The term “birthday suit” refers to being naked and has been used for over 200 years. It is a euphemism for non-sexual nudity and comes from the idea of wearing what you were born in. The word “suit” refers to a full body covering, while “dress” refers to the skin. Nudity is taboo in most social situations but is acceptable in private, such as bathing or sleeping. The phrase has been used in various artistic works, including a controversial Vanity Fair cover featuring Demi Moore painted in a business suit on her naked body.
A “birthday suit” is a humorous expression for the state of being naked. It literally means wearing what someone wore on the day of his birth, i.e. nothing. It serves as a euphemism for writers and speakers looking for a gentle or humorous way to refer to the state of nudity, usually in a nonsexual sense. At least 200 years old, the phrase “birthday dress” was used extensively in the 20th century and is still popular today.
According to Robert Hendrickson’s Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, the phrase was recorded as early as 1771, but probably in use as a spoken expression before. While the specific coinage of the phrase has not been documented, its origin is obvious. All people are born naked; the birthday dress, therefore, is the dress worn on the day of birth. The comedic but non-vulgar nature of the phrase has given it enduring popularity since the 18th century.
The word “suit” in birthday suit is used in the sense of a full body covering, as in the phrases “armor” or “wet suit”. In this case, the word dress refers to the skin, which in fact covers the entire body. The skin, or epidermis, is a single organ that contains and protects all other organs in the body. It is made up of specialized cells that prevent most infectious materials from entering the body while they absorb or release other substances. Its sensory apparatus also serves as an important link to the rest of the world.
Nudity is taboo in most social situations, due in part to its association with sexual activity. There are, however, many non-sexual occasions where nudity is acceptable, such as bathing or sleeping. These are usually practiced in private, but not always. Young children, in particular, often don’t understand or don’t care if nudity is appropriate in a given situation. When a person of any age engages in nonsexual nudity, particularly when visible to others, it is outlandish to say that person is wearing her birthday dress.
Numerous films, television shows, and other artistic works have used variations of the phrase “birthday dress” in titles and the like. Among its many uses, the phrase appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine in 1992. Artist Joanne Gair painted a business suit, complete with tie, cuffs and waistcoat, on the naked body of actress and model Demi Moore. The photo was captioned “Demi’s Birthday.” The use of the image on the cover has sparked some controversy, leading many to overlook the title’s clever visual pun.
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