dress
A dress is a one-piece garment consisting of a top and a skirt that is commonly worn by women . A garment that is particularly rich in fabric, long and usually elaborately made is also known as a robe .
In contrast to two-part or multi-part clothing, the dress only consists of one part that covers the upper body and legs . The bottom of a dress is cut like a skirt , while the top can fall very differently. For example, the hem length, the neckline and the cut of the sleeves can vary widely. According to the prevailing ideas about decency , etiquette and fashion , dresses are either equipped with sleeves that are perceived to be sufficient or, as is common with dirndls , for example, they are worn with a short blouse or a tight-fitting piece of clothing underneath. Short sleeves combined with long gloves were also common for evening dresses. Depending on the temperature or the type of material, a petticoat or petticoat is worn under clothes .
Dresses for different occasions
Up until the beginning of the 19th century, a distinction was made between cleaning clothes and day clothes. The riding costume , which was also referred to in early fashion magazines as "amazone" or "amazon dress", was an exception . Around 1820, in addition to the day dress that was worn inside and outside, there was also the “morning dress”, over which a dressing gown was worn. From around 1840 the differentiation of dresses according to occasion increased until around 1870 the largest range of dress forms was reached. So it happened that a lady of high society changed her clothes several times a day.
At that time the following types of clothing existed:
- Promenade dress or city dress
- Visiting dress or visiting toilet
- Afternoon dress
- Evening dress or party dress
- Ball gown or dressing gown
- Travel dress
- Tea dress
Around 1885, clothes were also available for new sports such as cycling or tennis.
In the course of the 20th century fewer and fewer occasions required a separate dress; the differences between the types of clothing blurred. From the 1960s onwards, only the ball gown and the festive dress were often left as dresses dedicated to special occasions, and the cocktail dress was added . Increasingly, clothes are differentiated more according to material and cut, such as dirndls , sheath dresses or shirt dresses .
The term dress figuratively
In German, every artificial wrapping of a person is sometimes referred to as a dress, a synonym for clothing , such as " trousers ". Metaphorically, every covering of an object, e.g. B. the fur or plumage of an animal or the protection of sensitive parts in mechanical engineering (e.g. bulwark , protective dress , etc.), called dress .
See also
- Wedding dress
- Chemise dress
- Trouser dress
- Little black (classic cocktail dress)
