View source for Dress

{{Short description|Garment consisting of a bodice and skirt made in one or more pieces}}
{{About||the general concept of dress|Clothing|other uses}}
{{Redirect|Dresses|the song by Betty Blowtorch|Betty Blowtorch#Discography}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{multiple image
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| image1            = Dress MET 19.181.1 F2.jpeg
| image2            = Afternoon ensemble MET 63.212a-b CP4.jpg
| image3            = Afternoon dress MET 1990.28a-b threequarter front CP4.jpg
| footer            = Examples of dresses
| alt1              = Empire dress
| alt2              = Bustle dress
| alt3              = Early 1900s afternoon dress
| image4            = Evening dress MET DT414.jpg
| alt4              = Edwardian evening dress
}}

A '''dress''' (also known as a '''[[frock]]''' or a '''[[gown]]''') 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.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Cumming |first1=Valerie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=glBf_El4Qd4C |title=The Dictionary of Fashion History |last2=Cunnington |first2=C.W. |last3=Cunnington |first3=P.E. |publisher=[[Berg Publishers]] |year=2010 |isbn=9781847885333 |pages=70}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dress |url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/dress |access-date=October 13, 2024 |website=Cambridge Dictionary}}</ref> Dresses often consist of a [[bodice]] attached to a [[skirt]]. 

Dress shapes, silhouettes, [[Textile|textiles]], and colors vary. In particular, dresses can vary by sleeve length, [[neckline]], skirt length, or [[hemline]]. These variances may be based on considerations such as [[fashion]] trends, [[modesty]], weather, and personal taste.<ref name="Davis2007">{{cite book |last=Davis |first=Michael |title=Art of dress designing |publisher=Global Media |year=2007 |isbn=978-81-904575-7-6 |edition=1st |location=Delhi}}</ref> Dresses are generally suitable for both [[formal wear]] and [[casual wear]] in the West.{{Sfn|Picken|1957|p=101}}

Historically, [[Foundation garment|foundation garments]] and other structural garments—including items such as [[Corset|corsets]], [[partlet]]s, [[petticoat]]s, [[Pannier (clothing)|panniers]], and [[Bustle|bustles]]—were used to achieve the desired silhouette.{{Sfn|Cunningham|2003|p=20}}{{Sfn|Edwards|2017|p=20,30}}

==History==
=== Middle Ages ===
[[File:Van Eyck - Arnolfini PortraitFXD.jpg|alt=Painting featuring a woman in a green houppeland.|thumb|Houppeland (right) |left|250x250px]]In the 11th century, women in [[Europe]] wore loose garments that were similar in shape to the [[tunics]] worn by men.{{Sfn|Newman|2001|p=113}} Sleeves varied in fit and length, and hemlines fell below the knees, most often reaching the ankle or ground.{{Sfn|Newman|2001|p=113}} These dresses were worn over ankle-length [[chemise]] garments.{{Sfn|Newman|2001|p=113}} As the century progressed, these dresses featured a tighter fit on the arms and  upper body.{{Sfn|Newman|2001|p=113}} The tighter fit was achieved by making slits to the waist and in the sleeves that were laced closed to fit the figure.{{Sfn|Newman|2001|p=114}} Laces were gradually replaced by buttons.{{Sfn|Newman|2001|p=114}} By the end of the 11th century, sleeves widened with cuffs sometimes reaching several feet in circumference.{{Sfn|Newman|2001|p=114}} This style remained popular into the 13th century, although the sleeves once again became more fitted.{{Sfn|Newman|2001|p=114}}
In the 13th and 14th centuries, a similar dress known as a ''cote-hardie'' came into fashion.{{Sfn|Newman|2001|p=115}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brooks Picken |first1=Mary |title=A Dictionary of Costume and Fashion |date=July 24, 2013 |publisher=Dover Publications |isbn=9780486141602 |page=84 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CbOI4TCcnbQC}}</ref> 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.{{Sfn|Newman|2001|p=115}} These dresses also often featured decorative elements such as long strips of cloth around the elbow known as tippets.{{Sfn|Newman|2001|p=115}}

