Adress (also known as afrock or agown) is a one-piece outer garment that is worn on the torso, hangs down over the legs, and is primarily worn by women or girls.[1][2] Dresses often consist of abodice attached to askirt.
Dress shapes, silhouettes,textiles, and colors vary. Dresses can havesleeves of any length or can be sleeveless and can have anyneckline. Similarly, dresses can have skirts of any length orhemline. These variances may be based on considerations such asfashion trends,modesty, weather, and personal taste.[3] Dresses are generally suitable for bothformal wear andcasual wear in the West.[4]
In the 11th century, women inEurope wore loose garments that were similar in shape to thetunics worn by men.[7] Sleeves varied in fit and length, and hemlines fell below the knees, most often reaching the ankle or ground.[7] These dresses were worn over ankle-lengthchemise garments.[7] As the century progressed, these dresses featured a tighter fit on the arms and upper body.[7] The tighter fit was achieved by making slits to the waist and in the sleeves that were laced closed to fit the figure.[8] Laces were gradually replaced by buttons.[8] By the end of the 11th century, sleeves widened with cuffs sometimes reaching several feet in circumference.[8] This style remained popular into the 13th century, although the sleeves once again became more fitted.[8]
In the 13th and 14th centuries, a similar dress known as acote-hardie came into fashion.[9][10] This garment was closed down the front of the bodice with buttons that extended to the hip; this resulted in a dress that was more fitted through the hip rather than just to the waist.[9] These dresses also often featured decorative elements such as long strips of cloth around the elbow known as tippets.[9]
In the 15th century,houppelandes and gowns became popular. Houppelandes were full-cut, floor-length dresses with high collars and full sleeves.[11] Gowns were also long dresses, but they had open necklines, a closer-fitted bodice, and sleeves that became more fitted as the century progressed.[12] Both houppelandes and gowns were often belted just below the bust.[12]
European dresses in at the start of the 16th century resembled those of the previous century: full-cut, belted gowns with large sleeve openings worn over a kirtle or petticoat and chemise.[13] Decorative treatments such as pinking, slashing, andblackwork embroidery became increasingly common.[14][15] Necklines were initially low and broad, but wearers began to fill in the open space with high collared chemises or partlets.[16] Although the overall style of dress was fairly consistent across the continent, there were regional differences often involving sleeve shape and decorative elements.[17] European courts, such asTudor court and thewives of Henry VIII, were influential in European fashion.[17] From the 1540s, the bodices of dresses were stiffened, flattening the wearer's chest, and skirts were shaped with a Spanishfarthingale.[18] The resulting silhouette resembled two triangles.[18]
Wheel farthingale silhouette
From the 1550s, middle- and upper-class European women could choose between the still popular rigid farthingale style or a looser-style gown known as aropa.[19][20] The ropa style of dress was known by different names throughout Europe, includingsumarra (Italy),marlotte (France), andvlieger (Holland).[19] Fashionable sleeves were often more fitted with puffs at the shoulder.[21] From the 1570s, dress became even more highly decorated, exaggerated, and rigid.[22][23] The previously popular conical skirt shape achieved with a Spanish farthingale was replaced by the wider, more conical wheel farthingale.[23] UnderQueen Elizabeth,sumptuary laws dictated people of different social rank were allowed to wear.[23][24]
Women's dresses inRussia during the 16th and 17th centuries identified the wearer's place in society or their family.[25]
Holland, as a center of textile production, was a particularly noted area of innovation in dress fashion during the 17th Century.[26] In Spain and Portugal, women worestomachers[26] while in England and France, dresses became more "naturally" shaped.[26] Lace and slashing were popular decorations.[26] Skirts were full, with regular folds and the overskirt allowed the display of an underskirt of contrasting fabric.[26] Necklines became lower as well.[26] Embroidery that reflected scientific discoveries, such as newly discovered animals and plants were popular.[27] In theBritish Colonies, multi-piece dresses were also popular, though less luxurious.[28] Wealthy women living in the Spanish or Dutch colonies in the Americas copied the fashions that were popular from their homelands.[29]
The three-piece dress, which had a bodice, petticoat and gown, was popular until the last 25 years of the century, in which themantua, or a one-piece gown, became more popular.[30]Corsets became more important in dresses by the 1680s.[31]
Working women, and women inslavery in the Americas, used simple patterns to create shifts, wool or linen petticoats and gowns and cotton dresses.[32] The bottoms of the skirts could be tucked into the waistband when a woman was near a cooking or heating fire.[32]
