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Casual wear (orcasual attire orclothing) is aWestern dress code that is relaxed, occasional, spontaneous and suited for everyday use. Casual wear became popular in theWestern world following thecounterculture of the 1960s. When emphasising casual wear's comfort, it may be referred to asleisurewear orloungewear.
While casual is "informal" in the sense of "not formal",informal wear traditionally refers to a Western dress code associated withsuits—a step belowsemi-formal wear—thus being more formal than casual attire.[1]
Modern casual fashion can be traced tofashion sportswear from the 1920s, including tweedblazers,oxford shoes, and golf skirts. An increase in the popularity of bicycling brought about a need forculottes, a forerunner for casual shorts. As the century progressed, "casual" came to encompass more styles, including denimworkwear and elements frommilitary uniforms. With the popularity ofspectator sports in the late 20th century, a good deal of athletic gear has influenced casual wear, such asjogging suits,running shoes, and track clothing.[2] Basic materials used for casual wear includedenim,cotton,jersey,flannel, andfleece. Materials such asvelvet,chiffon, andbrocade are often associated with more formal clothes.[3]
While casual dress evokes utilitarian costume, there is a wide range for expression, includingpunk fashion and fashion inspired by earlier decades, such as the1970s and1980s.Madonna popularizedlace,jewelry, andcosmetics into casual wear during the 1980s. In the 1990s,hip hop fashion played up elaborate jewelry and luxurious materials worn in conjunction with athletic gear and the clothing of manual labor.
Casual wear introduced a "unisexing" of fashion. By the1960s, women adoptedT-shirts,jeans, andcollared shirts, and for the first time in nearly 200 years, it was fashionable for men to have long hair.[2] Casual wear is typically the dress code in which forms ofgender expression are experimented with. An example ismasculine jewelry, which was once considered shocking or titillating even in casual circles, and is now hardly noteworthy in semi-formal situations.Amelia Bloomer introduced trousers of a sort for women as a casual alternative to formal hoops and skirts. The trend toward female exposure in the 20th century tended to push the necklines of formalball gowns lower and the skirts ofcocktail dresses higher.
Jeans, dress shirt (casuallyturn down collared), and a T-shirt orsleeveless shirt are typically considered casual wear for men in modern times.[4][5] For men, the exposure of shoulders, thighs, and backs is still limited to casual wear.[citation needed]
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