the.com/ball gown
A dress engineered so the room rearranges itself around you.
means A formal, floor-length dress with a fitted bodice and full skirt, worn to dances and other grand occasions.
from Straightforward compound: 'ball,' a formal dancing party, from French 'bal,' tracing back to Latin 'ballare,' to dance; and 'gown,' a long, flowing outer garment, from Old French 'goune,' possibly rooted in Late Latin 'gunna,' a kind of fur or leather garment. Put them together and the word simply announces what the dress is for — put this on, go dance.
- silhouette
- fitted bodice, dramatically full skirt from the waist
- structural secret
- tulle or crinoline petticoats do the heavy lifting
- origin era
- 19th century European court and debutante culture
- practical cost
- often requires its own seat at dinner