A long, loose piece of clothing designed to be worn while sleeping, similar to a dress but made from soft, comfortable fabric.
Compound of 'night' and 'gown,' both Old English/Old Norse origin. The garment became popular during the medieval period as a sleeping garment for both men and women.
Nightgowns were once considered unisex sleepwear until the Victorian era when fashion became heavily gendered—before that, men and women both wore long sleeping gowns, and this shift shows how 'traditional' gendered fashion is actually pretty recent.
Nightgowns became gender-coded feminine in 19th-century fashion marketing, though nightwear existed across genders historically. Modern usage still carries feminine default assumptions despite unisex sleeping wear being common.
Use 'nightwear,' 'nightshirt,' or 'sleepwear' for gender-neutral reference, or specify 'men's/women's nightgown' when gender matters.
["nightwear","sleepwear","nightshirt","sleeping clothes"]
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