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Information about Gown

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Sir Christopher Hatton in a full-length, fur-lined gown with hanging sleeves, c. 1591


A gown (medieval Latin gunna) is a (usually) loose outer garment from knee- to full-length worn by men and women in Europe from the early Middle Ages to the seventeenth century (and continuing today in certain professions); later, gown was applied to any woman's garment consisting of a bodice and attached skirt.

A long, loosely-fitted gown called a Banyan was worn by men in the eighteenth century as an informal coat.

The gowns worn today by academics, judges, and some clergy derive directly from the everyday garments worn by their medieval predecessors, formalized into a uniform in the course of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Women's dress

In women's fashion, gown was used in English for any one-piece garment, but more often through the eighteenth century for an overgarment worn with a petticoat (called in French a robe); compare the short gowns or bedgowns of the latter eighteenth century.

Before the Victorian period, the word "dress" usually referred to a general overall mode of attire for either men or women (such as in the phrases "Evening Dress", "Morning Dress", "Travelling Dress", "Full Dress" etc.), rather than to any specific garment — and the most-used English word for a woman's skirted garment was "gown" (as in Jane Austen's novels).

By the early twentieth century, both gown and frock were essentially synonymous with dress, although gown was more often used for a formal or heavy garment and frock for a light-weight or informal one.

Only in the last few decades has gown lost its general meaning of a woman's garment in the US in favor of dress. Today the usage is chiefly British except in specialized, formal cases such as evening gown, ball gown, coronation gown, and wedding gown.

See also

Types of gowns

References

Arnold, Janet: Patterns of Fashion 2: Englishwomen's Dresses and Their Construction C.1860-1940, Wace 1966, Macmillan 1972. Revised metric edition, Drama Books 1977. ISBN 0-89676-027-8

Ashelford, Jane: The Art of Dress: Clothing and Society 1500-1914, Abrams, 1996. ISBN 0-8109-6317-5

Black, J. Anderson and Madge Garland: A History of Fashion, Morrow, 1975. ISBN 0-688-02893-4
Middle Ages form the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three "ages": the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Modern Times.
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Latin}}} 
Official status
Official language of: Vatican City
Used for official purposes, but not spoken in everyday speech
Regulated by: Opus Fundatum Latinitas
Roman Catholic Church
Language codes
ISO 639-1: la
ISO 639-2: lat
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* It may contain an of published material that conveys ideas not verifiable with the given sources. Please help add reliable sources about the topic "August 2007."
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Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. Physically and geologically, Europe is the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, west of Asia. Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea,
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Middle Ages form the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three "ages": the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Modern Times.
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As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th Century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700 in the Gregorian calendar.

The 17th Century falls into the Early Modern period of Europe and was characterized by the Baroque cultural movement and the beginning of
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A bodice is an article of clothing for women, covering the body from the neck to the waist.

The term comes from pair of bodies (because the garment was originally made in two pieces that fastened together, frequently by lacing).
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This page has been split:
  • Skirt
  • Dress (garment)

See also

  • Dress (disambiguation)

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banyan is a garment worn by men in the 18th century influenced by Persian and Asian clothing.

Banyan is also commonly used in present day Indian English to mean vest (undershirt in American English).
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Academic dress or academical dress (also known in the United States as academic regalia) is traditional clothing worn specifically in academic settings.
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A judge or justice is an official who presides over a court. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions.
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Clerical clothing is non-liturgical clothing worn exclusively by clergy. It is distinct from vestments in that it is not reserved specifically for services. Practices vary: clerical clothing is sometimes worn under vestments, and sometimes as the everyday clothing or street wear of
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A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization whilst participating in that organization's activity.

People performing religious activities have often worn standard costumes since the dawn of recorded history.
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Fashion is a term that usually applies to a prevailing mode of expression, but quite often applies to a personal mode of expression that may or may not apply to all. Inherent in the term is the idea that the mode will change more quickly than the culture as a whole.
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petticoat or underskirt is an article of clothing for women; specifically an undergarment to be worn under a skirt, dress or sari. The petticoat is a separate garment hanging from the waist (unlike the chemise).
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A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. A robe is distinguished from a cape or cloak by the fact that it usually has sleeves. The English word robe is borrowed from French, although in French it typically refers to a woman's dress.
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A bedgown (sometimes bedjacket or shortgown) is an article of women's clothing for the upper body, usually thigh-length and wrapping or tying in front.

Bedgowns of lightweight printed cotton fabric were fashionable at-home morning wear in the 18th century.
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Jane Austen

1870 engraving of Jane Austen, based on a portrait drawn by her sister Cassandra.
Born: 16 November 1775(1775--)
Steventon, Hampshire, England
Died: 18 July 1817 (aged 43)
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Frock has been used since Middle English as the name for an article of clothing for men and women (see also clothing terminology).

History of the Frock



Originally, a frock
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Motto
"In God We Trust"   (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum"   ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
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Motto
"Dieu et mon droit" [2]   (French)
"God and my right"
Anthem
"God Save the Queen" [3]
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An evening gown is a lady's dress worn to a formal affair. An evening gown is a long, often loose, flowing garment. It is a type of dress, ranging in length from tea and ballerina to full-length. Gowns are often made of a luxury fabric such as chiffon, velvet, satin, or silk.
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A Ball gown is the most formal female attire for social occasions. According to rules of etiquette, a ball gown must be worn where "white tie" or "evening dress" is specified on the invitation.
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A wedding dress or wedding gown is clothing worn by a bride during a wedding ceremony. Color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants.
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boubou is the name for a flowing wide sleeved robe worn in most of West Africa and to a lesser extent in North Africa. It is known by various names, depending on the ethnic group wearing them: Agbada (Yoruba), Babariga (Hausa), K'sa (Tuareg) Grand Boubou
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West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa (which coincides with common reckonings of the region) includes the following 16 countries distributed over an area of around 5 million
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This page has been split:
  • Skirt
  • Dress (garment)

See also

  • Dress (disambiguation)

..... Click the link for more information.
Frock has been used since Middle English as the name for an article of clothing for men and women (see also clothing terminology).

History of the Frock



Originally, a frock
..... Click the link for more information.
A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. A robe is distinguished from a cape or cloak by the fact that it usually has sleeves. The English word robe is borrowed from French, although in French it typically refers to a woman's dress.
..... Click the link for more information.
banyan is a garment worn by men in the 18th century influenced by Persian and Asian clothing.

Banyan is also commonly used in present day Indian English to mean vest (undershirt in American English).
..... Click the link for more information.


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