A dress (also known as a frock or a gown ) is a garment traditionally worn by women or girls consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice (or a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment). [1] It consists of a top piece that covers the torso and hangs down over the legs. A dress can be any one-piece garment containing a skirt of any length, and can be formal or casual.
A dress can have sleeves, straps, or be held up with elastic around the chest, leaving the shoulders bare. Dresses also vary in color.
The hemlines of dresses vary depending on modesty, weather, fashion or the personal taste of the wearer. [2]
Dresses are outer garments made up of a bodice and a skirt and can be made in one or more pieces. [3] [4] Dresses are generally suitable for both formal wear and casual wear in the West for women and girls. [4]
Historically, dresses could also include other items of clothing such as corsets, kirtles, partlets, petticoats, smocks, and stomachers. [5] [6] [7]
In the 11th century, women in Europe wore dresses that were similar to men's tunics and were loose, with a hemline reaching to below the knees or lower. [8] By the end of the century, these dresses featured a tighter fit on the arms and women's upper bodies. [8] Dresses were made snug by featuring slits on the sides of the dress that were pulled tight in order to fit a woman's figure. [9]
Starting in the 1550s, middle- and upper-class women in Europe wore dresses which included a smock, stays, kirtle, gown, forepart, sleeves, ruff and a partlet. [5] Undergarments were not worn underneath. [5] In England, Queen Elizabeth dictated what kinds of dresses women were allowed to wear. [10] French women were inspired by Spanish-style bodices and also wore ruffs. [10] French dresses were known as marlottes. [11] In Italy, dresses were known as ropa and semarra. [11] Dresses in the 16th century also displayed surface decoration such as embroidery, with blackwork being especially popular. [12]
Women's dresses in Russia during the 16th and 17th centuries respectively, identified a woman's place in society or their family. [13]
Holland, as a center of textile production, was a particularly noted area of innovation in dress fashion during the 17th Century. [7] In Spain and Portugal, women wore stomachers [7] while in England and France, dresses became more "naturally" shaped. [7] Lace and slashing were popular decorations. [7] Skirts were full, with regular folds and the overskirt allowed the display of an underskirt of contrasting fabric. [7] Necklines became lower as well. [7] Embroidery that reflected scientific discoveries, such as newly discovered animals and plants were popular. [14] In the British Colonies, multi-piece dresses were also popular, though less luxurious. [15] Wealthy women living in the Spanish or Dutch colonies in the Americas copied the fashions that were popular from their homelands. [16]
The three-piece dress, which had a bodice, petticoat and gown, was popular until the last 25 years of the century, in which the mantua, or a one-piece gown, became more popular. [17] Corsets became more important in dresses by the 1680s. [18]
Working women, and women in slavery in the Americas, used simple patterns to create shifts, wool or linen petticoats and gowns and cotton dresses. [19] The bottoms of the skirts could be tucked into the waistband when a woman was near a cooking or heating fire. [19]
Large, triangular silhouettes were favored during the 18th century, skirts were wide and supported by hoop underskirts. [20] [21] One-piece gowns remained popular until the middle of the century. [22] During the 1760s in France, hoop petticoats were reduced in size. [23] Lighter colors and lighter fabrics were also favored. [24] In Colonial America, women most often wore a gown and petticoat, in which the skirt of the gown opened to reveal the petticoat underneath. [25] Women also had riding habits which consisted of the petticoat, jacket and a waistcoat. [25]
French fashion regarding dresses became very fast-changing during the later part of the 18th century. [26] Throughout this period, the length of fashionable dresses varied only slightly, between ankle-length and floor-sweeping. [2] Between 1740 and 1770, the robe à la française was very popular with upper-class women. [27] In France, the Empire style became popular after the French Revolution. [28] This simpler style was also favored by Josephine Bonaparte, [28] wife of Napoleon. Other popular styles during the revolution included tunic dresses and the negligée à la patriot, which featured the red, white and blue colors of the flag. [29]
Women's dresses in the 19th century began to be classified by the time of day or purpose of the dress. [30] High-waisted dresses were popular until around 1830. [30]
