening gown should do.
Honestly this is on me. At checkout I clicked the cheaper, slower shipping without reading properly, then spent the next several days wondering why nothing had moved while I'd half-expected the quick option. By the time it arrived I'd worked myself into a state over a problem I'd created. The ivory gown, for what it's worth, is breathtaking, the bias satin and that fluted hem are pure elegance.
Thank you for being so candid, and for your kind words about the Calpurnia. The shipping choices at checkout could certainly be clearer, and we'll take that to heart so the faster option is easier to spot. Should the timing ever feel tight again, reach us at contact@hctbeauty.com and we'll gladly sort out expedited dispatch for you. Enjoy the Avorio, it sounds like it found the right home. — HCT Atelier
It doesn't shout. The shape speaks for itself.
I already had the charcoal one and reached for it so often that buying the Avorio as well felt inevitable. Same flawless drape, completely different mood. Two gowns, one cut I trust entirely now.
I've spent twice this on gowns that fit half as well. The satin has real heft to it, the fishtail is properly engineered rather than just a wider hem, and the lining means no clinging and no static. Genuinely good value for an evening piece of this calibre.
Six hours, a sit-down dinner and a dance floor, and I never once wanted to escape to change. The satin breathes more than you'd think and the high waist never dug in. Comfortable in a way black-tie rarely manages.
I tried the Basalt on by the window before the event and it's not flat black at all, more of a deep slate that warms up. Lovely depth to it in natural light.
Ordered the L going by my usual measurements and the bias gave just enough that it moulded without strangling. The fishtail hits right at the floor with a low heel. Couldn't fault the fit.
This is the sort of dress you keep. The weight of the satin, the way the fluted hem holds its shape, the concealed zip lying perfectly flat down the spine. It feels considered, not mass-produced, and I'll be wearing it for years.
Bought the Verde Antico for my daughter's engagement party as a surprise for her. She put it on, did a slow turn so the fishtail fanned out, and welled up. The satin suited her colouring beautifully and the fit needed no alteration at all.
At five foot four I worried a fishtail maxi would swamp me, but the high waist lifts everything and the flare starts low enough that I still read as long-legged rather than drowning in fabric. Clever cut.
You can feel the quality the moment you lift it from the box. The satin is cool and fluid against the skin, with enough weight that it hangs straight rather than catching on tights. Lovely against the body.
The concealed back zip runs smooth as anything, no snagging, no wrestling, and once it's up the gown just settles into place. For something this elegant it's remarkably fuss-free to get into.
I've had the Basalt out three times now, each completely different. Bare shoulders and a chignon for the opera, a velvet wrap and statement earrings for a New Year's dinner, sleek and minimal for a work gala. The plain bias column takes whatever you put with it.
Answered by the Hugo Caesar Tassi atelier
It's fully lined and completely opaque — no slip required. Only the lightest details are very slightly sheer, by design.
True to size through the waist and skirt. The bodice is tailored, so size up if you're fuller in the bust. See the size guide for exact measurements.
Very much so — it was designed for evening, dinners and the after-dark hours. Avorio and the deeper tones read beautifully after dark; the lighter colors suit daytime.
Pieces that share the Avorio palette and the house line
