Fine clothes or fancy dress worn to parties, celebrations, or special occasions; one's best or most stylish outfits.
From glad (happy, festive) plus rags (originally cloth pieces, but here meaning clothes). The term emerged in early 20th-century slang to describe the showy, colorful clothes people wore to have fun and feel happy at social events.
This slang term perfectly captures the idea of 'getting dressed up to feel happy'—and it reveals how clothes aren't just practical: they're emotional! 'Put on your gladrags' became a way of saying 'let's party,' linking fashion directly to celebration and joy.
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