In the 15th century, [[houppelande|houppelandes]] and gowns became popular. Houppelandes were full-cut, floor-length dresses with high collars and full sleeves.{{Sfn|Newman|2001|p=116}} Gowns were also long dresses, but they had open necklines, a closer-fitted bodice, and sleeves that became more fitted as the century progressed.{{Sfn|Newman|2001|p=117}} Both houppelandes and gowns were often belted just below the bust.{{Sfn|Newman|2001|p=117}}
=== 16th century ===
[[File:Attributed to William Scrots (active 1537-53) - Elizabeth I when a Princess - RCIN 404444 - Royal Collection.jpg|alt=Painting of a person in a Spanish farthingale-style dress|thumb|202x202px|Spanish farthingale silhouette]]
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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1500-1509 {{!}} Fashion History Timeline |url=https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1500-1509/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu |language=en-US}}</ref> Decorative treatments such as pinking, slashing, and [[blackwork]] embroidery became increasingly common.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1510-1519 {{!}} Fashion History Timeline |url=https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1510-1519/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu |language=en-US}}</ref>{{Sfn|Edwards|2017|p=23}} Necklines were initially low and broad, but wearers began to fill in the open space with high collared chemises or partlets.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1520-1529 {{!}} Fashion History Timeline |url=https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1520-1529/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu}}</ref> Although the overall style of dress was fairly consistent across the continent, there were regional differences often involving sleeve shape and decorative elements.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=1530-1539 {{!}} Fashion History Timeline |url=https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1530-1539/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu}}</ref> European courts, such as [[Tudor period|Tudor]] court and the [[wives of Henry VIII]], were influential in European fashion.<ref name=":3" /> From the 1540s, the bodices of dresses were stiffened, flattening the wearer's chest, and skirts were shaped with a Spanish [[farthingale]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=1540-1549 {{!}} Fashion History Timeline |url=https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1540-1549/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu}}</ref> The resulting silhouette resembled two triangles.<ref name=":4" /> 
[[File:Anne of Denmark Gheeraerts.jpg|alt=Painting of a woman in an ornate wheel farthingale-style dress|thumb|253x253px|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 a ''ropa.''<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=1550-1559 {{!}} Fashion History Timeline |url=https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1550-1559/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu}}</ref>{{Sfn|Edwards|2017|p=20}} The ropa style of dress was known by different names throughout Europe, including ''sumarra'' (Italy), ''marlotte'' (France), and ''vlieger'' (Holland).<ref name=":5" /> Fashionable sleeves were often more fitted with puffs at the shoulder.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1560-1569 {{!}} Fashion History Timeline |url=https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1560-1569/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu}}</ref> From the 1570s, dress became even more highly decorated, exaggerated, and rigid.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1570-1579 {{!}} Fashion History Timeline |url=https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1570-1579/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=1580-1589 {{!}} Fashion History Timeline |url=https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1580-1589/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu}}</ref> The previously popular conical skirt shape achieved with a Spanish farthingale was replaced by the wider, more conical wheel farthingale.<ref name=":6" /> Under [[Elizabeth I of England|Queen Elizabeth]], [[Sumptuary law|sumptuary laws]] dictated people of different social rank were allowed to wear.<ref name=":6" />{{Sfn|Edwards|2017|p=21}} 

Women's dresses in [[Russia]] during the 16th and 17th centuries identified the wearer's place in society or their family.{{Sfn|Pushkareva|1997|p=120}}

=== 17th century ===
[[Holland]], as a center of textile production, was a particularly noted area of innovation in dress fashion during the 17th Century.{{Sfn|Edwards|2017|p=30}} In Spain and Portugal, women wore [[stomacher]]s{{Sfn|Edwards|2017|p=30}} while in England and France, dresses became more "naturally" shaped.{{Sfn|Edwards|2017|p=30}} Lace and slashing were popular decorations.{{Sfn|Edwards|2017|p=30}} Skirts were full, with regular folds and the overskirt allowed the display of an underskirt of contrasting fabric.{{Sfn|Edwards|2017|p=30}} Necklines became lower as well.{{Sfn|Edwards|2017|p=30}} Embroidery that reflected scientific discoveries, such as newly discovered animals and plants were popular.{{Sfn|Edwards|2017|p=34}} In the [[British colonization of the Americas|British Colonies]], multi-piece dresses were also popular, though less luxurious.{{Sfn|Staples|Shaw|2013|p=222}} Wealthy women living in the Spanish or Dutch colonies in the Americas copied the fashions that were popular from their homelands.{{Sfn|Havelin|2012|p=27}}

