Jumper Dress(44)

Jumper (dress)

A jumper (in American English), pinafore dress or pinafore (British English) is a sleeveless, collarless dress intended to be worn over a blouse, shirt or sweater. In British English, the term jumper describes what is called a sweater in American English. Also, in more formal British usage, a distinction is made between a pinafore dress and a pinafore. The latter, though a related garment, has an open back and is worn as an apron. In American English, a pinafore always refers to an apron.

A sundress, like a jumper, is sleeveless and collarless; however, such articles are not worn over a blouse or sweater, and are of distinctly different cuts and fashions. The apron dress may be viewed as a special case of the jumper. If the design of the dress is directly inspired by an apron (having a bib in front and ties in the back, for example), the garment is typically described as an apron dress.

The Viking Apron Dress (admittedly a construction based on conjecture from the Hedeby fragments), is of a design that is in line with a standard jumper. The name was most likely chosen owing to the dress sometimes being worn on top of a sleeved dress.

Probably one of the most versatile and easy to wear pieces ever to enter the female wardrobe, the jumper dress is a staple you can rely on. A winter classic, their varied shapes, patterns, colours and designs mean that you don't have to give up the joy you took in wearing pretty summer dresses when the colder weather comes around. Traditionally constructed from wool; a material known for its natural insulating qualities, jumper dresses can also be made from cotton or synthetic fibres to give them varying gradients of warmth and ease of care. Varying widely in style and type of knit, they can be as slouchy or fitted as you wish. From the toasty chunky cable knit to the thinner cotton design, jumper dresses' weight means they fall nicely over every frame!

Jilbab Dress(43)

43- Jilbab

The term jilbāb or jilbaab refers to any long and loose-fit coat or garment worn by some Muslim women. Wearers believe that this definition of jilbab fulfills the Quranic demand for a Hijab. Jilbab, Jubbah or Jilaabah is also known as Manteau by Persian speakers in Iran.

The modern jilbāb covers the entire body, except for hands, face, and head. The head and neck are then covered by a scarf or wrap (khimar). Some women will also cover the hands and face (niqab).

In Indonesia, the word jilbab is used for a headscarf rather than a long baggy overgarment (Geertz). In recent years, a short visor is often included to protect the face from the tropical sun.

Overview

Indonesia 

Since there are no pictures of 7th century jilbab, nor any surviving garments, it is not at all clear if the modern jilbab is the same garment as that referred to in the Qur'an. In general terms, jilbab is a garment/sheet that is worn on the head, draped around the body and that totally covers the body of the woman.

Some modern Muslims insist that the contemporary jilbab and the garment described in the Qur'an and the hadith are exactly the same, and that the Qur'an therefore requires the believer to wear 'these' garments. Some scholars say that a veil is not compulsory in front of blind, asexual or gay men.

The Encyclopedia of Islam identifies over a hundred terms for dress parts, many of which are used for "veiling" (Encyclopedia of Islam 1986: 745–6). Some of these and related Arabic terms are burqu, ‘abayah, tarhah, bumus, jilbab, jellabah, hayik, milayah, gallabiyyah, dishdasha, gargush, gins’, mungub, lithma, yashmik, habarah, izar. A few terms refer to items used as face covers only. These are qina, burqu, niqab, lithma. Others refer to headcovers that are situationally held by the individual to cover part of the face. These are khimar, sitara, abayah or inrrah. 

Traditional Islamic costume for women seems to have included the abaya, the chador, and the burqa, as well as many other forms of dress and headcovering.

Jellabiya Dress(42)

42- Jellabiya

The jellabiya  is a traditional Egyptian garment native to the Nile Valley.

It differs from the Arabian thawb in that it has a wider cut, no collar (in some case no buttons) and longer, wider sleeves. In case of farmers, these sleeves can be very wide and sewn into pockets. They are then used to store small items such as tobacco or money. Along the Red Sea coast of Sudan and Egypt as well as the Sinai peninsula, most Arab Beduin and some Badawi tribesmen prefer the Arabian style dishdash or thawb over the Nile valley jalabiya, because of the latter's association with farming.

Jellabiya colours are often white in the summer. During winter, thicker fabric in other colours such as grey, dark green, olive, blue, tan or striped fabrics are used. The garment is traditionally worn with an ammama 

Infinite Dress (41)

41- Infinite Dress

The Infinite Dress is a convertible woman's dress created in 1976 by journalist and fashion designer Lydia Silvestry.

