Historically, women's evening dress tended to be more physically revealing than day dress. Worn in private or semi private spaces, dresses with low necklines and bare arms were accepted as aesthetically sublimated eroticism. [ 2025 UK State Banquet Dresses Ranked from Worst to Best Full Dress, Overview CandiceHern.com What was an 18th century "Night gown"? Throughout much of the 18th century in England and its American colonies*, the term "night gown" or more often just "gown" described a garment whose bodice back An evening dress by Norman Hartnell, worn by Princess Margaret, on display at the new Fashion Rules exhibition, featuring pieces from the collections of HM The Queen, Princess Margaret and Diana, Princess