Dress to the nines

Meaning

Dress very elegantly or formally.

Usage

Used for fashion or event expectations.

Origin & History

Origins and dates here are approximate summaries. Many idioms have disputed or unknown origins, and not every date has been checked against a historical dictionary, so treat specific dates and stories as a starting point rather than a citation.

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

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