A tea gown or tea-gown is a woman's dress for informal entertaining at home. These dresses, which became popular around the mid-19th century, are characterized by unstructured lines and light fabrics. Early tea gowns were a European development influenced by Asian clothing and historical approach from the 18th century which led to the renaissance time period of long and flowing sleeves. Women, as a strict rule, never upon any circumstance would wear a traditional hat or veil whilst inside and consuming tea and cakes in mid afternoon traditions. Part of this European sense of fashion came from the Japanese kimono.