In current usage, a nightgown is a women's or girls' garment worn specifically for sleeping. At different historical periods, the term nightgown referred to a loose gown worn by men, an evening dress worn by women and a day dress. Accordingly, it would have been unremarkable for a woman to appear in public dressed in a nightgown. It would also have been possible for women to "quite modestly go to church in their nightgowns."1
These differing meanings of the word nightgown point to the fact that throughout much of history, specialized garments for sleeping were unusual. Most people probably slept unclothed or wearing some element of their normal day-time dress. By the 16th century, T-shaped nightclothes were commonly worn by men and women. The white cotton nightgown pictured here dates from the 1860s.