Garbing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The practice of selecting and putting on clothes that symbolize identity or fulfill specific functions is known as the act of changing attire
2. The process of putting on clothing or attire to cover the body
3. The act of selecting and wearing garments as an expression of style or status

Etymology: "Garb" once meant a shape, not clothing. Its Middle French ancestor "garbe" described a graceful outline or silhouette, and it reached Old French through a variant that the Middle English word also took up, which is why the older sense of "garb" is about how a figure looks rather than what covers it. The Italian "garbo" meant grace or elegance, and that sense of a pleasing, well-carried form stayed in the family as the word travelled north. The deeper roots are practical. The word traces back to a Frankish verb meaning "to prepare," itself from a Proto-Germanic root, and related Germanic words covered outfitting, equipment and dress. So the same idea of getting something ready for use gave us both the notion of equipping and the notion of attire. English "gear" is a cousin in this family. "Garbing" is simply the verb "garb" in its -ing form, used for the act of dressing someone or oneself in a particular costume.

Synonyms: dressing, clothing, attiring