A feature of nearly all human societies A society is a body of humans generally seen as a community or group of humans - or other organisms of a single species - that is outlined by the bounds of cultural identity, social solidarity, functional interdependence, or eusociality. Human societies are characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals that share a distinctive is the wearing of clothing or clothes, a category encompassing a wide variety of materials that cover the body. The primary purpose of clothing is functional, as a protection from the elements Weather is a set of all the phenomena occurring in a given atmosphere at a given time. Weather phenomena lie in the troposphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate is the term for the average atmospheric conditions over longer periods of time. When used without qualification, ". Clothes enhance safety during activity by providing a barrier between the skin and the environment. Clothing also acts as a hygenic barrier, keeping toxins away from the body and limiting the transmission of bacteria and viruses. Outside of their purely functional purpose, clothes often play an important social and cultural Culture is a term that has different meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions. However, the word "culture" is most commonly used in three basic senses: role. Most socieities develop norms about modesty Standards of modesty are aspects of the culture of a country or people, at a given point in time, and is a measure against which an individual in society may be judged. Though the term can be applied to both men and women, and boys and girls, it is most commonly applied to women, and girls, religious A religion is an organized approach to human spirituality which usually encompasses a set of narratives, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural or transcendent quality, that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power, God or gods, or ultimate truth. It may be expressed through practices, behavioral appropriateness, social status, and even political affiliations in which clothes play an important role. Finally, clothing functions as a form of adornment and an expression of personal taste or style.

Throughout history clothes have been made of materials History, clothing have been made from many materials - ranging from grasses to furs to much more elaborate and exotic materials. Some cultures, such as the various people of the Arctic circle, until recently, made their clothing entirely of prepared and decorated furs and skins. Other cultures have supplemented or replaced leather and skins with ranging from natural grasses and furs to elaborate and exotic synthetic compounds. Some recent scientific research involving lice Lice , (order Phthiraptera), also known as fly babies, are an order of over 3,000 species of wingless insects; three of which are classified as human disease agents. They are obligate ectoparasites of every avian and most mammalian orders. They are not found on Monotremes (the platypus and the echidnas or spiny anteaters) and a few eutherian estimates that humans have been wearing clothing for as long as 650,000 years.^[1].

Articles carried rather than worn (such as purses In British English, a purse is a small money container similar to a wallet, but typically used by women and including a compartment for coins, with a handbag being considerably larger; indeed, a purse is often kept in a handbag, canes Hemiplegic and balance-impaired persons use the stick to give them a better sense of the vertical position, thereby lessening vertigo. Without the stick, it is easy to walk at an angle, and perhaps not move in a straight line. The stick is held in the stronger hand, and umbrellas An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against precipitation or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun, and umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain. Often the difference is the material; some parasols are not waterproof. Parasols are often meant to be fixed to one) are normally considered fashion accessories Fashion accessories are decorative items that supplement one's garment, such as jewelry, gloves, handbags, hats, belts, scarves, watches, sunglasses, pins, stockings, bow tie, leg warmer, leggings, necktie, suspenders, and tights rather than clothing, but hats and small dress sweaters can be called either clothing or accessories.^{[citation needed]} Jewelry Jewellery (pronounced /ˈdʒuːəlri/ or /ˈdʒuːələri/ ) or jewelry is an item of personal adornment, such as a necklace, ring, brooch or bracelet, that is worn by a person. It may be made from gemstones or precious metals, but may be from any other material, and may be appreciated because of geometric or other patterns, or meaningful symbols and eyeglasses Glasses are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the eyes, normally for vision correction, eye protection, or for protection from UV rays are usually considered as accessories as well,^{[citation needed]} even though in common speech these particular items are described as being worn rather than carried.

