Sometimes in the works of classical literature one can come across a mysterious concept, hardly used in modern language - dezabille. What it is? What does this term mean? Let's try to figure it out.
Origin of the word
Translated from French "desabille" (déshabillé) - "naked", "undressed". The term first appeared in France in the 18th century and was used to refer to a men's dressing gown, then it began to be used to describe women's morning or night attire, not intended for prying eyes.
However, don't associate French dezabille with a worn, greasy shirt - it's more like an elegant seductive peignoir, or a silk nightgown coquettishly falling off a lady's shoulder.
The term "dezabille" in Russian
In the works of Russian authors, the word "dezabille" has several meanings and can be used in a slightly distorted sense by giving the term a touch of negligence, slovenliness instead of the charm present in the French version.
As a noun, "desabile" means simplehome clothes in which it is not customary to appear in public. “I found the bride in complete dezability” (from the notes of A. Bolotov). In the meaning of an adjective, the concept is used as “sloppily dressed”, “undressed”, “half-dressed”, for example: “I like to argue with the people completely debilitating” (according to N. V. Gogol).
For a clearer understanding of what dezabille is, it should be noted that initially the term was not applied to commoners and only referred to gentlemen. In relation to the peasants and the common people, it is more correct to use a similar word - "neglizhe", which entered the Russian language at about the same time.
The negligee was a coarse underwear, while dezabille is a morning dress without much decor, suggesting the presence of a top dress, shawls and fluffy skirts. Women dressed in dezabille did not receive anyone. At the same time, the look of the underdress remained quite elegant, although too intimate for public appearances.