Wearing the dress 

The Infinite Dress was the first dress to offer a variety of conversion options. The Infinite Dress was first marketed in upscale department stores, such as Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. Between 1994 and 2007, the dress was marketed in infomercials in the United States, England, and other markets. Today it can only be purchased online.

Different Modes of a dress

Lydia Silvestry owned the Infinite Dress trademark from 1976 to 2007. The US registered trademark Infinite is now owned by IIP, LLC.

What fabric :- Flexible and heavy (I recommend some combination of Tricot – Lycra)

How mach fabric :-The fabric should be 4m long and 1.5m wide (1.5m is the standard)

Attention!

The length of the skirt is determent by the width of the fabric, the rest of the fabric is used for the straps, anyone who is taller or wider and want more then 2.5m straps (not recommended!) should buy more fabric accordingly.

How to wear an Infinity dress 

Indian Wedding Clothes - Dress(40)

40- Indian wedding clothes

Indian wedding clothes is the set of clothes worn by the bride, bridegroom and other relatives attending the wedding during a marriage.

Clothing culture

In India, the wedding rituals and clothes make the wedding as much as that of the bride and her groom. Both look their splendid best in gorgeous clothes. Not just the couple, but the guests attending the family and the relatives are often seen dressed up to the teeth. The 

bride is dressed up in auspicious colors, whereas the bridegroom is dressed to exude a regale aura. The bridesmaids and best men are often dressed in par with the bride and the groom. But they are toned down a bit because the day belongs to the couple. All the folks attending the marriage are decked up with gold jewelry including the bride and sometimes the groom. The ladies are additionally adorned with henna patterns all over their palms, hands, forearms, legs and feet. Sometimes henna patterns are replaced with alta designs which are short lived and easily removable.

Indian weddings generally tend to continue for several days and new attire is worn each day. All these dresses and the color symbolize the meaning of marriage and the period that follows it. Indian wedding is one that gives more importance to details like different rituals and the various attires one wears to attend them.

Hindu wedding

Indian Hindu weddings continue for several days. India is a country that defines diversity and this is visible even in the wedding and its different styles. The ceremonies, the rituals, the formalities are all different between each region and culture. Unlike the Christians, Hindus wedding ceremony does not resemble the western marriages and are quite elaborate. In the North,Starting from the Tilak ceremony, each function has significance in the marriage. Tilak, Sangeet, Haldi, Baraat and the Shaadi, all necessitate the Bride and the bridegroom to wear new attire at each occasion.All these above ceremonies are known by different names in the other parts,e.g.:Simant puja in the west,or Mangalasnanam in the south and so on.But have got the same significance all over.

Bridegroom's clothes

Many communities of South,West and Eastern India still adhere to the traditional costumes,i.e. Dhoti,or sometimes Lungi,and Mundu by some communities of the South.Kurta or a shirt may be worn or sometimes just a Angavastram may be used to cover the chest. On the other hand in the Northern parts, bridegroom usually wears a Sherwani, Jodhpuri suit or a western suit. The groom’s face is covered with a veiled with a curtain of flowers which is called Sehra in the North,which is not the custom elsewhere. It is also customary to wear a Taqiyah all through the ceremony in Muslim marriages.

Many prefer to wear a Kurta.Kurta can be worn with Salwar,or Dhoti.

A dazzling series of ensemble for bridegrooms include majestic sherwani, blended Indo-western suit and ethnic Jodhpuri suit. The exquisite shirts, coats and jackets are designed with extra care and touch to bring out the magnanimity out of the bridegroom on the marriage day. 

Precious embellishments are studded into the collars and the cuffs of the bridegroom’s dress. Available both in simple cottons and splendid, royal raw silk, these Kurta Pyjamas are a preferred mostly by the bridegrooms.

Bride's clothes

The bride wears a saree or a lehenga according to the region. Red is considered to be the most auspicious color in among Hindus. While the saree is preferred as the bridal dress in South India, West, East India, most brides of other parts of India prefer Lehenga, Gagra Choli and Odni as bridal dress.

Christian wedding

Christian marriage in India is mostly an adaption of western wedding ceremonies. Here the bridegroom wears a western suit or tuxedo. The Bride usually opts for a silk saree or a western gown.

Bridesmaid and family

While during a marriage function, the bride and the bridegroom take the centre stage, the bridesmaid takes over everyone off-stage. Dainty Lehenga Cholis in bright colors, long cholis for the conservative, authentic designer lehengas and readymade lehenga cholis are usually 

selected by the bridesmaid as wedding ensemble. Sometimes the bridesmaids wear sari rich in silk and embroidery. Delicately put together with alluring fabrics of bright and cheery colours, these Lehengas bring out the playful nature of the bridesmaid.

