In the European tradition, casual is the dress code which emphasizes comfort and personal expression over presentation and uniformity. It includes a very wide variety of costume, so it is perhaps better defined by what it isn't than what it is. The following are not considered casual wear:

• Ceremonial dress such as royal robes and full dress military costume
• Formal wear such as white tie and black tie
• Suits

Blue jeans and a T-shirt have been described as the "casual uniform". With the popularity of spectator sports in the late 20th century, a good deal of athletic gear has influenced casual wear. Clothing worn for manual labor also falls into casual wear.

While utilitarian costume comes to mind first for casual dress, however, there is also a wide range of flamboyance and theatricality. Punk costume is a striking example. Madonna introduced a great deal of lace, jewelry, and cosmetics into casual wear during the 1980s. More recently, hip hop fashion has played up elaborate jewelry and luxurious materials worn in conjunction with athletic gear and the clothing of manual labor.

Casual wear is typically the dress code in which new forms of gender expression are attempted before being accepted into semi-casual or semi-formal situations. An obvious example is masculine jewelry, which was once considered shocking or titillating even in casual circles, and is now hardly noteworthy in semi-formal situations. Amelia Bloomer introduced trousers (of a sort) for women as a casual alternative to formal hoops and skirts. In a recent mirror image, sarongs and other skirts have been embraced by a few men of the European tradition as a casual alternative to formal trousers. Both of these innovations caused great embarrassment in formal circles.

Skin exposure is most pronounced in casual wear, since it includes all swimwear, but the trend toward female exposure in the 20th century has also pushed the necklines of formal ball gowns ever lower and the skirts of semi-formal cocktail dresses ever higher. For men, the exposure of shoulders, thighs, and backs is still limited to casual wear. Full nudity is still considered shocking in casual circles, except at very few progressive clubs and beaches.

Noun

wardrobe (plural wardrobes)

1. A cabinet in which clothes may be stored.
2. The department (or people working in that department) that obtains and stores articles of clothing for use in theatrical or motion picture productions.
3. A collection of clothing.

• (the piece of furniture) cupboard, closet (US), press, shrank
• (the clothing department) costume department

• Men's (4)
• Women's (31)

• Caps and Hats (105)
• Christian@ (23)
• Jeans (38)
• Music Related@ (6)

• Sports Related@ (131)
• Sweaters (8)
• Tie Dye (8)
• T-Shirts (435)

• Business: Consumer Goods and Services: Clothing: Casual (121)
• Regional: Europe: United Kingdom: Business and Economy: Shopping: Clothing: Casual (32)

• Drawstrings of Malibu
  mycottonclothing.com
  Women's, men's and plus-size cotton gauze resort clothing including summer dresses, tops, capri pants and jackets.
• The Gap
  gap.com
  Shop for men's, women's, kids, and baby clothes.
• manlybeach.com.au
  manlybeach.com.au
  Towels, sarongs and t-shirts by local Manly and Northern surf beaches people of Manly, Sydney, Australia.