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 (clothing)|mantua]], or a one-piece gown, became more popular.{{Sfn|Edwards|2017|p=35}} [[Corset]]s became more important in dresses by the 1680s.{{Sfn|Bigelow|1970|p=126}}

Working women, and women in [[Slavery in the United States|slavery in the Americas]], used simple patterns to create shifts, wool or linen petticoats and gowns and cotton dresses.{{Sfn|Havelin|2012|p=26}} The bottoms of the skirts could be tucked into the waistband when a woman was near a cooking or heating fire.{{Sfn|Havelin|2012|p=26}}

=== 18th century ===
[[File:Lacroix .jpg|thumb|400px|Illustration of 18th century French women]]

Large, triangular silhouettes were favored during the 18th century, skirts were wide and supported by hoop underskirts.{{Sfn|Bigelow|1970|p=135}}{{Sfn|Bigelow|1970|p=137}} One-piece gowns remained popular until the middle of the century.{{Sfn|Edwards|2017|p=49}} During the 1760s in France, hoop petticoats were reduced in size.{{Sfn|Pietsch|2013|p=400}} Lighter colors and lighter fabrics were also favored.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=funk&AN=CO225700&site=ehost-live|title=Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia|year=2017|chapter=Costume|url-access=subscription|via=EBSCOhost}}</ref> In Colonial America, women most often wore a gown and petticoat, in which the skirt of the gown opened to reveal the [[petticoat]] underneath.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.history.org/history/clothing/women/wglossary.cfm|title=A Colonial Lady's Clothing: A Glossary of Terms|website=Colonial Williamsburg|access-date=2018-01-24}}</ref> Women also had [[riding habit]]s which consisted of the petticoat, jacket and a waistcoat.<ref name=":2" />

French fashion regarding dresses became very fast-changing during the later part of the 18th century.{{Sfn|Pietsch|2013|p=397-398}} Throughout this period, the length of fashionable dresses varied only slightly, between ankle-length and floor-sweeping.<ref name="Davis2007" /> Between 1740 and 1770, the ''[[Sack-back gown|robe à la française]]'' was very popular with upper-class women.{{Sfn|Delpierre|1997|p=15-16}} In France, the [[Empire style]] became popular after the [[French Revolution]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.makers.com/blog/brief-history-womens-fashion-photo-gallery|title=A Brief History of Women's Fashion|date=7 September 2016|work=Makers|access-date=2018-01-24|language=en|archive-date=25 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125134608/https://www.makers.com/blog/brief-history-womens-fashion-photo-gallery|url-status=dead}}</ref> This simpler style was also favored by [[Empress Joséphine|Josephine Bonaparte]],<ref name=":1" /> 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.{{Sfn|Bigelow|1970|p=157}}

===19th century===
[[File:Dress MET 69.2.1 front CP4.jpg|left|thumb|[[Empire silhouette|Empire]] dress, 1800–1805, cotton and linen, [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] (New York City)]]

Women's dresses in the 19th century began to be classified by the time of day or purpose of the dress.{{Sfn|Bigelow|1970|p=183}} High-waisted dresses were popular until around 1830.{{Sfn|Bigelow|1970|p=183}}

Early nineteenth century dresses in Russia were influenced by [[Classicism]] and were made of thin fabrics, with some semi-transparent.{{Sfn|Pushkareva|1997|p=242}} [[Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun|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{{Sfn|Pushkareva|1997|p=242}} and many Russian women copied her style.{{Sfn|Pushkareva|1997|p=242}} By the 1840s, Russian women were turning to what was in fashion in Europe.{{Sfn|Pushkareva|1997|p=244}}

Europeans styles in dresses increased dramatically to the [[hoopskirt]] and [[crinoline]]-supported styles of the 1860s,{{Sfn|Krohn|2012|p=36}} then fullness was draped and drawn to the back.{{Sfn|Bigelow|1970|p=188}} 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."{{Sfn|Pushkareva|1997|p=244}} Skirts of the 1860s were heavily decorated.{{Sfn|Bigelow|1970|p=188}}

To sleep, women in the American West wore floor-length dresses of white [[cotton]] with high collars displaying decoration.{{Sfn|Krohn|2012|p=37}} Various [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] people, such as the [[Navajo]] and the [[Mescalero|Mescalero Apache]] began to adapt the designs of their dresses to look more like the European Americans they came in contact with.{{Sfn|Parezo|Jones|2009|p=384}} Navajo women further adapted the European designs, incorporating their own sense of beauty, "creating ''hózhó."''{{Sfn|Parezo|Jones|2009|p=384-385}}

