A black dress with strategic cutouts for black tie uses negative space as the design element. The cutouts might be at the shoulders or back or waist or sides. They add visual intrigue without adding volume or pattern. The dress underneath the cutouts is usually fitted or draped so the cutouts become architectural. The color is black but the skin showing through the cutouts creates visual interest. Fabric weight and structure matter because the edges of the cutouts need to finish cleanly and the fabric around them needs to hold its shape. These black dresses with cutouts work for black tie because the cutouts feel intentional and considered not accidental or cheap looking.