Dress

Dress
For other uses, see Dress (disambiguation).
"Dresses" redirects here. For the song by Betty Blowtorch, see Betty Blowtorch#Discography.
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres depicts the Comtesse d'Haussonville, wearing a dress.

A dress (also known as a frock or a gown) is a garment consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice (or a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment). In Western culture, dresses are usually considered to be items of women's and girls' apparel.

The hemline of dresses can be as high as the upper thigh or as low as the ground, depending on the whims of fashion and the modesty or personal taste of the wearer.[1]

Contents

History

19th century

Dresses increased dramatically to the hoopskirt and crinoline-supported styles of the 1860s; then fullness was draped and drawn to the back. 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.

Throughout this period, the length of fashionable dresses varied only slightly, between ankle-length and floor-sweeping.[2]

See also History of Western fashion: 1795–1820, 1820s, 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s
Victorian fashion, Artistic Dress movement, Victorian dress reform.

Usage

A typical pre-prom gathering, with girls in dresses, and boys in tuxedos.

In Europe and America, dresses are worn by females of all ages as an alternative to a separate skirt and blouse or trousers. Dresses are often used by young girls and as more formal attire by adult women.

Potential drawbacks of dresses include being either too long or cumbersome for the performance of some physical activities such as climbing stairs or ladders. In addition, some dress styles, particularly those with back closures, can be difficult or even impossible to don or remove without assistance.

Dresses however can be cooler and less confining than many trouser styles, and they are still very popular for special occasions such as proms or weddings.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ Davis, Michael (2007). Art of dress designing (1st ed. ed.). Delhi: Global Media. ISBN 8190457578. 
  2. ^ Davis, Michael (2007). Art of dress designing (1st ed. ed.). Delhi: Global Media. ISBN 8190457578. 
  3. ^ Pundir, Nirupama (2007). Fashion technology : today and tomorrow. New Delhi: Mittal Publications. ISBN 8183242030. 
  • Oxford English Dictionary
  • Brockmamn, Helen L.: The Theory of Fashion Design, Wiley, 1965.
  • Picken, Mary Brooks: The Fashion Dictionary, Funk and Wagnalls, 1957. (1973 edition ISBN 0-308-10052-2)
  • Tozer, Jane, and Sarah Levitt: Fabric of Society: A Century of People and Their Clothes 1770–1870, Laura Ashley Ltd., 1983; ISBN 0-9508913-0-4

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Dress — (dr[e^]s), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Dressed} (dr[e^]st) or {Drest}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Dressing}.] [OF. drecier to make straight, raise, set up, prepare, arrange, F. dresser, (assumed) LL. directiare, fr. L. dirigere, directum, to direct; dis + regere… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Dress-up — is a game played mainly by children. It involves dressing up, usually to impersonate someone or something, like an animal or character in a fairy tale. The type of clothes they dress up in often resembles who they are trying to be, either adults… …   Wikipedia

  • dress — [dres] vt. dressed or drest, dressing [ME dressen, to make straight, direct < OFr drecier, to set up, arrange < VL * directiare < L directus: see DIRECT] 1. to put clothes on; clothe 2. to provide with clothing 3. to decorate; trim;… …   English World dictionary

  • Dress — Dress, v. i. 1. (Mil.) To arrange one s self in due position in a line of soldiers; the word of command to form alignment in ranks; as, Dress right, dress! [1913 Webster] 2. To clothe or apparel one s self; to put on one s garments; to pay… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Dress-Up — is a game played mainly by girls. It involves dressing up, usually to impersonate someone. The type of clothes they dress up in often resembles who they are trying to be, either adults clothing or special play clothes designed specifically for… …   Wikipedia

  • Dress me Up — Single par Olivia extrait de l’album Synchronicity Face A Dress me Up Face B So Beautiful Sortie 19 avril 2000 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Dress — Dress, n. 1. That which is used as the covering or ornament of the body; clothes; garments; habit; apparel. In your soldier s dress. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. A lady s gown; as, silk or a velvet dress. [1913 Webster] 3. Attention to apparel, or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • dress — ► VERB 1) (also get dressed) put on one s clothes. 2) put clothes on (someone). 3) wear clothes in a particular way or of a particular type: she dresses well. 4) decorate or arrange in an artistic or attractive way. 5) clean, treat, or apply a… …   English terms dictionary

  • dress|er — dress|er1 «DREHS uhr», noun. 1. a person who dresses (himself, another person, a shop window, or a wound): »the dresser for an actress. He…prided himself on being an immaculate dresser (Newsweek). 2. a tool or machine to prepare things for use.… …   Useful english dictionary

  • dress — [n] clothing; woman’s garment accouterment, apparel, attire, attirement, civvies*, costume, covering, drape, dry goods, duds*, ensemble, evening clothes, frock, garb, gear, gown, guise, habiliment, habit, muumuu, outfit, raiment, robe, shift,… …   New thesaurus

  • dress|y — «DREHS ee», adjective, dress|i|er, dress|i|est. Informal. 1. fond of wearing showy clothes: »... especially the gangsters, who were always the dressiest of the lot (Atlantic) …   Useful english dictionary

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