Large, triangular silhouettes were favored during the 18th century, skirts were wide and supported by hoop underskirts.[33][34] One-piece gowns remained popular until the middle of the century.[35] During the 1760s in France, hoop petticoats were reduced in size.[36] Lighter colors and lighter fabrics were also favored.[37] In Colonial America, women most often wore a gown and petticoat, in which the skirt of the gown opened to reveal thepetticoat underneath.[38] Women also hadriding habits which consisted of the petticoat, jacket and a waistcoat.[38]
French fashion regarding dresses became very fast-changing during the later part of the 18th century.[39] Throughout this period, the length of fashionable dresses varied only slightly, between ankle-length and floor-sweeping.[3] Between 1740 and 1770, therobe à la française was very popular with upper-class women.[40] In France, theEmpire style became popular after theFrench Revolution.[41] This simpler style was also favored byJosephine Bonaparte,[41] wife ofNapoleon. Other popular styles during the revolution included tunic dresses and thenegligée à la patriot, which featured the red, white and blue colors of the flag.[42]
Women's dresses in the 19th century began to be classified by the time of day or purpose of the dress.[43] High-waisted dresses were popular until around 1830.[43]
Early nineteenth century dresses in Russia were influenced byClassicism and were made of thin fabrics, with some semi-transparent.[44]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[44] and many Russian women copied her style.[44] By the 1840s, Russian women were turning to what was in fashion in Europe.[45]
Europeans styles in dresses increased dramatically to thehoopskirt andcrinoline-supported styles of the 1860s,[46] then fullness was draped and drawn to the back.[47] Dresses had a "day" bodice with a highneckline and long sleeves, and an "evening" bodice with a low neckline (decollete) and very short sleeves. In Russia, metal hoopskirts were known as "malakhovs."[45] Skirts of the 1860s were heavily decorated.[47]
To sleep, women in the American West wore floor-length dresses of whitecotton with high collars displaying decoration.[48] VariousNative American people, such as theNavajo and theMescalero Apache began to adapt the designs of their dresses to look more like the European Americans they came in contact with.[49] Navajo women further adapted the European designs, incorporating their own sense of beauty, "creatinghózhó."[50]
Papersewing patterns for women to sew their own dresses started to be readily available in the 1860s, when theButterick Publishing Company began to promote them.[51] These patterns were graded by size, which was a new innovation.[52]
TheVictorian era's dresses were tight-fitting and decorated with pleats,rouching and frills.[41] Women in the United States who were involved indress reform in the 1850s found themselves the center of attention, both positive and negative.[53] By 1881, theRational Dress Society had formed in reaction to the restrictive dress of the era.[41]
In the early twentieth century, the look popularized by theGibson Girl was fashionable.[54] The upper part of women's dresses in theEdwardian era included a "pigeon breast" look that gave way to a corseted waist and an s-shaped silhouette.[54] Women called their dresses "waists" if one-piece, or "shirtwaists," if it consisted of a skirt and a blouse.[55] The bodice of the dresses had a boned lining.[55] Informally, wealthy women woretea gowns at home.[56] These garments were looser, though not as loose as a "wrapper," and made of expensive fabric and laces.[56]
By 1910, the Edwardian look was replaced with a straighter silhouette.[57] French designer,Paul Poiret, had a large impact on the look of the time.[57] Designs developed by Poiret were available in both boutiques and also indepartment stores.[58] Popular dresses of the time were one-piece and includedlingerie dresses which could be layered.[59] At around the same time, in the United States, theAmerican Ladies Tailors' Association developed a dress called thesuffragette suit, which was practical for women to work and move around in.[60][61] Another innovation of the 1910s was the ready availability of factory-made clothing.[62]
Waistlines started out high and by 1915 were below the natural waist.[59] By 1920, waistlines were at hip-level.[59] Between 1910 and 1920 necklines were lower and dresses could be short-sleeved or sleeveless.[63] Women who worked duringWorld War I preferred shorter dresses, which eventually became the dominant style overall.[37] In addition to the shorter dresses, waistlines were looser and the dominant colors were black, white and gray.[64]
By 1920, the "new woman" was a trend that saw lighter fabrics and dresses that were easier to put on.[65] Younger women were also setting the trends that older women started to follow.[65] The dresses of the 1920s could be pulled over the head and were short and straight.[66] It was acceptable to wear sleeveless dresses during the day.[66]Flapper dresses were popular until end of the decade.[67]
DuringWorld War II, dresses were slimmer and inspired by military uniforms.[41] After WWII, the New Look, promoted byChristian Dior was very influential on fashion and the look of women's dresses for about a decade.[68]
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.[69]
In most varieties offormaldress codes in Western cultures, a dress of an appropriate style is mandatory for women. They are also very popular for special occasions such asproms orweddings.[70] For such occasions they, together withblouse andskirt, remain the de facto standard attire for many girls and women.
