evening dress —(also: evening clothes) clothing worn by men and women for evening social events:
- When he appeared at the door to meet a correspondent he was in evening dress.
Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase night dress—a loose light garment worn by women in bed:
- She slipped a housecoat over her night-dress and made her way downstairs.
evening gown—a woman’s elegant formal dress:
- Anna May came out, in a cerise strapless satin evening gown.
Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase night gown— = night dress:
- Apparently, she had fallen asleep while smoking. The cigarette had dropped on her nightgown, which promptly burst into flame.