Meaning trap
dress down
wear casual clothes
to wear clothes that are more casual and relaxed than usual, especially instead of formal or work clothes.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
to wear clothes that are more casual and relaxed than usual, especially instead of formal or work clothes.
Another meaning of 'dress down' is 'criticize'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
On Fridays, we can dress down and wear jeans to the office.
At my university, we usually dress down for lectures, but we dress up for presentations.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: We dress down ourselves on Fridays.
Say: We dress down on Fridays.
'Dress down' is intransitive — no reflexive object.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Dress down' is the everyday phrase for casual wear; 'wear less formal attire' is a staff handbook.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
dress down + occasion
- on Fridays
- for the office
- a dress-down day
- a bit
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- dress down (criticize) — Another meaning of 'dress down' is 'criticize'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.