Paper [[Pattern (sewing)|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.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=27}} These patterns were graded by size, which was a new innovation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://butterick.mccall.com/our-company/butterick-history|title=Butterick History|website=Butterick Patterns|language=en|access-date=2018-01-24|archive-date=26 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326170413/https://butterick.mccall.com/our-company/butterick-history|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[Victorian era|Victorian era's]] dresses were tight-fitting and decorated with pleats, [[Gather (knitting)|rouching]] and frills.<ref name=":1" /> Women in the United States who were involved in [[Victorian dress reform|dress reform]] in the 1850s found themselves the center of attention, both positive and negative.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oIro7MtiFuYC&q=women's%20dress%20history&pg=PA72|title=Encyclopedia of Women's History in America|last=Cullen-DuPont|first=Kathryn|publisher=Infobase Publishing|year=2014|isbn=9781438110332|pages=71–72|language=en}}</ref> By 1881, the [[Rational Dress Society]] had formed in reaction to the restrictive dress of the era.<ref name=":1" />

===20th century===
[[File:Afternoon dress MET 49.46.17a-b front CP4.jpg|thumb|right|upright|French afternoon dress, circa 1903, cotton and silk, [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] (New York City)]]

In the early twentieth century, the look popularized by the [[Gibson Girl]] was fashionable.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=9}} 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.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=9}} Women called their dresses "waists" if one-piece, or "[[Shirtdress|shirtwaists]]," if it consisted of a skirt and a blouse.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=11}} The bodice of the dresses had a boned lining.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=11}} Informally, wealthy women wore [[tea gown]]s at home.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=13}} These garments were looser, though not as loose as a "wrapper," and made of expensive fabric and laces.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=13}}

By 1910, the Edwardian look was replaced with a straighter silhouette.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=49}} French designer, [[Paul Poiret]], had a large impact on the look of the time.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=49}} Designs developed by Poiret were available in both boutiques and also in [[department store]]s.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=50}} Popular dresses of the time were one-piece and included [[lingerie dress]]es which could be layered.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=53}} 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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://onlinemba.unc.edu/blog/Feminist-History-in-Womens-Work-Suits/|title=100 Years of Feminist History Explained in 10 Women's Work Suits |last=Greenberg |first=Molly |date=2017-03-01 |publisher=UNC |access-date=2018-01-24 |language=en |archive-date=16 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016191635/https://onlinemba.unc.edu/blog/Feminist-History-in-Womens-Work-Suits/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.mariefranceasia.com/my/fashion-my/trends-and-tips-my/trend-guide-my/history-of-pantsuit-218771.html#item=1 |title=The fascinating history and evolution of the female pantsuit|last=Khan|first=Sarah|date=2016-11-16|work=Marie France Asia|access-date=2018-01-24|language=en-US}}</ref> Another innovation of the 1910s was the ready availability of factory-made clothing.{{Sfn|Richards|2010|p=100}}

Waistlines started out high and by 1915 were below the natural waist.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=53}} By 1920, waistlines were at hip-level.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=53}} Between 1910 and 1920 necklines were lower and dresses could be short-sleeved or sleeveless.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=57}} Women who worked during [[World War I]] preferred shorter dresses, which eventually became the dominant style overall.<ref name=":0" /> In addition to the shorter dresses, waistlines were looser and the dominant colors were black, white and gray.{{Sfn|Richards|2010|p=100-101}}

By 1920, the "new woman" was a trend that saw lighter fabrics and dresses that were easier to put on.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=73}} Younger women were also setting the trends that older women started to follow.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=73}} The dresses of the 1920s could be pulled over the head and were short and straight.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=77}} It was acceptable to wear sleeveless dresses during the day.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=77}} [[Flapper]] dresses were popular until end of the decade.{{Sfn|Darnell|2000|p=105}}

During [[World War II]], dresses were slimmer and inspired by military uniforms.<ref name=":1" /> 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.{{Sfn|Parezo|Jones|2009|p=383}}

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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://womenshistorynetwork.org/blog/?p=2804|title=The History of Hemlines|date=2013-09-01|work=Women's History Network|access-date=2018-01-24|language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Use==
{{Western dress codes}}

In most varieties of [[formal wear|formal]] [[dress code (Western)|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 [[prom]]s or [[wedding]]s.<ref>{{cite book|last=Pundir|first=Nirupama|title=Fashion technology: today and tomorrow|year=2007|publisher=Mittal Publications|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-81-8324-203-5}}</ref> For such occasions they, together with [[blouse]] and [[skirt]], remain the de facto standard attire for many girls and women.

