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dress

Noun​

The countable noun dress means an article of women’s clothing (it goes from the shoulders to below the hips).

  • This is the first time I’ve seen you wearing a dress.

There is also an uncountable noun dress (not used with the article a/an). It means ‘clothing’, ‘clothes’. It is not very common in modern English, and is used mostly to talk about special kinds of clothing (for example national dress, evening dress, battledress).

  • He looks good in evening dress. (not … in an evening dress.)

Verb: putting clothes on​

The verb dress can be used to talk about putting clothes on oneself or somebody else. Undress is used for taking clothes off.

  • It only takes me five minutes to dress in the morning.
  • Could you dress the children for me?
  • I’m going to undress in front of the fire.

In informal English, we use get dressed/undressed to talk about dressing or undressing oneself.

  • Get dressed and come downstairs at once!

Put on and take off are generally used when clothes are mentioned.

  • I put on a sweater, but it was so warm that I had to take it off again.
  • Can you take Jack’s boots off for him?

Verb: wearing clothes​

To say what somebody is/was wearing on a particular occasion, we can use the form be dressed in (note the preposition).

  • I didn’t recognise him because he was dressed in a dark suit. (not … dressed with …) or … dressing in …
  • She was dressed in orange pyjamas.

Be wearing and have on (especially AmE) are also very common.

  • She was wearing orange pyjamas.
  • She had on orange pajamas. (AmE)

The active form dress (in) can be used to give the idea of repetition or habit.

  • She always dresses in green.
  • He dresses well.

Note also the expression well dressed.