Fashionistas and loyal dress wearers, you may have heard the term “dress” and “frock” used and thrown around in the same sentence before. Perhaps you may even use the term frock yourself. Whatever the case may be, a question that may linger in your mind is, what is the difference between a frock and a dress?
Dresses are clothing items with an attached top and skirt of any length or style. The word “frock” has many meanings and origins. “frock” is simply another name for a dress commonly used in the United Kingdom, although it is less prevalent today. In the clerical world, a frock is an outer garment.
Knowing the differences between frocks and dresses is only the beginning of what you still need to know and what this article has to offer! Read on, fellow fashion lovers, for you are about to go on a stylish journey and learn everything about dresses and frocks.
Ready to dive deeper into the differences between these two fashion items? First, look at what they are for you to grasp the whole experience!
Table of Contents
What is a dress?
The dress, mentioned earlier, is an outer garment with a skirt attached, an absolute fashion must-have. The fact that styles, colors, and ways to wear them always hit the market and remain fashion’s hottest trends is no wonder why this piece of clothing has stood the test of time!
What is a frock?
The word “frock” is widespread in the U.K. as a term used to describe a dress; why not the rest of the world? Nowadays, the term is not as popular as it used to be back in the day, but we are here to say the beauty of the word frock all the way! A “short frock” describes a dress for children.
Although the word frock is just another name for a dress, it also has many meanings and origins. Frock can also refer to the outfits that people from a clerical or religious group wear. Did you know that the loose, long-sleeved garments that monks or religious personnel wear are called a frock?
The old French word froc directly translates to a monk’s habit (which is religious attire).
A cleanroom frock is another type of frock designed explicitly for people who work in jobs that require a person to work with liquids which is a protective garment that features an A-line shape, offers a zipper in the front, and measures between 41 and 47 inches in length.
A frock coat is another type of frock that historically men wore, which is knee-length, has a full skirt, and its buttons reach waist level. Today people still wear frock coats, but it is more likely to be seen in a formal setting such as a wedding or the workplace. Safe to say that the frock has something to offer everyone!
Keep reading for further insight into the history behind frocks/dresses.
What is the difference between dresses and frocks?
Frock vs. dress, in terms of comparing them this way, we simply cannot, as they both mean the same thing! Except if you were to say “short frock,” as mentioned above, it would mean a child’s dress. From another fashion standpoint, a frock coat is like a “dress coat” because it looks like a dress but is a coat.
However, if we compare a frock to a dress in terms of religious attire and as a protective outer garment, then the meaning of frock is entirely different.
History Behind the Dress/frock
We are solely focusing on frocks vs. dresses, which we know is the same thing. So keep reading to find out the history of frocks/dresses.
To imagine a world without dresses/frocks would be impossible! So, the people we can thank for creating this marvelous fashion piece are from the beginning of time. As people went from city to city-forming tribes and social groups, the dress made its way from place to place, gaining popularity.
In 51 B.C, ancient Egypt is where the dress became a wardrobe staple for many Egyptian people. To this day, we can still see many paintings of people from that era who beautifully wore the dress; the most notable was Queen Cleopatra.
The Thakran Dress, supposedly over 5000 years old, was found in an ancient Egyptian tomb that shows the earliest sign of a dress-WOW talk about being anciently rare!
We first heard the word “frock” replace “dress” when it debuted in the 1600s, except it was paired with a corset and slip dress underneath.
The dress in that era gained popularity because many countries embraced its beauty and made it their own, from the Victorian era style dress in the 1800s, A-line style in the roaring 20s, to the eccentric Marilyn Monroe style of the 1950s.
BOOM, just like that, dresses/frocks made history! The dress continued to be worn many decades later and is still one of the few fashion items that have never gone out of style. Different variations and time styles of the frock/dress define eras and trends.
Dresses in your wardrobe probably remind you of many memories so, imagine the stories our dresses/frocks in our wardrobe could tell if they could speak!
What is the durability of dresses/frocks?
The durability of any dress/frock is very difficult to directly answer as they are all made entirely different in terms of quality, fabric, and the way it’s been designed.
In our closets, we probably have dresses that have lasted us for over ten years, but we also have those dresses that perhaps lasted only six months! So, the video you NEED to watch is How To Make Your Clothes Last Forever for all the tips and tricks.
How much do dresses/frocks cost?
$2-$5000 is what you’re generally looking at when purchasing your very own frock. So, choose your favorite style and look because the dress/frock is ready to meet your budget!
Benefits of Wearing A Dress/Frock
- Rain, sun or snow, whatever the occasion be dresses are perfect for any season!
- Dressed up or down, it’s entirely up to you! They are perfect for any occasion too.
- Dresses/frocks are easy to put on.
- Peace of mind is offered to you as theirs only one clothing item for you to worry about instead of mixing/matching two together-so convenient!
- You look gorgeous in them, and they are made beautifully.
We have made it to the end of what you need to know about frocks and dresses. Now that we know they are the same thing and the name is amazing to use-go out and rock your frock!