===Formal dress===
In western countries, a "formal" or [[white tie]] dress code typically means tailcoats for men and full-length [[Evening gown|evening dresses]] with [[evening glove|opera-length gloves]] for women. A most formal dress for women are full-length [[ball gown|ball]] or [[evening gown]]s with [[evening gloves]]. Some white tie functions also request that the women wear long [[gloves]] past the elbow.

===Basic dress===
A '''basic dress''' is a usually dark-colored dress of simple design which can be worn with various [[Fashion accessory|accessories]] to suit different occasions.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/basic+dress | title=Definition of "basic dress" | access-date=28 July 2013}}</ref> Different kinds of jewelry, belts, scarves, and jackets can be worn with the basic dress to dress up or down.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/dresslikemillion00jans | title=Dress Like a Million Bucks Without Spending It! | publisher=Fleming H. Revell Company | author1=Janssen, Jo Ann | author2=Ellis, Gwen | year=2003 | isbn=978-0800758325 | url-access=registration }}</ref> A [[little black dress]] is an example of a basic dress.

===Bodycon dress===
[[File:Sweden Vaxholm 1938.jpg|thumb|300px|upright|Dresses in the 1930s]]
[[File:IMPORTEXPO IMG 5490 (5971779607).jpg|thumb|upright|A [[promotional model]] in a bodycon dress]]

A '''bodycon dress''' is a tight [[Form-fitting garment|figure-hugging]] dress, often made from stretchy material.<ref>Martin, Tracy (2014). ''The Little Black Dress: How to dress perfectly for any occasion''. Ryland Peters & Small. {{ISBN|9781782490210}}.</ref> The name derives from "body confidence"<ref>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}}.</ref> or, originally, "body contouring", transformed into Japanese in the 1980s as "bodikon".

===Party dress===
[[File:Rabanne.jpg|thumb|right|A party dress designed by [[Paco Rabanne]] in 1967, as displayed at the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]]. This was worn by [[Helen Bachofen von Echt]] at a New York party where she danced with [[Frank Sinatra]].<ref>{{citation |chapter-url=http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/25399-popup.html |publisher=V&A |chapter=Dress Paco Rabanne 1967 |title=Out of London, Paris, New York 1965–1968}}</ref>]]

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.<ref>{{citation |title=The Party Dress |author=Alexandra Black  |year=2007 |publisher=Scriptum Editions |isbn=978-1-902686-59-2}}</ref><ref>{{citation |title=Children in Their Party Dress |author=Nora Villa |year=1996 |publisher=Quite Specific Media Group, Limited |isbn=978-0-89676-202-2}}</ref>  One classic style of party dress for women in modern society is the [[little black dress]].<ref>{{citation |title=The little black dress |author=Amy Holman Edelman |year=1998 |publisher=Aurum |isbn=978-1-85410-604-9}}</ref>

