Dress facts for kids

Akwa Ibom

Little black minidress

Frocks and ball gowns are types of dresses

Versions of the dress are used in various activities, here ballroom dancing. Victor Fung and Anna Mikhed dancing a tango in 2006.

A dress is one of the basic styles of female clothing. It is a garment of a skirt (bottom half) with an attached bodice (top half). The colouring and style of the dress gives the effect of a one-piece garment. A dress is also known as a frock or a gown. In Europe and the Americas, dresses are worn by females of all ages as an alternative to a separate skirt and blouse or trousers.

There are many types of dresses. A dress is usually worn at formal occasions, such as a wedding or a dance. It is also worn in the summer to keep cool. Younger females tend to prefer shorter skirts than older females.

Type of dress

• Afternoon dress
• cocktail dress
• Evening dress

A Medieval dress.

Images for kids

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  Illustration of 18th century French women

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  Empire dress, 1800–1805, cotton and linen, Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City)

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  French afternoon dress, circa 1903, cotton and silk, Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City)

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  Dresses in the 1930s.

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  A promotional model in a bodycon dress.

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  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.

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  16th century dress.

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  Late 17th century, wool and metallic thread.

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  Russian dress, 1717

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  Dress circa 1750–1800, wool and chintz.

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  Dress circa 1770–1800, chintz and printed cotton

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  Classic empire line gown, muslin with tambour, circa 1805

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  Dress and outfit, circa 1855

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  Silk velvet, chenille and chiffon created by Jean-Philippe Worth [nl], 1903

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  Rayon with seed beads, circa 1925

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  Dance dress, 1939

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  Day dress, circa 1940s

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  Lola Beer Ebner in "afternoon dress", 1950

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  Blue satin cocktail dress, 1959

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  Printed dress, circa 1960

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  Gown or Long Dress - a woman's formal dress, usually having a floor-length skirt.

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  Maxi dresses (c.1970) - maxi is a term used since the late 1960s for ankle-length, typically informal dresses.

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  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.

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  Knee length dress- Hemline ends at knee height.

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  Mini dress (1960s) - a very short dress that terminates above the knee.

See also

In Spanish: Vestido (indumentaria) para niños