A loose garment or nightgown worn while in bed; a sleeping robe or dressing gown.
From 'bed' + 'gown' (a dress). Used since the 1600s, this referred to comfortable, loose clothing specifically designed for sleeping or lounging in bed.
Bedgowns show how people in the 1600s-1800s valued specific clothing for different activities—they had different gowns for morning, afternoon, evening, and sleeping, which is totally different from today!
Bedgowns were typically women's garments, and the term historically reinforced gendered domestic/private sphere associations.
Use as neutral historical/fashion term without implying gendered usage in modern context; specify 'historical' if discussing period use.
["nightgown","sleepwear","robe"]
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