(Partywear गाउन)
11th century
In the 11th century, women in Europe wore dresses that were similar to men's
tunics and were loose, with a hemline reaching to below the knees or lower. By the end of the century, these
dresses featured a tighter fit on the arms and women's upper bodies. Dresses were made snug by featuring
slits on the sides of the dress that were pulled tight in order to fit a
woman's figure.
- 16th century
Starting in the 1550s, middle- and
upper-class women in Europe wore dresses which included a smock, stays, kirtle, gown,
forepart, sleeves, ruff and a partlet. Undergarments were not worn underneath. In England, Queen Elizabeth
dictated what kinds of dresses women were allowed to wear. French women were inspired by
Spanish-style bodices and also wore ruffs. French dresses were known as marlottes. In Italy, dresses were known as ropa
and semarra. Dresses in the 16th century also displayed
surface decoration such as embroidery, with blackwork being especially popular.
Women's dresses in Russia during both the 16th and 17th centuries
identified a woman's place in society or their family.
- 17th century
Holland, as a center of textile production, was a
particularly noted area of innovation in dress during this time period. During this time period, in Spain and
Portugal, women wore stomachers. However, in England and France, dresses
became more "naturally" shaped. Lace and slashing were popular
decorations. Skirts were full, with regular folds
and the overskirt allowed the display of an underskirt of contrasting fabric. Necklines became lower as well. Embroidery that reflected scientific
discoveries, such as new animals and plants discovered were popular. In the British
Colonies, the multiple-piece dresses were also popular, though less
luxurious. Wealthy women living in the Spanish or
Dutch colonies in the Americas copied the fashions that were popular from their
homelands.
The three-piece dress, which had a
bodice, petticoat and gown, was popular until the last 25 years, in which the mantua, or a one-piece gown, became more popular. Corsets became more important in dresses by the
1680s.
Working women, and women in slavery in the Americas, used simple patterns to create shifts, wool or linen petticoats and gowns and cotton dresses. The bottoms of the skirts could be tucked into the waistband when a woman was near the fire when near a cooking or heating source.
- 18th century
Dress, (1870-1880) from the National
Museum of Costume and Fashion in Portugal.
Large, triangular silhouettes were
favored during the 18th century, skirts were wide and supported by hoop
underskirts. One-piece gowns remained popular until
the middle of the century. During the 1760s in France, hoop
petticoats were reduced in size. Lighter colors and lighter fabrics
were also favored. In Colonial America, women most often
wore a gown and petticoat, in which the skirt of the gown opened to reveal the petticoat underneath. Women also had riding habits which consisted of the petticoat,
jacket and a waistcoat.
French fashion regarding dresses
became very fast-changing during the later part of the 18th century. Throughout this period, the length of
fashionable dresses varied only slightly, between ankle-length and
floor-sweeping. Between 1740 and 1770, the robe à la française was very popular with
upper-class women. In France, the Empire style became popular after the French Revolution. This style was more simple and was
also favored by Josephine Bonaparte.Other types of dresses that were
popular during the revolution included tunic dresses and the negligée à la
patriot, which featured the red, white and blue colors, symbolic of the
revolution.
- 19th century
Early 19th century dress.
Women's dresses in the 19th century
began to be classified by the time of day or purpose of the dress. High-waisted dresses were popular
until around 1830.
Early nineteenth century dresses in
Russia were influenced by Classicism and were made
of thin fabrics, with some dresses being semi-transparent. 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. Many Russian women copied her style. By the 1840s, Russian women were
turning to what was in fashion in Europe.
Europeans styles in 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. In Russia,
metal hoopskirts were known as "malakhovs." Skirts of the 1860s were heavily
decorated.
To sleep, women in the American West
wore floor-length dresses of white cotton with high collars displaying decoration.Various Native
American people, such as the Navajo and the Mescalero Apache began to adapt the designs of
their dresses to look more like the European Americans they came in contact
with. Navajo women further adapted the
European designs, incorporating their own sense of beauty, "creating hózhó."
Paper 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. These patterns were graded by size,
which was a new innovation.
The Victorian era's dresses were tight-fitting and
decorated with pleats, rouching and
frills. Women in the United States who were
involved in dress reform
in the 1850s found themselves the center of attention, both positive and
negative. By 1881, the Rational Dress Society
had formed in reaction to the restrictive dress of the era.
- 20th century
Model posing in a glamorous 1930s
evening gown.
In the early twentieth century, the
look popularized by the Gibson Girl was
fashionable. 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. Women called their dresses
"waists" if one-piece, or "shirtwaists," if it consisted of a skirt and
a blouse. The bodice of the dresses had a boned
lining. Informally, wealthy women wore tea gowns at home.[ These garments were looser, though not
as loose as a "wrapper," and made of expensive fabric and laces.
By 1910, the Edwardian look was
replaced with a straighter silhouette. French designer, Paul Poiret, had a huge impact on the look of the
time. Designs developed by Poiret were
available in both boutiques and also in department stores. Popular dresses of the time were
one-piece and included lingerie dresses
which could be layered. 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. Another innovation of the 1910s was
the ready availability of factory-made clothing.
Waistlines started out high and by
1915 were below the natural waist. By 1920, waistlines were at hip-level. Between 1910 and 1920 necklines were
lower and dresses could be short-sleeved or sleeveless.Women who worked during World War I preferred shorter dresses, which
eventually became the dominant style overall. In addition to the shorter dresses,
waistlines were looser and the dominant colors were black, white and gray.
By 1920, the "new woman"
was a trend that saw lighter fabrics and dresses that were easier to put on. Younger women were also setting the
trends that older women started to follow. The dresses of the 1920s could be
pulled over the head, were short and straight. It was acceptable to wear sleeveless
dresses during the day. Flapper dresses were popular until end of the
decade.
During World War II, dresses were slimmer and inspired
by military uniforms. 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.
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.
Harshil Raiyani
 11th century In ...){kind=link}