Contents 1 Functions of clothing 2 Cultural aspects 2.1 Gender differentiation 2.2 Social status 2.3 Religious aspects 3 Origin and history of clothing 4 Contemporary clothing styles 5 Political issues 5.1 Working conditions 5.2 Fur 6 Sport and activity 7 Clothing maintenance 7.1 Laundry, ironing, storage 7.2 Mending 8 The life cycle of clothing 9 See also 10 References 11 External links

Functions of clothing

A baby A human infant less than a month old is a neonate. The term "newborn" includes premature infants, postmature infants and full term newborns wearing many items of winter Winter is one of the four seasons of temperate zones. In many countries, winter officially begins on the day of the year which has fewest hours of daylight, the winter solstice, and ends on the following equinox. In the Northern Hemisphere, depending on the year, this corresponds to the period between December 20 and 21 and March 20 or 21. It clothing: headband A headband is a clothing accessory worn in the hair or around the forehead, usually to hold hair away from the face or eyes. Headbands generally consist of a loop of elastic material or a horseshoe-shaped piece of flexible plastic or metal. They come in assorted shapes and sizes and are used for both practical and fashion purposes, cap A cap is a form of headgear. Caps have crowns that fit closer than hats and have no brim or only a visor. They are typically designed for warmth and, when including a visor, blocking sunlight from the eyes, fur-lined coat, shawl A shawl is a simple item of clothing, loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, sometimes also over the head. It is usually a rectangular or square piece of cloth, that is often folded to make a triangle but can also be triangular in shape. Other shapes include oblong shawls and sweater A sweater, pullover, jumper, jersey or guernsey is a relatively heavy garment intended to cover the torso and arms of the human body (though, in some cases, sweaters are made for dogs and occasionally other animals) and usually worn over a shirt, blouse, T-shirt or other top. Sweaters tend to be, and in earlier times always were, made from wool (

One of the primary purposes of clothing is to keep the wearer warm or in some cases cool. In hot climates this function is minimal, while in very cold climates it is more important. Shelter usually reduces the functional need for clothing. For example, coats, hats, gloves, shoes, socks, and other superficial layers would normally be removed when entering or once inside a warm home, particularly if one is residing or sleeping there. Similarly, clothing have seasonal and regional aspects, so that thinner materials and fewer layers of clothing are generally worn in warmer seasons and regions than in colder ones.

Clothing at times is worn as protection from specific environmental The biophysical environment is the symbiosis between the physical environment and the biological life forms within the environment, and includes all variables that comprise the Earth's biosphere. The biophysical environment can be divided into two categories: the natural environment and the built environment, with some overlap between the two hazards, such as insects Insects are arthropods, having a hard exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax, and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae. They are the most diverse group of animals on the planet and include approximately 2,200 species of praying mantis, 5,000 dragonfly, 20,000 grasshopper, 82,000 true bug, 120,000 fly, 110,000, noxious chemicals, weapons Weapons can be as simple as a club, or as complex as an intercontinental ballistic missile, and include those that damage individual or group morale, and contact with abrasive substances. Clothing can protect against many things that might injure the uncovered human body. Clothes act as protection from the elements, including rain, snow and wind and other weather conditions, even from the sun. Clothes also reduce the level of risk during an activity, such as work or sport. Conversely, clothing may protect the environment from the clothing wearer, as for example wearing of medical scrubs Scrubs are the shirts and trousers or gowns worn by nurses, surgeons, and other operating room personnel when "scrubbing in" for surgery. They are designed to be simple with minimal places for dirt to hide, easy to launder, and cheap to replace if damaged or stained irreparably. The wearing of scrubs has been extended outside of surgery.

