History of Clothing

Clothing objects worn around the human body. In most cases, clothing is composed of textiles or fabrics, but historically it’s also comprised clothes made from animal skins and other soft, delicate sheets of various materials, glued together and then stitched together. Clothing usually was intended to be utilitarian and functional, as opposed to stylish and fashionable. The history of clothing can be divided into several different periods – pre-history, ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Rome, Middle East, India, China and the Renaissance.

clothing

Pre-history clothing mainly consisted of pouch like bags made of mud or stone that were hung from the hips and allowed to absorb moisture when the wearer moved. Garments hung from the shoulders had to be tight or else they would catch on things and cause discomfort, while similarly attired garments had to be loose enough so that they could slip on a frog or a snake without catching or pulling the skin. Ancient Egypt is famous for having created the first civilization of clothing, as well as for creating the earliest form of washing machine. Ancient Greeks and Romans borrowed the concepts of making clothing out of cloth and reusing fabric for their clothing and used woven fabrics to make cloaks.

The popularity of clothes waned after the Common Era, and for a time people did not wear clothes much at all, except for times of necessity or emergency. During this time, people lived more in their homes than they did in their gardens and towns. A textile that could be worn in any season was important, and the popularity of the suit and coat hinged on its ability to be versatile and practical. Clothes developed to have better construction, and to have better, more comfortable designs. During the Medieval Ages, people began to realize that there were certain important functions that a good piece of clothing served and began to create clothing out of more natural fibers such as wool, silk and jute. It was at this point in time that clothing became more stylish and people began to dress according to the necessities of their day-to-day lives rather than according to the occasions they should dress for.