House Dress(39)

39- House dress

A house dress is a type of simple dress worn informally in the mornings at home for household chores or for quick errands, The term first originated in the late nineteenth century to describe at-home garments designed for maximum practicality and usually made from washable fabrics. It is directly descended from the Mother Hubbard dress.Such dresses were a necessary part of the housewife's wardrobe in the early twentieth century and could be widely purchased through mail-order catalogues.

Although an informal garment, the house dress, particularly during the 1950s, was intended to be stylish and feminine as well as serviceable.The concept of attractive house dresses was popularised in the late 1910s by Nell Donnelly Reed, who established her house dress company in 1919. The company, renamed Nelly Don after Reed's retirement, quickly became one of the most successful American clothing manufacturers of the 20th century.[4] Some designers became known for house dress designs, such as Claire McCardell, whose 1942 'popover' wrap dress was equally wearable as a house dress, a dressing-gown, a beach cover-up or even a party dress.

Hobble skirt Dress(38)

38- Hobble skirt

A hobble skirt was a skirt with a narrow enough hem to significantly impede the wearer's stride, and was a short-lived fashion trend around the turn of the twentieth century and the early 1910s. The name was given in reference to the device used to restrain, or hobble, horses. A knee-long corset was also used to achieve this effect. A dress consisting of such skirt was called a hobble dress.

History

restrictive skirts first appeared in Western fashion in 1880s, the term was first used in reference to a short-lived trend of narrow skirts in around 1910-1913. The Parisian fashion designer Paul Poiret is sometimes credited with the design, hobble skirt is an evolution of the narrowing skirt seen in fashion since the turn of the century. Poiret may also have been influenced by observing the behavior of Mrs. Hart O. Berg upon the first aeroplane flight she took in October 1908 with Wilbur Wright, whereon she tied a rope around the bottom of her skirt to keep it from blowing up during the flight. After Wilbur and Mrs. Berg landed she walked away from the plane undaunted, being seen to 'hobble' around until removal of the rope from her skirt.

To prevent tearing of the skirt when women attempted to walk in them, a fetter made of braid was sometimes worn around the skirt under the knees. There was also an elasticized band available that had two connected loops, one to be worn on each leg just below the knee, underneath the skirt; this invention also kept women from taking too large of a stride and tearing the skirt fabric. A few women adopted a style of wearing little trousers with a "harem"-influenced design of full fabric that became snug at the ankles. These trousers were visible below the hem of the skirt, but they were considered too scandalous by most people, and few women persisted in wearing the style

The archives of The New York Times between 1910 and the beginning of the First World War contain many detailed accounts of the hobble skirt wearers of the era. It seems that some New York fashion houses may have asked their dressmakers to interpret too literally the slim styles depicted in Paris fashion illustrations. Many women and their admirers subsequently discovered the way of walking which such narrow skirts create, and the hobble skirt, impractical though it was, achieved tremendous popularity.

Although the term is sometimes used in reference to narrow ankle-length skirts in the early 1910s, some skirts of this period, although called hobble skirts, had slits, hidden pleats, and draping that lessened the restriction on a woman's ability to move freely, because in this period women were becoming more active in various activities which would have been impossible to do in a hobbled hemline. The most restricting extant styles from this period, which truly do hobble the wearer, are either evening wear or are found in wedding dresses when a woman was only required to take small measured steps down the aisle of a church.

Modern

Long tight skirts reappeared through the century in various forms, particularly in evening gowns, as well as daytime pencil skirts popular from the 1950s onwards. A more literal interpretation of hobble skirts became a mainstay in bondage-oriented fetish fashion, often made out of leather, PVC, or latex. For example, they were a regular topic in the 1950s John Willie fetish magazine, Bizarre.

Hobble skirts are still present today in goth and BDSM communities, but are also sometimes used as evening gowns and wedding dresses and sometimes in other occasions although rarely due to restricting properties.

Halterneck Dress937)

37- Halterneck

Different Types

Halter neck is a style of strap which holds up women's clothing which features a single strap or material which runs from the front of the garment around the back of the wearer's neck, and which enables most of the wearer's back to be uncovered.The term is derived from the halter, which is placed around an animal's neck.

