Types of Gowns Quiz

What is gown? A gown is a dress, usually a long dress, which women wear on formal occasions.

Gowns have been in the thick of women’s fashion from time immemorial. In the past, gowns were the prerogative of the nobility and they proclaimed the wealth, family status and social standing of the wearer. It became aspirational for women to wear the best of gowns; each strove to dress herself better than the others in the courts of the kings across the world.

Elaborately decorated gowns made of the most costly fabric with beautiful embroidery, embellishments, and trimmings became the norm for every day, not just special occasions.

For a long time, the gowns seen in European courts featured voluminous skirts with many layers of petticoats and hoops inside to keep the shape intact, long trains, tight bodices with tightly laced corsets, draped outer layers, high and low necklines, and elaborate sleeves. Expensive fabrics like silk brocade and taffeta were used to make the gowns.

During the 18th century a high waisted style called Empire line with gathered skirts was popular with very low necklines and short sleeves in thin flowy fabrics. After the French revolution in 1780 a fashion for naturalism lead to gowns being made in simpler silhouettes, more attuned to the natural shape of the female figure.

During the 19th century, the old favorites with full skirts came back. In the 1870s Bustle was very popular, attached to the back of the gowns. During the 1890s gowns with very long trains, elaborate trimmings and puffy sleeves (leg of mutton sleeves“ Sleeve with full top gathered or pleated into armhole ad tapered to wrist where it looks like a regular sleeve”) were popular.

In the 1900s the full skirts and tight bodice came back in fashion. Then gradually the corseted shape changed to a loose flapper style. During the 1930s fitting bias-cut gowns gained traction. By 1940s the classic voluminous skirts and tight waist came back in gowns and this continued for some time. 1980s was an age of exaggeration and hence the gowns showed lots of ruffles, pleats and puffed sleeves.

Evening gowns are long dresses suitable for wearing on formal/special occasions and are usually made of expensive fabrics, with beautiful embellishments and meant to make the wearer stand out among the crowd.

Morning Gown are casual long dresses worn during the day.

Ball Gown is the most common silhouette in gowns – with a fitted bodice, tight waist and a very full, floor length skirt, with or without a train.