Based on extensive literature, the article attempts to shed light on the relationship between dress and the body. Dressing is here understood as a practice on the border between the personal and social spheres as it is shaped by both individual agency and social influences. The article connects these ideas with the role dressing occupies in shaping identities and takes into account the embodied nature of these processes. The author proposes to use the term “dressing” because it surpasses specific designations like fashion or costume. Furthermore, “dressing” puts emphasis on practice, not the dress itself and enables us to take account of the changes to the body as a vital element of dressing practices.