Humans have shown extreme inventiveness in devising clothing solutions to environmental hazards. Some examples include: space suits, air conditioned clothing Air conditioned clothing is intended primarily to be used by workers in areas where air conditioning systems cannot be easily installed, such as tunnels and underground construction sites, armor Armour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat. Armour has been used to protect soldiers, war animals such as war horses (the application for the latter called barding), and war machines such as warships and, diving suits Apart from hot water suits, these types of suit are not exclusively used by divers but are often used for thermal protection by people engaged in other water sports activities such as surfing, sailing, powerboating, windsurfing, kite surfing, waterskiing, caving and swimming, swimsuits A swimsuit, bathing suit or swimming costume is an item of clothing designed to be worn while participating in water sports and activities such as swimming, water polo, diving, surfing, water skiing, or for any activity in the sun, such as sun bathing. In New Zealand English and some areas of Australian English, swimsuits are usually called togs, bee-keeper gear Beekeeping is the maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives, by humans. A beekeeper (or apiarist) keeps bees in order to collect honey and beeswax, for the purpose of pollinating crops, or to produce bees for sale to other beekeepers. A location where bees are kept is called an apiary, motorcycle leathers To improve motorcycle safety many countries mandate the wearing of protective clothing by motorcyclists, especially a helmet. Other protective gear may include certain types of jackets, gloves, boots, and pants. Jackets meant for motorcyclists are typically made of nylon, leather, or Kevlar. These jackets typically include heavy padding on the, high-visibility clothing High-visibility clothing, a type of personal protective equipment , is any clothing worn that has highly reflective properties or a color that is easily discernible from any background. Yellow waistcoats worn by Emergency Services are a common example, and other pieces of protective clothing Personal protective equipment refers to protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garment designed to protect the wearer's body or clothing from injury by blunt impacts, electrical hazards, heat, chemicals, and infection, for job-related occupational safety and health purposes, and in sports, martial arts, combat, etc. body armor is combat-. Meanwhile, the distinction between clothing and protective equipment is not always clear-cut, since clothes designed to be fashionable will often have some protective value and clothes which are designed to be functional will often consider fashion in their design.

Cultural aspects

Gender differentiation

Former US Secretary of State The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence. The current Secretary of State selected by President Barack Obama is Hillary Condoleezza Rice Condoleezza Rice is a professor, diplomat, author, and national security expert. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and the second in the administration of President George W. Bush to hold the office. Rice was the first black woman, second African American (after her predecessor Colin Powell, who served from 2001 to 2005), and Turkish President The President of Turkey is the head of state of the Republic of Turkey. In this capacity he represents the Republic of Turkey, and the unity of the Turkish nation; he ensures the implementation of the Turkish constitution, and the organized and harmonious functioning of the organs of state. The articles from 101 to 106 of the constitution Abdullah Gül Abdullah Gül, GCB, GColIH, Ph.D. is the 11th President of the Republic of Turkey, serving in that office since 28 August 2007. He previously served for five months as Prime Minister from 2002 to 2003, and as Foreign Minister from 2003 to 2007 wearing Western-style business suits.

In most cultures, gender differentiation A gender difference is a distinction of biological and/or physiological characteristics typically associated with either males or females of a species in general. In the study of humans, socio-political issues arise in classifying whether a sex difference results from the biology of gender. This article focuses on quantitative differences which of clothing are considered appropriate for men and women. The differences are in styles, colors and fabrics.

