sundress
{{short description|Lightweight warm weather dress, usually with shoulder straps}}
{{About|the women's casual dress}}
File:A Woman in a Red Sundress.jpg
A sundress or summer dress is an informal or casual dress intended to be worn in warm weather, typically in a lightweight fabric, most commonly cotton, and usually loose-fitting. It is commonly a bodice-style sleeveless dress, typically with a wide neckline and thin shoulder straps, and may be backless. 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.{{cite news|title=Chattanooga: Light clothes still heavy on style|author=Karen Nazor Hill|url=http://timesfreepress.com/news/2008/jun/20/chattanooga-light-clothes-still-heavy-style/|newspaper=Chattanooga Times Free Press|date=20 June 2008|access-date=25 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618204229/http://timesfreepress.com/news/2008/jun/20/chattanooga-light-clothes-still-heavy-style/|archive-date=18 June 2012|url-status=dead}}
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.{{fact|date=August 2024}}
Sundresses can be of any neckline and hemline, ranging from mini 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.{{Cite news |last=Schacter |first=Cara |last2=Cha |first2=Simbarashe |date=2024-07-03 |title=What Is a Sundress? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/03/style/sundress-quiz-summer-dress.html |access-date=2024-07-03 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
Sundresses can use a variety of closure types, including back zippers, side zippers, front buttons, 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.wikihow.com/Dress-and-Undress-Easily-in-Clothes-with-Back-Zippers-and-Buttons |title=How to Dress and Undress Easily in Clothes with Back Zippers and Buttons|work=Wikihow|accessdate=September 16, 2021}} 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,{{cite web|url=https://www.insider.com/evolution-what-swimsuits-look-like-over-the-years-2019-5#one-piece-swimsuits-started-to-look-like-little-dresses-in-the-1940s-11 |title=From the 1800s to now: Here's how swimsuits have changed over the years|first=Jessica|last=Booth|work=Insider|date=July 14, 2021|access-date=September 15, 2021}} has come into use, though some now find it matronly or gaudy.{{cite news|url=https://us.cnn.com/2021/07/19/cnn-underscored/cheap-amazon-swimsuits-swimwear/index.html|title=15 inexpensive Amazon swimsuits we tried (and actually loved)|first=Rachel|last=Lubitz|work=CNN|date=August 9, 2021|accessdate=September 9, 2021|quote=Swimsuits with skirts can either look matronly or costumey}}
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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 mini sundress
Definition controversies
Sundress is a fuzzy concept, with various opinions on which traits are necessary and sufficient to the definition, including:{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/03/style/sundress-quiz-summer-dress.html |title=What Is a Sundress? |newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 3, 2024 |author1=Cara Schacter |author2=Simbarashe Cha}}
- 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, tube dress and nap dress.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commonscat|Sundresses}}
- [https://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/25/style/fashion-leading-questions-buttoned-up-or-a-little-bare.html "Leading Questions; Buttoned Up, Or a Little Bare?"], The New York Times, June 25, 1989
- [http://www.dictionary.com/browse/sundress Definition], Dictionary.com
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