A sundress or summer dress is an

informal Formal, formality, informal or informality imply the complying with, or not complying with, some set of requirements ( forms, in Ancient Greek). They may refer to: Dress code and events * Formal wear, attire for formal events * Semi-formal att ...

or casual

dress A dress (also known as a frock or a gown) is a one-piece outer garment that is worn on the torso, hangs down over the legs, and is primarily worn by women or girls. Dresses often consist of a bodice attached to a skirt. Dress shapes, silh ...

intended to be worn in warm weather, typically in a lightweight

fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is no ...

, most commonly

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

, and usually loose-fitting. It is commonly a

bodice A bodice () is an article of clothing traditionally for women and girls, covering the torso from the neck to the waist. The term typically refers to a specific type of upper garment common in Europe during the 16th to the 18th century, or to the ...

-style sleeveless dress, typically with a wide

neckline The neckline is the top edge or edges of a clothing, garment that surrounds the neck, especially from the front view. Neckline also refers to the overall visual line between all the layers of clothing and the neck and Shoulder, shoulders of a per ...

and thin shoulder straps, and may be

backless ''Backless'' is the sixth solo studio album by Eric Clapton, released in November 1978. Produced by Glyn Johns, and released by RSO Records, ''Backless'' reached no. 8 on the pop charts. While the single "Promises (Eric Clapton song), Promises ...

. A sundress is typically worn without a layering top and is not usually worn over a blouse, sweater, or t-shirt, or with leggings. While the word "sundress" was first used in the early 1940s, they really came into vogue in the 1950s and were especially popularized by Lilly Pulitzer in the 1960s.

Styles

The sundress is considered by many people to be both more practical and more comfortable than other varieties of dresses, particularly in warm or hot weather. Sundresses can be of any

and

hemline The hemline is the line formed by the lower edge of a garment, such as a skirt, dress or coat, measured from the floor. The hemline is perhaps the most variable style line in fashion, changing shape and ranging in height from hip-high to fl ...

, ranging from

mini The Mini is a very small two-door, four-seat car, produced for four decades over a single generation, with many names and variants, by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors British Leyland and the Rover Group, and finally ...

to full length, though they are more often midi or maxi length. They are typically but not always, sleeveless and collarless, with a wide neckline and thin shoulder straps. Sundresses can use a variety of closure types, including back

zipper A zipper (N. America), zip, zip fastener (UK), formerly known as a clasp locker, is a commonly used device for binding together two edges of textile, fabric or other flexible material. Used in clothing (e.g. jackets and jeans), luggage and oth ...

s, side zippers, front

button A button is a fastener that joins two pieces of fabric together by slipping through a loop or by sliding through a buttonhole. In modern clothing and fashion design, buttons are commonly made of plastic but also may be made of metal, wood, or ...

s, back buttons, back ties, pullover or other closure styles. They may also be without any closures or fasteners and put on over the head or slipped on by pulling up from below. A lot of sundresses have patterns on them, the most common being a floral pattern. Since the 1940s, a sundress-like one-piece swimsuit appeared, has come into use, though some now find it matronly or gaudy. File:American Magazine, cover, No Swimming Allowed (3333258923).jpg, 1940s sundress with off-the-shoulder ruffles File:Striped cotton basque jacket over sun dress by Ceil Chapman.jpg, 1940s with matching jacket File:Fotothek df roe-neg 0006721 015 Eine Frau präsentiert Damenbekleidung.jpg, 1950s sundress File:Japon en bolero in Brabants bont, objectnr 68711-1-2(2).JPG, 1950s sundress File:Little Girl feeding King Parrots (Alisterus scapularis) and Crimson Rosellas (Platycercus elegans) (10019343145).jpg, 2000s girl in sundress File:Summer dress (5634765615).jpg, 2010s short sundress File:Lysy Mlyn, Poznan Biedrusko (11) sundress (cropped).JPG, 2010s, with tiered skirt File:OBravo Urban 2021 Summer-89 (51178477060).jpg, 2020s

sundress

Definition controversies

Sundress is a

fuzzy concept A fuzzy concept is an idea of which the boundaries of application can vary considerably according to context or conditions, instead of being fixed once and for all. This means the idea is somewhat vague or imprecise. Yet it is not unclear or mean ...

, with various opinions on which traits are necessary and sufficient to the definition, including: * Floral print, light color, or white * Light fabric * Loose and flowing * Revealing neckline * Straps instead of sleeves * Length above ankle or knee Potentially overlapping types include slip dress, day dress, shift dress, shirtdress,

caftan A kaftan or caftan (; , ; , ; ) is a variant of the robe or tunic. Originating in Asia, it has been worn by a number of cultures around the world for thousands of years. In Russian usage, ''kaftan'' instead refers to a style of men's long suit ...

, tube dress and nap dress.

References

External links

"Leading Questions; Buttoned Up, Or a Little Bare?"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', June 25, 1989
Definition
''Dictionary.com'' 1960s fashion 1970s fashion 1980s fashion 1990s fashion 2000s fashion 2010s fashion Dresses {{clothing-stub

Styles

Definition controversies

See also

References

External links