Long, formal dresses, especially those worn to fancy events, or long robes worn by professionals like doctors, judges, or clergy.
From Old French 'gonne,' possibly from Arabic 'gunna' meaning a type of robe. It has referred to long garments since the Middle Ages and became especially associated with formal wear.
Wedding gowns are so important to bridal culture that some people spend thousands on a dress worn for just a few hours, yet many royal wedding dresses end up in museums as historical artifacts!
Gowns coded as feminine formal wear; men's formal wear called 'suits' or 'tuxedos.' This linguistic split reinforces gendered dress codes and professionalism expectations.
Use 'formal wear,' 'evening wear,' or 'ceremonial dress' for neutral contexts. Specify 'gown' when describing the actual garment style.
["formal wear","evening wear","ceremonial dress"]
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