Dress
[4] Historically, foundation garments and other structural garments—including items such as corsets, partlets, petticoats, panniers, bustles—were used to achieve the desired silhouette.
[5][6] In the 11th century, women in Europe wore loose garments that were similar in shape to the tunics worn by men.
[11] Gowns were also long dresses, but they had open necklines, a closer-fitted bodice, and sleeves that became more fitted as the century progressed.
[14][15] Necklines were initially low and broad, but wearers began to fill in the open space with high collared chemises or partlets.
[16] Although the overall style of dress was fairly consistent across the continent, there were regional differences often involving sleeve shape and decorative elements.
[18] From the 1550s, middle- and upper-class European women could choose between the still popular rigid farthingale style or a looser-style gown known as a ropa.
[19][20] The ropa style of dress was known by different names throughout Europe, including sumarra (Italy), marlotte (France), and vlieger (Holland).
[23] Under Queen Elizabeth, sumptuary laws dictated people of different social rank were allowed to wear.
[26] In Spain and Portugal, women wore stomachers [26] while in England and France, dresses became more "naturally" shaped.
[26] Skirts were full, with regular folds and the overskirt allowed the display of an underskirt of contrasting fabric.
[28] Wealthy women living in the Spanish or Dutch colonies in the Americas copied the fashions that were popular from their homelands.
[32] Large, triangular silhouettes were favored during the 18th century, skirts were wide and supported by hoop underskirts.
Other popular styles during the revolution included tunic dresses and the negligée à la patriot, which featured the red, white and blue colors of the flag.
[43] Early nineteenth century dresses in Russia were influenced by Classicism and were made of thin fabrics, with some semi-transparent.
[44] 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[44] and many Russian women copied her style.
[47] To sleep, women in the American West wore floor-length dresses of white cotton with high collars displaying decoration.
[49] Navajo women further adapted the European designs, incorporating their own sense of beauty, "creating hózhó.
[41] Women in the United States who were involved in dress reform in the 1850s found themselves the center of attention, both positive and negative.
[54] 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.
[59] 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.
[63] Women who worked during World War I preferred shorter dresses, which eventually became the dominant style overall.
[70] For such occasions they, together with blouse and skirt, remain the de facto standard attire for many girls and women.
Some white tie functions also request that the women wear long gloves past the elbow.