The halter style is commonly used with swimsuits, which enables the wearer to maximize sun tan exposure on the back and minimize tan lines. The halter style is also used with dresses or shirts, to create a backless dress or top. The neck strap can itself be covered by the wearer's hair, leaving the impression from behind that nothing is holding the dress or shirt up.

If a bra is worn with a halter top, it is generally either strapless or of halterneck construction itself, so as to avoid exposing the back straps of a typical bra.

A halter top is a type of sleeveless shirt similar to a tank top (by the American English definition) but with the straps being tied behind the neck. In another style of the halter top, there is only a narrow strap behind the neck and a narrow strap behind the middle of the back, so that it is mostly backless. This design resembles many bikini tops, although it covers the chest more and may cover some or all of the abdomen at the front.

Habesha Kemis dress(36)

36- Habesha kemis

The habesha kemis is the traditional attire of Habesha women.
(The Habesha people also known as Abyssinians, are a population group inhabiting the Horn of Africa)

The ankle length dress is usually worn by Ethiopian and Eritrean women at formal events. It is made of chiffon, and typically comes in white, grey or beige shades. Many women also wrap a shawl called a netela around the formal dress.

In North America and Europe, this dress has been retailed as "Ethiopian coffee dress", an allusion to the traditional coffee ceremony.

Gymslip Dress(35)

35- Gymslip

A gymslip is a sleeveless tunic with a pleated skirt most commonly seen as part of a girl's school uniform. The term gymslip primarily refers to athletic wear; otherwise the term pinafore dress (British English) or jumper dress (American English) is usually preferred.

The introduction of the gymslip as female athletic wear is credited to Martina Bergman-Österberg, the founder of a college for training female physical education teachers in Hampstead. Gymslips were also worn by female gymnasts and athletes from the 1880s to the 1920s, as they were more mobile than traditional female attire, but still modest enough to deter the possibility of them becoming sexualised during their activity. Even in this modest attire, gymslips as athletic wear were still worn strictly out of public view.

When not worn as athletic wear, gymslips or pinafore dresses are generally worn over a blouse and tie and replace a skirt. Underneath a gymslip, a pair of white knee socks are more common than a pair of tights, matching regulation knickers may also be mandatory. A blazer may be worn over the top. First emerging in the 1900s, by the 1920s it had become compulsory in many private, convent and high schools, and thus became commonly worn by girls in Britain as part of their school uniform.

Although now largely replaced by modern-style uniforms, gymslips are still synonymous with schoolgirls, leading to the slang term "gymslip mum" to describe a teenage pregnancy in Britain. Well-known modern depictions of gymslips include the St. Trinians films, and less traditionally, schoolgirl uniform pornography, a use given more public recognition when in 1991 

Gown Dress(34)

34- Gown

A gown is a loose outer garment by men and women from the early Middle Ages to the seventeenth century, or any woman's garment consisting of a bodice and attached skirt.

Gown may also refer to:

• Evening gown, women's formal attire
• The Gown, a Belfast-based student newspaper
• Cap and gown
• Wedding gown
• Hospital gown
• Gowning, putting on a clean room suit
• GOWNS, folk/noise band from California

A gown, from 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 17th century, and continuing today in certain professions; later, gown was applied to any full-length woman's garment consisting of a bodice and attached skirt. A long, loosely-fitted gown called a Banyan was worn by men in the 18th 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 16th and 17th centuries.

In women's fashion, gown was used in English for any one-piece garment, but more often through the 18th century for an over garment worn with a petticoat – called in French a robe. Compare this to the short gowns or bedgowns of the later 18th 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", "Priest gown" which are in white color, and so on, rather than to any specific garment, and the most often English word for a woman's skirted garment was "gown". By the early 20th century, both "gown" and "frock" were essentially synonymous with "dress", although gown was more often used for a formal, heavy or full-length garment and frock or dress for a light-weight, shorter or informal one. Only in the last few decades has "gown" lost its general meaning of a woman's garment in the United States in favour of "dress". Today the usage is chiefly British except in historical senses or in formal cases such as evening gown and wedding gown. Formal gowns generally have a fitted bodice and a full-length full skirt.

image source> Wikipedia and Google image search> all credits are to the original owners of this images 

Gomesi Dress(33)

33- Gomesi

A Gomesi, also called a Busuuti is a colorful floor-length dress. It is the most commonly used costume for women in Buganda. Traditional male attire is the kanzu.

