Clothing theories

One of the first theories that formed the clothing hypothesis was the modesty / shame theory. This theory is also known as the fig leaf theory, which is based on the history of the Bible. Genesis says that Adam and Eve realize they are naked when they consume a fruit from the tree of knowledge. And in shame, they both sewed clothes out of fig leaves, hence the name fig leaf theory.

Many people began to consider that shame was the only reason behind clothing, but as time passed, people read more and more and offered many other theories. The arguments were that the clothing was simply to protect the body from environmental threats. Other arguments claimed that the clothing was created to create sexual attraction or to show the beauty of the body.

The clothes were discovered eons ago. A discovery of a 500-year-old male corpse on a glacier on the Austrian-Italian border revealed this. The body was dressed in a leather cap, a leather cape, a loincloth, and leather shoes. This clothing was possibly there to provide protection against high winds. Beautifying one’s own body often brings satisfaction to humans. It is discovered that people began to decorate themselves long before they began to dress. The first signs of decoration included paint and tattoos and even jewelry. Items other than clothing also had a certain importance in society.

Recent scholars now claim that clothing represents one’s identity and is communicated non-verbally. Clothing in some societies is as functional as language. Represents a person’s age, sex, marital status, ethnic origin, social status, and occupation. Clothing reveals certain information about an individual’s personality and financial status. If a woman is dressed in blue jeans and wearing a ruffled floral blouse, she is probably trying to say that she wants to look more traditional. On the other hand, a person wearing a shirt with the name of a rock band on the shirt, then the person is most likely a fan of a rock band.

The economy of one’s society, culture and traditions also inspire what you wear. According to many religions, only the elite class can wear certain clothing items, while the others cannot. Today’s democracies also reveal the same numbers. Well-off people dress in fine designer clothes, representing social status. Uniforms are another kind of clothing that represents one’s occupation. They are more likely to be used by the police, students, the military, etc. Events also influence what is worn, for example, in many societies special clothes are made only for weddings and their aftermath. Sportswear is another class of clothing that is manufactured to provide easy movement and protection during games like soccer, basketball, cricket, etc.

Clothing has now spread to a very diverse meaning. In high schools, the most desirable students wear something extraordinary that makes them stand out from teenagers called nerds. This difference delimits the boundaries between these two types of groups.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *