'attirement' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'attirement', ultimately derived from Old French 'atirement' from the verb 'atirer' (a- + tirer), where the prefix 'a-' (from Latin 'ad-') meant 'to' and the root 'tir-' (from Old French 'tirer', from Latin 'trahere') meant 'to draw or pull'.

'attirement' passed into English from Old French 'atirement' and Middle English 'attirement'; over time the related shorter form 'attire' became the more common modern term for clothing, while 'attirement' remained as an archaic or literary variant.

Initially it referred to the act of dressing or the clothing with which one was dressed; over time the basic sense remained but the word became archaic and its usage narrowed, with 'attire' supplanting it in everyday English.