There are many variations to the origins of the Gomesi. One such is that the Gomesi existed long before the missionaries and Indians came to Uganda, however, the missionaries introduced the use of cotton instead of the bark cloth, from which the Gomesi was originally made. When the Indians came to Uganda, they added the various fabrics from satin/silk blends and the vibrant colors to the traditional attire.

According to some scholars, the first Gomesi were made for schoolgirls in Gayaza, Uganda in the 1940s and 1950s. The Christian missionaries who ran the school hired Indian tailors to design the dress. Traditional Ugandan clothing was made from barkcloth. The Gomesi designed by Indian tailors was made from cotton fabric. The Baganda were the first nationality to wear the Gomesi. Today the Gomesi is the Kiganda traditional dress for women and is also worn by other ethnicities in Uganda.

Design

The Gomesi is a floor-length, brightly colored cloth dress with a square neckline and short, puffed sleeves.

The dress is tied with a sash placed below the waist over the hips. The Gomesi has two buttons on the left side of the neckline. Most Gomesi are made of silk, cotton, or linen fabric, with silk being the most expensive. A kikooyi or kanga is tied underneath the linen Gomesi to ensure that the fabric does not stick to the body. A well-made Gomesi can require up to six metres of cloth.

The Gomesi can be worn for any occasion, and in the rural areas it's the form of daily dress. Residents of cities and urban areas tend to wear it on special occasions such as funerals, and weddings. The Gomesi is worn at wedding ceremonies during the introduction, also known as the Kwanjula. During the Kwanjula, all female members of the groom's family are required to appear dressed in Gomesi.

Singer Alicia Keys wore the gomesi when she visited Uganda in 2007

Gharara Dress(32)

32. Gharara

A gharara  is a traditional Lucknowi(India) garment, traditionally worn by Muslim women of Hindi Belt. 

It consists of a kurti (a short, mid-thigh length tunic), a dupatta (veil), and most importantly, a pair of wide-legged pants, ruched at the knee so they flare out dramatically. 

The knee area, called the goat in Urdu, is often elaborately embroidered in zari and zardozi work. Each leg of a traditional gharara is made from over 12 metres of fabric, often silk brocade. look a like Farshi Pajama

Ghararas originated in Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh during the era of the Nawabs. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was considered everyday attire among Muslim women of Hindi Belt particularly among women of Nawab and Taluqedars families. They were representative of the status of the person wearing them.

Although they are not worn as everyday garment today as they once were, they still remain as popular wedding attire among Muslim women of Hindi Belt and also among Urdu speaking immigrates in Pakistan & Bangladesh. Ghararas were also made popular in Pakistan & Bangladesh, in the 1950s and 60s with popular public figures like Fatima Jinnah and Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan wearing them.

Gamurra Dress(31)

31. Gamurra

A Gammura, (or sometimes a Camora or Camorra) was an Italian (particularly Florence) style of women's dress popular in the 15th and early 16th centuries. It consisted of a fitted bodice and full skirt worn over a Camicia (a type of chemise). Early styles were front-laced, but the fashion later shifted to side-laced styles.

A gamurra (pl. gamurre) is a basic 15c italian underdress, usually worn with a cioppa or gionera overdress in public. It has a fitted bodice laced in front or on the sides with a gathered or pleated attached skirt.

Frock Dress(30)

30. Frock

Frock has been used since Middle English as the name for an article of clothing for men and women (see also clothing terminology). It is sometimes synonymously used for skirt. In British English and in Commonwealth countries the word is used for a girl's or woman's dress. In Australia it is frequently used this way, with the phrase "to frock up" meaning to wear a formal dress or gown for a special occasion.

Originally, a frock was a loose, long garment with wide, full sleeves, such as the habit of a monk or priest, commonly belted. (This is the origin of the modern term defrock or unfrock, meaning "to eject from the priesthood".)

The term has been continually applied to various types of clothing, generally denoting a loosely fitted garment:

From the sixteenth century to the early twentieth century, frock was applied to a woman's dress or gown, in the fashion of the day, often indicating an unfitted, comfortable garment for wear in the house, or (later) a light overdress worn with a slip or underdress.

From the seventeenth century on, a frock is a thigh- or full-length loose outer garment worn by shepherds, workmen, and farm workers in Britain, generally of heavy linen with a broad flat collar, now usually called a smock-frock. In some areas, this traditional frock buttons up the front in the manner of a coat, while in others it is a pullover style.