Early nineteenth century dresses in Russia were influenced by Classicism and were made of thin fabrics, with some semi-transparent. [31] Elizabeth Vigée Le Brun wore these types of dresses with a short skirt (reaching to her ankles) when she lived in Russia between 1785 and 1801 [31] and many Russian women copied her style. [31] By the 1840s, Russian women were turning to what was in fashion in Europe. [32]
Europeans styles in dresses increased dramatically to the hoopskirt and crinoline-supported styles of the 1860s, [33] then fullness was draped and drawn to the back. [34] Dresses had a "day" bodice with a high neckline and long sleeves, and an "evening" bodice with a low neckline (decollete) and very short sleeves. In Russia, metal hoopskirts were known as "malakhovs." [32] Skirts of the 1860s were heavily decorated. [34]
To sleep, women in the American West wore floor-length dresses of white cotton with high collars displaying decoration. [35] Various Native American people, such as the Navajo and the Mescalero Apache began to adapt the designs of their dresses to look more like the European Americans they came in contact with. [36] Navajo women further adapted the European designs, incorporating their own sense of beauty, "creating hózhó." [37]
Paper sewing patterns for women to sew their own dresses started to be readily available in the 1860s, when the Butterick Publishing Company began to promote them. [38] These patterns were graded by size, which was a new innovation. [39]
The Victorian era's dresses were tight-fitting and decorated with pleats, rouching and frills. [28] Women in the United States who were involved in dress reform in the 1850s found themselves the center of attention, both positive and negative. [40] By 1881, the Rational Dress Society had formed in reaction to the restrictive dress of the era. [28]
In the early twentieth century, the look popularized by the Gibson Girl was fashionable. [41] The upper part of women's dresses in the Edwardian era included a "pigeon breast" look that gave way to a corseted waist and an s-shaped silhouette. [41] Women called their dresses "waists" if one-piece, or "shirtwaists," if it consisted of a skirt and a blouse. [42] The bodice of the dresses had a boned lining. [42] Informally, wealthy women wore tea gowns at home. [43] These garments were looser, though not as loose as a "wrapper," and made of expensive fabric and laces. [43]
By 1910, the Edwardian look was replaced with a straighter silhouette. [44] French designer, Paul Poiret, had a huge impact on the look of the time. [44] Designs developed by Poiret were available in both boutiques and also in department stores. [45] Popular dresses of the time were one-piece and included lingerie dresses which could be layered. [46] At around the same time, in the United States, the American Ladies Tailors' Association developed a dress called the suffragette suit, which was practical for women to work and move around in. [47] [48] Another innovation of the 1910s was the ready availability of factory-made clothing. [49]
Waistlines started out high and by 1915 were below the natural waist. [46] By 1920, waistlines were at hip-level. [46] Between 1910 and 1920 necklines were lower and dresses could be short-sleeved or sleeveless. [50] Women who worked during World War I preferred shorter dresses, which eventually became the dominant style overall. [24] In addition to the shorter dresses, waistlines were looser and the dominant colors were black, white and gray. [51]
By 1920, the "new woman" was a trend that saw lighter fabrics and dresses that were easier to put on. [52] Younger women were also setting the trends that older women started to follow. [52] The dresses of the 1920s could be pulled over the head and were short and straight. [53] It was acceptable to wear sleeveless dresses during the day. [53] Flapper dresses were popular until end of the decade. [54]
During World War II, dresses were slimmer and inspired by military uniforms. [28] After WWII, the New Look, promoted by Christian Dior was very influential on fashion and the look of women's dresses for about a decade. [55]
Since the 1970s, no one dress type or length has dominated fashion for long, with short and ankle-length styles often appearing side by side in fashion magazines and catalogs. [56]
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Western dress codes and corresponding attires |
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Legend: = Day (before 6 p.m.) Fashionportal |
In most varieties of formal dress codes in Western cultures, a dress of an appropriate style is mandatory for women. They are also very popular for special occasions such as proms or weddings. [57] For such occasions they, together with blouse and skirt, remain the de facto standard attire for many girls and women.
