Region: General | Usage example: Guests were dressed to the nines for the anniversary.

Dress to the nines

Meaning

Dress very elegantly or formally.

Used for fashion or event expectations.

Origin notes can vary by region and source; this page gives the commonly reported explanation and usage context.

Unclear; may refer to the nine muses or a uniform scale of perfection.

Late 19th-century British phrase migrating to the US.