In the eighteenth century in Britain and America, a frock was an unfitted men's coat for hunting or other country pursuits, with a broad, flat collar, derived from the traditional working-class frock. Late in the eighteenth century it came to be made with a cutaway front without a waist seam and this may have evolved into the standard dress coat with horizontally cutaway fronts worn for daytime wear by the early nineteenth century and from which the modern tail coat for white tie is derived. The great coat may similarly be historically derived from the frock as it similarly is single breasted, with a high and broad collar, waist pockets, and also lacked a waist seam early in its history as can be seen in an example in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

The precise historical evolution of the frock after the second half of the eighteenth century is obscure, however it is likely that the frock was gradually supplanted by the frock coat in the early nineteenth century, eventually being relegated to evening dress. The frock coat in turn became cut away into the modern coat, giving us the two modern coats with tails.

A frock coat is a men's coat style of the nineteenth century, characterized by full skirts reaching to the lower thigh or knee. Despite the similarity in the name, the frock coat should be regarded as being a distinct garment quite separate from the frock. In the French language the frock coat is called 'une redingote' (from English "riding coat"), and so unlike the English language implies no immediate relationship to the frock which is called 'une fraque'. Indeed the modern French word for a tail coat is "une frac" which better betrays the historical relationship between the tail coat and the frock. In construction the frock coat could scarcely be more different from the frock for unlike the latter it is usually double breasted, lacks any pockets, lacks a high collar, has V-shaped lapels, is closely fitted and is constructed with a waist seam.

In India Frocks are the Women's Dress class major used teenagers and kids 

French Maid Costume (29)

French maid

French maid refers to a strongly modified style of servant's dress that evolved from typical housemaid's black and white afternoon uniforms of 19th century France (and their later use by stereotypical soubrette characters in burlesque dramas and bedroom farces). The designs of the French maid dress can range widely from a conservative look to revealing. It is often used in cosplay, sexual roleplaying, and fetishism. Depending on design details, some forms can be classified as lingerie.

The outfits are frequently worn to costume parties, and also used in drama/theater. They are sometimes worn for sexual roleplay or by BDSM practitioners, either on brief occasions, or as a routine form of servitude to the dominant partner.

Among cross-dressing female-dominated men, there is also an extensive Sissy subculture with men roleplaying as submissive "sissy maids" wearing a feminine French maid outfit.

French maid outfits also feature in mainstream media from time to time. Notable films include:The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997),  Friends with Money (2006) etc.

Farshi Pajama Dress(28)

Farshi Pajama

Farshi Pajama (Also Paijama)is a woman's dress that was worn between late 17th and early 20th centuries in Muslim courts of Oudh by royalty and ladies from privileged classes of Uttar Pradesh (formerly United Provinces of Agra and Oudh in North India.) Modeled after the flowing gowns worn by British noblewomen, 

The complete outfit consists of three basic parts - The Kurta or a long shirt, the dupatta or the long stole which is an essential piece of cloth in traditional Indian wear covering the head and bossom, and the third and most important, the farshi pajama, which is a flowing two legged skirt held by drawstrings. It falls straight to the ankles from where it starts flaring flowing copiously onto the floor. The farshi pajama, in this era is often called Farshi Gharara, a term not used before mid 20th century and is considered a distortion. The confusion is said to be because of the Farshi Pajama's similarity with the Gharara.

Farshi means 'associated with the 'farsh' or floor' (for example farshi baithak which is associated with sitting on the floor). When combined with the word Pajama, the term evolves to mean a bottom-wear garment that falls generously on the floor, and trails as one walks, however in reality, during walking, an expert wearer holds the dress by carefully pulling up and folding the excess flaring trail and holding it in her left hand keeping the right one free which is when the dress does not trail. The large quantity (historically, 9-15 yards) of expensive cloth, embroidered using the art of goldwork (embroidery) and sterling silver wire threads (Karchob/Zari/Zardozi etc.), used to make a farshi gharara mainly reflects the grandeur and extravagance of the nobles and rulers of that era.

Modified, smaller-length versions are still, but rarely, worn by women in weddings in India and Pakistan to recreate bygone elegance.

Movies such as Umrao Jaan (1981) and Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977) that depict Muslim culture of 19th century Lucknow show noblewomen and royal courtesans wearing farshi pajamas.

Evening gown - Dress(27)

Evening gown

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.

Hostory

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.

Today, the evening gown comes in different silhouettes and even lengths, but the full-skirted ball gown remains the pinnacle of formality. Evening gowns are worn at various semi-formal black-tie (and sometimes white tie) functions, including formal dinners, opera and theatre premieres, formal dances, evening wedding receptions, and charity balls.