== Types of dresses ==
=== Time period ===
<gallery>
File:Muzei Leventis-Green Dress.jpg|16th century dress
File:Harlekinadräkt troligen buren av Ulrika Eleonora d. ä. på maskerad, 1656-1693 - Livrustkammaren - 5098.tif|Calico dress, {{circa|1656–1693}}
File:Mantua MET 33.54ab F.jpg|Late 17th century, wool and metallic thread
File:Russia 1717 - Will this do for Halloween? (4075033841).jpg|Russian dress, 1717
File:Jacket in chintz, skirt in wool damask, 1750-1800. MoMu - Fashion Museum Province of Antwerp, www.momu.be. Photo by Hugo Maertens, Bruges..jpg|Dress {{circa|1750–1800}}, wool and chintz
File:Jacket and shawl in chintz, skirt in glazed printed cotton, 1770-1800. MoMu - Fashion Museum Province of Antwerp, www.momu.be. Photo by Hugo Maertens, Bruges..jpg|Dress {{circa|1770–1800}}, chintz and printed cotton
File:Dress, women's (AM 1995.8.14-2).jpg|Classic empire line gown, muslin with tambour, {{circa|1805}}
File:Ensemble MET DT6845.jpg|Dress and outfit, {{circa|1855}}
File:Lila klänning - Livrustkammaren - 73803.tif|Late 19th century
File:1903 purple velvet afternoon dress by the House of Worth.jpg|Silk velvet, chenille and chiffon created by {{ill|Jean-Philippe Worth|nl}}, 1903
File:1925 unlicensed copy of Madeleine Vionnet’s “Little Horses” dress.jpg|Rayon with seed beads, {{circa|1925}}
File:Dance dress MET CI47.57.1 F.jpg|Dance dress, 1939
File:Dress (AM 1995.102.2-1).jpg|Day dress, {{circa|1940s}}
File:1997 shenkar015-2 (cropped).jpg|[[Lola Beer Ebner]] in "afternoon dress", 1950
File:1959 blue satin strapless cocktail dress by Yves Saint Laurent for Christian Dior.jpg|Blue satin cocktail dress, 1959
File:C.1960 red and white printed dress. Balenciaga Museoaren inaugurazioa 22.jpg|Printed dress, {{circa|1960}}
File:Till boken - utställningen Kunglig Vintage - Livrustkammaren - 87519.tif|Jersey dress, {{circa|1970}}
</gallery>

===Lengths===
<gallery>
File:Maria Grazia Cucinotta - nicogenin - 66ème Festival de Venise (Mostra) 2.jpg|''Gown or Long Dress'' – a woman's formal dress, usually having a floor-length skirt<ref name=vogsew>{{cite book|title=The Vogue Sewing Book|url=https://archive.org/details/voguesewingbook00vogu|url-access=registration|date=1975|publisher=Vogue Patterns|page=[https://archive.org/details/voguesewingbook00vogu/page/337 337]}}</ref>
File:Electric blue maxi dress with cognac accessories.jpg|''Maxi dresses'' ({{circa|1970}}) – ''Maxi'' is a term used since the late 1960s<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cumming |first1=Valerie |last2=Cunnington |first2=C.W. |last3=Cunnington |first3=P.E. |title=The dictionary of fashion history|date=2010|publisher=Berg|location=Oxford|isbn=9780857851437|page=130|edition=Rev., updated and supplemented [ed.].|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e3evAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA130}}</ref> for ankle-length, typically informal dresses.<ref name=vogsew/>
File:Fabiana Semprebom2.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.<ref name=vogsew/>
File:5-promotional-models-fenasucro.JPG|''Knee length'' dress – Hemline ends at knee height.<ref name=vogsew/>
File:Alexis Texas at Sexpo in Sydney, Australia 04.jpg|''[[Mini dress]]'' (1960s) – a very short dress that terminates above the knee<ref name=vogsew/><ref name=delamore>{{cite book|last1=Delamore|first1=Philip|title=The Wedding Dress: A Visual Sourcebook of Over 200 of the Most Beautiful Gowns Ever Made|publisher=Pavilion Books|isbn=9781862057647|page=122|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bw9eYLRzHj8C&pg=PA122|language=en|chapter=Mini and Midi|date=29 March 2007}}</ref>
File:Glamour Models on Red Carpet.jpg|''Micro dress'' (right) with minidresses, 2008 – A microdress is an extremely short version of a mini.<ref name=cumming>{{cite book|last1=Cumming|first1=Valerie|last2=Cunnington|first2=C. W.|last3=Cunnington|first3=P. E.|title=The Dictionary of Fashion History|date=September 2010|publisher=Berg|isbn=9781847887382|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=glBf_El4Qd4C&q=micro|language=en}}</ref> 
File:Bruidsmode_Outlet_Belgie.jpg|Bridalwear contrasting with ordinary streetwear in 2020
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|Fashion}}
* [[Breeching (boys)]]
* [[China poblana]]
* [[Granny dress]]
* [[History of Western fashion]]
* [[Jumper (dress)|Jumper dress]]
* [[Lingerie dress]]
* [[List of individual dresses]]
* [[Mantua (clothing)|Mantua]]
* [[Sack-back gown]] (also known as ''robe à la française)''
* [[Squaw dress]]

