1. To wear certain clothes in order to make someone else happy. I'm sorry, Mom, but I'm 25 years old—I can't dress for you anymore!

2. To wear clothing that is appropriate for a specific occasion or outcome (as in the phrase "dress for success"). You're dressed for a trip to the mall, not a formal event. Please go change. I dressed for success in a suit and tie, but I don't think the recruiter was very impressed with me.