Styles

1. Sheath :- The sheath style evening gown, like the usual sheath dress, is designed to fit the body tightly. It is generally unbelted, and has a straight drape. It can have shoulder straps or be strapless.
2. Mermaid :- Mermaid, as the name suggests, means that the evening gown is shaped like a mermaid. It is form-fitting at the bodice, and the skirt is designed to resemble a mermaid's tail in silhouette. The skirt may or may not be of the same colour or texture.
3. A-line :- The A-line style evening gown is somewhat bell-shaped, it is close-fitting at the top and widens gradually at the bottom, without gathers or pleats. This makes for a simple but elegant appearance.
4. Trumpet :- If the evening gown is trumpet shaped, it is tight-fitting until it reaches the knees, where it flares.
5. Empire :-  This involves the waistline coming up to just below the bust, from which the skirt hangs straight and loose, in a simple breezy style.
6. Dropped waist :- The waistline is dropped below the actual waistline. The skirt can be fitted or flared.
7. Princess :-  The princess style evening gown is also tight, cut in single pieces, such as gores, and hanging in an unbroken line from shoulder to flared hem.

Note:-pictures are from internet credit goes to original owners only

Dolly Varden (costume) - Dress(26)

Dolly Varden (costume)

A Dolly Varden costume is a woman's outfit that was briefly fashionable from about 1869 to 1875 in Britain and the United States.

Dolly Varden is a character from Charles Dickens's 1839 historical novel Barnaby Rudge set in 1780. The Dolly Varden costume was an 1870s version of fashions of the 1770s and 1780s.

1869 Fashions

The term "Dolly Varden" in dress is generally understood to mean a brightly patterned, usually flowered, dress with a polonaise overskirt gathered up and draped over a separate underskirt. The overdress is typically made from printed cotton or chintz, although it can be made from other materials such as lightweight wool, silk and muslin. An 1869 fashion doll in the collection of the V&A Museum of Childhood is dressed in the Dolly Varden mode; unusually the outfit is in dark colours. The Gallery of Costume in Manchester holds a more typical Dolly Varden dress in its collections, made of white linen with a pink and mauve flowered print.

A Dolly Varden hat, as it relates to the dress, is usually understood to mean a flat straw hat trimmed with flowers and ribbons, very like the 18th-century bergère hat.

Dirndl Dress(25)

Dirndl

A dirndl is a type of traditional dress worn in Germany – especially Bavaria – Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria and South Tyrol, based on the historical costume of Alpine peasants. Dresses that are loosely based on the dirndl are known as Landhausmode ("country-inspired fashion"). 

Traditional dirndl  

A dirndl skirt generally describes a light circular cut dress, gathered at the waist, that falls below the knee

Description

The dirndl consists of a bodice, blouse, full skirt and apron. While appearing to be simple and plain, a properly made modern dirndl may be quite expensive as it is tailored and sometimes cut from costly hand-printed or silk fabrics. In the South German dialects (Bairisch), Dirndl originally referred to a young woman or a girl, and Dirndlgewand to the dress. Nowadays, Dirndl may equally refer to either a young woman or to the dress.

The winter style dirndl has heavy, warm skirts and aprons made of thick cotton, linen, velvet or wool, and long sleeves. The colors are usually rich and dark. The summer style is lighter and more frivolous, has short sleeves, and is often made of lightweight cotton.

Accessories may include a long apron tied round the waist, a waistcoat or a wool shawl. In many regions, especially the Ausseerland, vibrantly-colored, hand-printed silk scarfs and silk aprons are worn. As far as jewelry is concerned, women often sport necklaces, earrings and brooches made of silver, the antlers of deer or even animals' teeth. For colder weather there are heavy dirndl coats in the same cut as the dresses, with a high neck and front buttons, thick mittens and wool hats.

Modern Drills

Etiquette

The dirndl is mostly worn in Austria and Bavaria. It is used as an everyday dress primarily by older women in rural areas. Other women may wear it at formal occasions (much like a Scotsman wearing a kilt) and during certain traditional events. It is hugely popular also among young women at the time of a Volksfest, such as the Oktoberfest in Munich (and similar festivals), although many women will only wear dirndl-style dresses, called Landhausmode, which may deviate in numerous ways and are often much cheaper.

In Austria and Bavaria, the dirndl may often be seen on women working in tourism-related businesses, and sometimes waitresses in traditional-style restaurants or beer gardens. It is also seen in these regions on women in the Volksmusik business.

