NEGLIGEE

(French: careless, or neglected), informal gown, usually of a soft, sheer fabric, worn at home by women. In the days of tightly corseted and laced clothing, the negligee was a loose-fitting gown worn during the rest period after lunch. The negligee was sometimes belted with a narrow sash or ribbon. Negligee garters in matching fabric were oftentimes designed to be worn with the gown. Women's dresses were also referred to as negligs after the Restoration of Charles II, when the trend was toward loose fashions characterized by studied negligence.