In western countries, a "formal" orwhite tie dress code typically means tailcoats for men and full-lengthevening dresses withopera-length gloves for women. A most formal dress for women are full-lengthball orevening gowns withevening gloves. Some white tie functions also request that the women wear longgloves past the elbow.
Abasic dress is a usually dark-colored dress of simple design which can be worn with variousaccessories to suit different occasions.[71] Different kinds of jewelry, belts, scarves, and jackets can be worn with the basic dress to dress up or down.[72] Alittle black dress is an example of a basic dress.
Abodycon dress is a tightfigure-hugging dress, often made from stretchy material.[73] The name derives from "body confidence"[74] or, originally, "body conscious", transformed into Japanese in the 1980s as "bodikon".
^Martin, Tracy (2014).The Little Black Dress: How to dress perfectly for any occasion. Ryland Peters & Small.ISBN9781782490210.
^Narumi, Hiroshi. "Street Style and Its Meaning in Postwar Japan"Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture, Volume 14, Number 4, December 2010, pp. 415–438 (24).doi:10.2752/175174110X12792058833816.
^Delamore, Philip (29 March 2007)."Mini and Midi".The Wedding Dress: A Visual Sourcebook of Over 200 of the Most Beautiful Gowns Ever Made. Pavilion Books. p. 122.ISBN9781862057647.
Pietsch, Johannes (September 2013). "On Different Types of Women's Dresses in France in the Louis XVI Period".Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture.17 (4):397–416.doi:10.2752/175174113X13673474643084.S2CID191612745.
_-_Elizabeth_I_when_a_Princess_-_RCIN_404444_-_Royal_Collection.jpg)
.svg)
.svg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
![Silk velvet, chenille and chiffon created by Jean-Philippe Worth [nl], 1903](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3a1903_purple_velvet_afternoon_dress_by_the_House_of_Worth.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
![Gown or Long Dress – a woman's formal dress, usually having a floor-length skirt[79]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aMaria_Grazia_Cucinotta_-_nicogenin_-_66%25C3%25A8me_Festival_de_Venise_(Mostra)_2.jpg)
![Maxi dresses (c. 1970) – Maxi is a term used since the late 1960s[80] for ankle-length, typically informal dresses.[79]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aElectric_blue_maxi_dress_with_cognac_accessories.jpg)
![Midi dress – A "midi" is used to refer to any dress or skirt that has a hem which hits at mid-calf – halfway between the knee and ankle.[79]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aFabiana_Semprebom2.jpg)
![Knee length dress – Hemline ends at knee height.[79]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3a5-promotional-models-fenasucro.JPG)
![Mini dress (1960s) – a very short dress that terminates above the knee[79][81]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aAlexis_Texas_at_Sexpo_in_Sydney%2c_Australia_04.jpg)
![Micro dress (right) with minidresses, 2008 – A microdress is an extremely short version of a mini.[82]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aGlamour_Models_on_Red_Carpet.jpg)