Dinner Dress(24)

Dinner Dress

A dinner dress is a gown that was worn by ladies in the Victorian era for dinners and parties at homes. It could be very elaborate, but often had long sleeves, a high neck, or a narrow skirt to set them apart from evening gowns. In the 20th century however, dinner dresses went out of fashion and were replaced by evening gowns for formal dinners

Formal dress for women

1. Grab that "little black dress" from the back of the closet when that invitation to a formal dinner party arrives. Of course, your dress needs to be in the class of a cocktail dress. It can be short, meaning at the knee or slightly above, with a formal touch. This could mean a little sheen to the fabric or even a few touches of rhinestone accessories. Be sure to wear tasteful and color-blending shoes and evening style handbag.

2. Wear a long formal dress to a formal dinner party that is of a more grand nature or maybe even a media involved event. Again, make sure your shoes and handbag are coordinated with your dress.

3. Look great in formal evening pants. This never means denim of any type. Your formal evening pants should have some flow to them and be topped with an evening style top, camisole or jacket.

4. Attend an evening formal dinner that is part of a wedding by wearing any of the dress attires listed above. Of course, if you are in the wedding party, you'll have to abide with what the bride and groom have selected for your formal dress attire.

Formal dress for men

1. Read the invitation carefully to determine what will be appropriate attire for the evening. If the invitation says, "black tie," then you will need to wear a tuxedo. If you own a tux, make sure it is still in style, still fits and that all the needed accessories are ready to go. Should you rent a tuxedo, check out your rental to make sure that you account for all the pieces such as a vest, cummerbund, shirt, shoes and maybe cuff links, not to mention check to see if all the buttons are sewn on.

2. Seeing that the invitation says "black tie optional" would mean that a very nice dark suit, preferably dark blue or black would be acceptable in place of a tuxedo if you prefer. Should you choose to wear the suit instead of a tuxedo, make sure that the tie you wear is of formal status and not casual.

3. Know that if you are invited to a "white tie" dinner formal, that this is a very formal affair. It means the whole monkey suit, formal shirt, vest, "white tie," cummerbund, cuff links and the shiny black shoes. Some may even want to put on the ritz with a top hat, tails and cane.

4. Accept the fact that if the formal dinner is a part of a wedding and you are a part of the wedding party, you will need to wear what the bride and groom have requested you wear, even if it's a tuxedo with a pink ruffled shirt.

5. Realize that wearing a white dinner jacket and formal black pants or tuxedo pants to a formal dinner party would be considered acceptable attire as well, especially if it's a small personal affair or dinner.

Delphos Gown Dress(23)

Delphos gown

The Delphos gown was a finely pleated silk dress first created in about 1907 by Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo (1871–1949) and made until about 1950. It was inspired by, and named after, a classical Greek statue, the Charioteer of Delphi. Since the 1970s these gowns have been desirable and collectable pieces of vintage clothing, with one selling for a world record price of $10,000 in December 2001

History

Working out of a 13th-century Venetian palazzo, Fortuny, a Spanish-born artist turned textile designer, produced garments that the novelist Marcel Proust declared "faithfully antique but markedly original". The "Delphos" was a deliberate reference to the chiton of ancient Greece and meant to be worn without undergarments, since the chiton was itself a form of underwear, a radical suggestion during the early years of the 20th century. This earned it the description 'lingerie dress'

Fortuny became famous for his pleated dresses, the "Delphos" and the related "Peplos".[8] The exact method of pleating was a closely guarded secret involving heat, pressure and ceramic rods, which has never been replicated n both types of dresses, glass Murano beads are strung on a silk cord along each side seam. These beads are functional as well as ornamental since they serve as anchors for the lightweight silk of the garment and provide the wearer with a smooth and graceful appearance. These romantic gowns with their free flowing characteristics were a radical departure from their constricting predecessors. They were loose and lightweight and emphasised the female contour.

Although the "Delphos" eventually became formal wear, with Lauren Bacall wearing a vintage red Delphos to the 1978 Oscars, it was originally intended as a form of casual clothing

The Delphos Art

Fortuny's garments, particularly the Delphos gown, have been valued for their artistic and aesthetic qualities since their creation. The fashion historian and writer Colin McDowell considers Fortuny one of the creators of fashion as art, and a Delphos gown is one of only two garments contained in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. During the 1910s and 1920s the Spanish painter Joaquín Sorolla painted several portraits of his wife and other sitters wearing Delphos gowns, some of which are preserved at the Museo Sorolla.