In western countries, a "formal" or white tie dress code typically means tailcoats for men and full-length evening dresses with opera-length gloves for women. A most formal dress for women are full-length ball or evening gowns with evening gloves. Some white tie functions also request that the women wear long gloves past the elbow.
A basic dress is a usually dark-colored dress of simple design which can be worn with various accessories to suit different occasions. [58] Different kinds of jewelry, belts, scarves, and jackets can be worn with the basic dress to dress up or down. [59] A little black dress is an example of a basic dress.
A bodycon dress is a tight figure-hugging dress, often made from stretchy material. [60] The name derives from "body confidence" [61] or, originally, "body conscious", transformed into Japanese in the 1980s as "bodikon".
A party dress is a dress worn especially for a party. Different types of party such as children's party, cocktail party, garden party and costume party would tend to require different styles of dress. [63] [64] One classic style of party dress for women in modern society is the little black dress. [65]
Victorian fashion consists of the various fashions and trends in British culture that emerged and developed in the United Kingdom and the British Empire throughout the Victorian era, roughly from the 1830s through the 1890s. The period saw many changes in fashion, including changes in styles, fashion technology and the methods of distribution. Various movement in architecture, literature, and the decorative and visual arts as well as a changing perception of gender roles also influenced fashion.
A blouse is a loose-fitting upper garment that may be worn by workmen, peasants, artists, women, and children. It is typically gathered at the waist or hips so that it hangs loosely ("blouses") over the wearer's body. Today, the word most commonly refers to a girl's or woman's dress shirt, although there is considerable confusion between a true blouse and a women's shirt. It can also refer to a man's shirt if it is a loose-fitting style, though it rarely is. Traditionally, the term has been used to refer to a shirt which blouses out or has an unmistakably feminine appearance, although even many "standard" shirts today have a somewhat blousy fit, and the numbers of men wearing such shirts may match that of women wearing actual blouses.
A nightgown, nightie or nightdress is a loosely hanging item of nightwear, and is commonly worn by women and girls. A nightgown is made from cotton, silk, satin, or nylon and may be decorated with lace appliqués or embroidery at the bust and hem.
A petticoat or underskirt is an article of clothing, a type of undergarment worn under a skirt or a dress. Its precise meaning varies over centuries and between countries.
1860s fashion in European and European-influenced countries is characterized by extremely full-skirted women's fashions relying on crinolines and hoops and the emergence of "alternative fashions" under the influence of the Artistic Dress movement.
1870s fashion in European and European-influenced clothing is characterized by a gradual return to a narrow silhouette after the full-skirted fashions of the 1850s and 1860s.
1830s fashion in Western and Western-influenced fashion is characterized by an emphasis on breadth, initially at the shoulder and later in the hips, in contrast to the narrower silhouettes that had predominated between 1800 and 1820.
A ball gown, ballgown or gown is a type of evening gown worn to a ball or a formal event. Most versions are cut off the shoulder with a low décolletage, exposed arms, and long bouffant styled skirts. Such gowns are typically worn with opera-length white gloves, vintage jewelry or couture, and a stole, cape, or cloak in lieu of a coat. Where "state decorations" are to be worn, they are on a bow pinned to the chest, and married women wear a tiara if they have one. Although synthetic fabrics are now sometimes used, the most common fabrics are satin, silk, taffeta and velvet with trimmings of lace, pearls, sequins, embroidery, ruffles, ribbons, rosettes and ruching.
An evening gown, evening dress or gown is a long dress usually worn at formal occasions. The drop ranges from ballerina, tea, to full-length. Such gowns are typically worn with evening gloves. Evening gowns are usually made of luxurious fabrics such as chiffon, velvet, satin, or organza. Silk is a popular fibre for many evening gowns. Although the terms are used interchangeably, ball gowns and evening gowns differ in that a ball gown will always have a full skirt and a fitted bodice, while an evening gown can be any silhouette—sheath, mermaid, fit and flare, A-line, or trumpet-shaped—and may have straps, halters or even sleeves.
