Habillé

Habillé is a French adjective and the past participle of the verb habiller. It describes someone or something that is dressed, typically in a specified style or level of formality, and is commonly used in fashion, journalism, and everyday speech. In fashion, a look habillé or une tenue habillée refers to formal or semi-formal attire; synonyms or related terms include élégant and soigné. In everyday use, phrases like elle est habillée en noir convey that she is dressed in black. The term can also appear in contexts such as “look habillé” to describe a refined or polished appearance.

Habillage is the related noun that denotes the dressing process, especially in theatre or film, including costumes, accessories, and makeup. The backstage activity of fitting and preparing performers is referred to as l’habillage.

Etymology: habiller comes from Old French habiller, itself related to habit, meaning clothes, which in turn derives from Latin habitus meaning condition or clothing. The past participle habillé is used as an adjective and agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.

Usage notes: As an adjective, habillé agrees with the noun (un homme habillé, une femme habillée). It can describe attire for various levels of formality, from casual-chic to formal evening wear, and is common in fashion journalism, event descriptions, and style guidance.

See also: habiller, habit, tenue, costume, dress code.

Examples: Il était habillé d’un smoking élégant. Elle est habillée en tailleur noir. L’habillage des acteurs a commencé une heure avant le spectacle.