==References==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== General and cited references ===
* {{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/fashioninhistory00bige |url-access=registration |quote= |title=Fashion in History: Apparel in the Western World |last=Bigelow |first=Marybelle S. |publisher=Burgess Publishing Company |year=1970 |isbn=9780808702610 |location=Minneapolis, Minnesota}}
* Brockmamn, Helen L.: ''The Theory of Fashion Design'', Wiley, 1965.
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ql8FAAAACAAJ|title=From Victorian to Vamp:Women's Clothing 1900–1929|last=Darnell|first=Paula Jean|publisher=Fabric Fancies|year=2000|isbn=9781887402156|location=Reno, NV}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jqTToUwfElQC&q=dresses&pg=PA89|title=Reforming Women's Fashion, 1850–1920: Politics, Health and Art|last=Cunningham|first=Patricia A.|publisher=The Kent State University Press|year=2003|isbn=0873387422|location=Kent, Ohio}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zeclmn3pcnwC&q=petticoat%20&pg=PA16|title=Dress in France in the Eighteenth Century|last=Delpierre|first=Madeleine|publisher=Yale University|others=Translated by Caroline Beamish|year=1997|isbn=9780300071283|location=New Haven}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bSVDDgAAQBAJ&q=dresses%20history&pg=PA20|title=How to Read a Dress: A Guide to Changing Fashion from the 16th to the 20th Century|last=Edwards|first=Lydia|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic|year=2017|isbn=9781472533272|location=London}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/buckskindressesp0000have|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/buckskindressesp0000have/page/26 26]|quote=dresses.|title=Buckskin Dresses and Pumpkin Breeches: Colonial Fashions from the 1580s to 1760s|last=Havelin|first=Kate|publisher=Twenty-First Century Books|year=2012|isbn=9780761358879|location=Minneapolis}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WcbZJZISvHIC&q=dresses%20&pg=PA36|title=Calico Dresses and Buffalo Robes: American West Fashions from the 1840s to the 1890s|last=Krohn|first=Katherine|publisher=Twenty-First Century Bookos|year=2012|isbn=9780761380528|location=Minneapolis}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1-mss7-OStgC&q=dresses&pg=PA113|title=Daily Life in the Middle Ages|last=Newman|first=Paul B.|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc.|year=2001|isbn=9780786408979|location=Jefferson, North Carolina}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Parezo|first1=Nancy J.|last2=Jones|first2=Angelina R.|date=June 2009|title=What's in a Name?: The 1940s–1950s 'Squaw Dress'|journal=[[American Indian Quarterly]]|volume=33|issue=3|pages=373–404|doi=10.1353/aiq.0.0058|s2cid=162233209}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dAWYAQAACAAJ|title=The Fashion Dictionary: Fabric, Sewing, and Dress as Expressed in the Language of Fashion|last=Picken|first=Mary Brooks|publisher=Funk & Wagnalls Company|year=1957|location=New York}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Pietsch|first=Johannes|date=September 2013|title=On Different Types of Women's Dresses in France in the Louis XVI Period|journal=Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture|volume=17|issue=4|pages=397–416|doi=10.2752/175174113X13673474643084|s2cid=191612745}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8sfJb6nFFmUC&pg=PR3|title=Women in Russian History: From the Tenth to the Twentieth Century|last=Pushkareva|first=Natalia|publisher=M.E. Sharpe|others=Translated and edited by Eve Levin|year=1997|isbn=9780765632708|location=Armonk, New York}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TZjG5Bko7JkC&q=%22suffragette%20suit%22&pg=PA99|title=America in the 1910s|last=Richards|first=Marlee|publisher=Twenty-First Century Books|year=2010|isbn=9780822534372|location=Minneapolis}}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bbxdAQAAQBAJ&q=gown%20history&pg=PA222|title=Clothing Through American History: The British Colonial Era|last1=Staples|first1=Kathleen A.|last2=Shaw|first2=Madelyn|publisher=Greenwood|year=2013|isbn=9780313084607|location=Santa Barbara, California}}
* Stoykov, Lubomir (2016). ''Theoretical Problems of Fashion''. Sofia: National Academy of Art. {{ISBN|978-954-9799-11-8}}.
* 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==
* {{Commons category-inline|Dresses}}

{{Weddings}}
{{Parties}}
{{Historical clothing}}
{{Clothing}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Dresses| ]]
[[Category:History of clothing]]
[[Category:Women's clothing]]