Frock
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Frock has been used since
Terminology
In British English and in Commonwealth countries the word may be used as an alternative term for a girl's or woman's dress, in particular for a dress suitable for a smart occasion but (in UK English usage) with a hemline higher than a full-length ballgown. 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.[1]
Relatedly, a
History
Originally, a frock was a loose, long garment with wide, full
Throughout the early modern period, "frock" continually applied to various types of clothing, but generally denoting a loosely fitted garment in practice seemingly ranging in styles from resembling a banyan to a tunic.
From the 16th century to the early 20th century, frock was applied to a woman's
From the 17th century on, a frock was a thigh- or full-length loose outer garment worn by
As such, a frock remains a dense knitted overgarment worn by sailors and fishermen, as guernsey frock, jersey frock (now usually simply guernsey and jersey).
18th century
In 18th century Britain and the United States, 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.
The precise historical evolution of the frock after the second half of the 18th century is obscure, as is its contrasting features to the
19th century
Some late in the 18th century versions had it made with a cutaway front without a waist seam. This may have been one of the predecessors of the
Shapewise, also the
.Contemporary feminine connotations
In contemporary times, a "frock" may still designate a woman's or girl's, or child's dress or light overdress.[2][3]
See also
- Frock coat
- Justaucorps
- "Oil frock", a type of sailor's oilskin
- Tailcoat
References
- ^ "Macquarie Dictionary". Retrieved 6 May 2013. (subscription required)
- ^ Carefree Clothes for Girls: 20 Patterns for Outdoor Frocks, Playdate Dresses, and More—book by Junko Okawa (Shambhala Publications, 2009)
- ^ "frock", Oxford Dictionary
- Oxford English Dictionary
- Picken, Mary Brooks: The Fashion Dictionary, Funk and Wagnalls, 1957.
- Walker, George: The Tailor's Masterpiece: All Kinds of Coats, 1838 revised edition, reprinted by ISBN 0-914046-28-4.
- Waugh, Norah: The Cut of Men's Clothes 1600–1900, Routledge, 1964. ISBN 0-87830-025-2.
External links
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 11 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 238.
- ApparelSearch glossary of textile and apparel terms