A long formal evening dress, also known as an evening gown or gown, is
a long flowing women's dress usually worn to a formal affair. It ranges from tea
and ballerina to full-length. Evening gowns are usually made of luxurious
fabrics such as chiffon, velvet,satin, organza,
etc. Silk is
a popular fibre for many evening gowns. Although the terms are used
interchangeably, ball gowns and evening gowns differ in
that a ball gown will always have a full skirt and a fitted bodice; in
contrast, an evening gown can be any silhouette—sheath, mermaid, A-line or trumpet shaped—and
may have an empire or dropped waist. It corresponds to both men's semi-formal
wear for black tie events
and men's formal wear for white tie events.
Evening wear, sometimes also known as court dress due to its
creation at royal courts, for women has its origins in the 15th century with
the rise of the Burgundian court and its
fashionable and fashion-conscious ruler Philip the
Good. Wool, in various weaves, was the most dominant fabric for
dresses, and the ladies of the court often simply added a train to their kirtle for formal
occasions. Rich fabrics and fibres were usually the domain of the nobility, and
clothing was still used as an identifier of social rank and status. The dawn of
the Renaissance slowly changed the rigid social rank system,
and allowed wealthy Patricians and merchants to visibly display their
success. The art of weaving silk was firmly established in the Mediterranean around 1400, and as a result, silk weaves
became fashionable for those who could afford them. Dresses for court balls and
similar festivities were often made of intricately woven silk and trimmed with
expensive furs to highlight the wearer's social status.
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