What is "dress parade"

Parade \Pa*rade"\, n. [F., fr. Sp. parada a halt or stopping, an assembling for exercise, a place where troops are assembled to exercise, fr. parar to stop, to prepare. See Pare, v. t.]

1. The ground where a military display is held, or where troops are drilled. Also called parade ground.

2. (Mil.) An assembly and orderly arrangement or display of troops, in full equipments, for inspection or evolutions before some superior officer; a review of troops. Parades are general, regimental, or private (troop, battery, or company), according to the force assembled.

3. Hence: Any imposing procession; the movement of any group of people marshaled in military order, especially a festive public procession, which may include a marching band, persons in varied costume, vehicles with elaborate displays, and other forms of entertainment, held in commemoration or celebration of an event or in honor of a person or persons; as, a parade of firemen; a Thanksgiving Day parade; a Memorial Day parade; a ticker-tape parade.

   In state returned the grand parade.
   --Swift.

4. Hence: A pompous show; a formal or ostentatious display or exhibition.

   Be rich, but of your wealth make no parade.
   --Swift.

5. Posture of defense; guard. [A Gallicism.]

   When they are not in parade, and upon their guard.
   --Locke.

6. A public walk; a promenade.

   Dress parade, Undress parade. See under Dress, and Undress.

   Parade rest, a position of rest for soldiers, in which, however, they are required to be silent and motionless.
   --Wilhelm.

   Syn: Ostentation; display; show.

   Usage: Parade, Ostentation. Parade is a pompous exhibition of things for the purpose of display; ostentation now generally indicates a parade of virtues or other qualities for which one expects to be honored. ``It was not in the mere parade of royalty that the Mexican potentates exhibited their power.''
   --Robertson. ``We are dazzled with the splendor of titles, the ostentation of learning, and the noise of victories.''
   --Spectator.

Dress \Dress\, n.

1. That which is used as the covering or ornament of the body; clothes; garments; habit; apparel. ``In your soldier's dress.''
   --Shak.

2. A lady's gown; as, silk or a velvet dress.

3. Attention to apparel, or skill in adjusting it.

   Men of pleasure, dress, and gallantry. -- Pope.

4. (Milling) The system of furrows on the face of a millstone.
   --Knight.

   Dress parade (Mil.), a parade in full uniform for review.

Dress Parade is a 1927 silent romance drama produced by William Sistrom and Cecil B. DeMille and distributed by Pathe. The film was directed by Donald Crisp. It stars William Boyd and Bessie Love in the leads. The story is essentially the same as West Point produced at MGM in 1928. Dress Parade survives today.