A teddy, also called a camiknicker, is a garment which covers the torso and crotch in the one garment. It is a similar style of garment to a one-piece swimsuit or bodysuit, but is typically looser and sheerer. The garment is put on by stepping into the leg holes and pulling the garment up to cover the torso. It may cover the whole of the torso or partially and may also cover the arms. They may open at the crotch so that the wearer may use the bathroom without taking it completely off. As an undergarment, it combines the functions of a camisole and panties, and may be preferred to avoid a visible panty line. It is also found as lingerie.
1840s fashion in European and European-influenced clothing is characterized by a narrow, natural shoulder line following the exaggerated puffed sleeves of the later 1820s and 1830s. The narrower shoulder was accompanied by a lower waistline for both men and women.
A stomacher is a decorated triangular panel that fills in the front opening of a woman's gown or bodice. The stomacher may be boned, as part of a stays, or may cover the triangular front of a corset. If simply decorative, the stomacher lies over the triangular front panel of the stays, being either stitched or pinned into place, or held in place by the lacings of the gown's bodice.
Fashion in the period 1550–1600 in European clothing was characterized by increased opulence. Contrasting fabrics, slashes, embroidery, applied trims, and other forms of surface ornamentation remained prominent. The wide silhouette, conical for women with breadth at the hips and broadly square for men with width at the shoulders had reached its peak in the 1530s, and by mid-century a tall, narrow line with a V-lined waist was back in fashion. Sleeves and women's skirts then began to widen again, with emphasis at the shoulder that would continue into the next century. The characteristic garment of the period was the ruff, which began as a modest ruffle attached to the neckband of a shirt or smock and grew into a separate garment of fine linen, trimmed with lace, cutwork or embroidery, and shaped into crisp, precise folds with starch and heated irons.
Fashion in the years 1750–1775 in European countries and the colonial Americas was characterised by greater abundance, elaboration and intricacy in clothing designs, loved by the Rococo artistic trends of the period. The French and English styles of fashion were very different from one another. French style was defined by elaborate court dress, colourful and rich in decoration, worn by such iconic fashion figures as Marie Antoinette.
Fashion in the period 1600–1650 in Western clothing is characterized by the disappearance of the ruff in favour of broad lace or linen collars. Waistlines rose through the period for both men and women. Other notable fashions included full, slashed sleeves and tall or broad hats with brims. For men, hose disappeared in favour of breeches.
Fashion in the period 1700–1750 in European and European-influenced countries is characterized by a widening silhouette for both men and women following the tall, narrow look of the 1680s and 90s. This era is defined as late Baroque/Rococo style. The new fashion trends introduced during this era had a greater impact on society, affecting not only royalty and aristocrats, but also middle and even lower classes. Clothing during this time can be characterized by soft pastels, light, airy, and asymmetrical designs, and playful styles. Wigs remained essential for men and women of substance, and were often white; natural hair was powdered to achieve the fashionable look. The costume of the eighteenth century, if lacking in the refinement and grace of earlier times, was distinctly quaint and picturesque.
Fashion in the years following World War II is characterized by the resurgence of haute couture after the austerity of the war years. Square shoulders and short skirts were replaced by the soft femininity of Christian Dior's "New Look" silhouette, with its sweeping longer skirts, fitted waist, and rounded shoulders, which in turn gave way to an unfitted, structural look in the later 1950s.
Fashion in the period 1500–1550 in Europe is marked by very thick, big and voluminous clothing worn in an abundance of layers. Contrasting fabrics, slashes, embroidery, applied trims, and other forms of surface ornamentation became prominent. The tall, narrow lines of the late Medieval period were replaced with a wide silhouette, conical for women with breadth at the hips and broadly square for men with width at the shoulders. Sleeves were a center of attention, and were puffed, slashed, cuffed, and turned back to reveal contrasting linings.
Fashion in the twenty years between 1775 and 1795 in Western culture became simpler and less elaborate. These changes were a result of emerging modern ideals of selfhood, the declining fashionability of highly elaborate Rococo styles, and the widespread embrace of the rationalistic or "classical" ideals of Enlightenment philosophes.
An overskirt is a type of women's short skirt which is draped over another garment, such as a skirt, breeches, or trousers. Although peplum is often used as another term for overskirt, it should not be confused with the peplos or "peplum dress", which was worn in ancient Greece.
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