Describing a garment, especially a dress, that has a low neckline exposing the shoulders and upper chest.
From French décolleté (past participle of décoller, to bare), from de- + col (neck). Imported directly into English as a fashion term in the 18th century.
Jane Austen's novels mention decollete gowns as scandalous—what seems modest today was considered dangerously provocative in Regency England, showing how fashion norms shift dramatically across just a few centuries.
This French-origin term historically describes a woman's dress or appearance with a low-cut neckline. Its persistent gendered usage reflects how women's fashion vocabulary emphasizes body exposure in ways male fashion vocabulary does not.
When describing garments, use 'low neckline' or specify the garment. When discussing body confidence, avoid gendered language that presumes a female subject.
["low neckline","neckline style","garment cut"]
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