• In Western societies, skirts A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs and dresses and high-heeled shoes High-heeled footwear is footwear that raises the heel of the wearer's foot significantly higher than the toes. When both the heel and the toes are raised equal amounts, as in a platform shoe, it is not considered to be a "high-heel", however, there are also high-heeled platform shoes. High heels tend to give the aesthetic illusion of are usually seen as women's clothing, while neckties The necktie is a long piece of cloth worn around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat. Men and boys wear neckties as part of regular office attire or formal wear. Neckties can also be worn as part of a uniform (e.g. military, school and are usually seen as men's clothing. Trousers Trousers are an item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately . Such items of clothing are often referred to as pants in countries such as Canada, South Africa and the United States. Additional synonyms include slacks, kegs or kex, breeches (sometimes pronounced /ˈbrɪtʃɨz/) or were once seen as exclusively male clothing, but are nowadays worn by both sexes. Male clothes are often more practical (that is, they can function well under a wide variety of situations), but a wider range of clothing styles is available for females. Males are typically allowed to bare their chests in a greater variety of public places. It is generally acceptable for a woman to wear traditionally male clothing, while the converse is unusual.
• In some cultures, sumptuary laws Sumptuary laws are laws which attempt to regulate habits of consumption. Black's Law Dictionary defines them as "Laws made for the purpose of restraining luxury or extravagance, particularly against inordinate expenditures in the matter of apparel, food, furniture, etc.". Traditionally, they were laws which regulated and reinforced regulate what men and women are required to wear.
• Islam requires both sexes to wear hijab Since the 1970s, hijab has emerged as a symbol of Islamic consciousness. Muslims differ as to how "hijab dress" should be enforced, particularly over the role of religious police that are enforcing hijab in Iran and Saudi Arabia, or modest clothing. What qualifies as "modest" varies in different Muslim societies; however, women are usually required to cover more of their bodies than men are. Articles of clothing worn by Muslim women for purposes of modesty range from the headscarf Headscarves are scarves covering most or all of the top of a woman's hair and her head. Headscarves may be worn for a variety of purposes, such as for warmth, for sanitation, for fashion or social distinction; with religious signifiance, to hide baldness, out of modesty, or other forms of social convention to the burqa A burqa is an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions for the purpose of cloaking the entire body. It is worn over the usual daily clothing (often a long dress or a shalwar kameez) and removed when the woman returns to the sanctuary of the household (see purdah).
• Scottish men may choose to wear kilts The kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. Since the 19th century it has been associated with the wider culture of Scotland in general, or with Celtic heritage elsewhere. It is most often made of woollen cloth in a tartan pattern on ceremonial occasions. Kilts were previously worn as normal clothing by men. Men not of Scottish descent are increasingly wearing kilts today.
• Compared to men's clothing, women's clothing tends to address being looked at.^[2] In the modern West, women are more likely to wear makeup, jewelry, and colorful clothing, while in very traditional cultures women are protected from men's gazes by modest dress.

Social status

Alim Khan Emir Seyyid Mir Mohammed Alim Khan was the last emir of the Manghit dynasty, the last ruling dynasty of the Emirate of Bukhara in Central Asia. Although Bukhara was a protectorate of the Russian Empire from 1873, the Emir presided over the internal affairs of his emirate as absolute monarch and reigned from January 3, 1911 to August 30, 1920. He's bemedaled robe A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. A robe is distinguished from a cape or cloak by the fact that it usually has sleeves. The English word robe is borrowed from French. There are various types of robes, including: is a social message

In some societies, clothing may be used to indicate rank or status In sociology or anthropology, social status is the honor or prestige attached to one's position in society . The stratification system, which is the system of distributing rewards to the members of society, determines social status. Social status, the position or rank of a person or group within the stratification system, can be determined two. In ancient Rome Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea, it became one of the largest empires in the ancient world, for example, only senators were permitted to wear garments dyed with Tyrian purple The Tyrian purple , also known as royal purple, imperial purple or imperial dye, is a purple-red dye which was first produced by the ancient Phoenicians. In traditional Hawaiian society only high-ranking chiefs wear feather cloaks and palaoa or carved whale teeth. Under the Travancore Kingdom of Kerala, (India), lower caste women had to pay a tax for the right to cover their upper body. In China, before the establishment of the republic, only the emperor could wear yellow. There are numerous examples throughout history of elaborate systems of sumptuary laws regulating what people could wear. In societies without such laws, which includes most modern societies, social status is instead signaled by the purchase of high cost, rare, or luxury items, the purchase of which are effectively limited to those with the wealth or status to acquire them. In addition, peer pressure may influence clothing choice.

Religious aspects

See also: :Category:Religious vesture

Religious clothing might be considered a special case of occupational clothing. Sometimes it is worn only during the performance of religious ceremonies. However, it may also be worn everyday as a marker for special religious status.

For example, Jains wear unstitched cloth pieces when performing religious ceremonies. The unstitched cloth signifies unified and complete devotion to the task at hand, with no digression.^{[citation needed]}.Sikhs wear a turban as it is a part of their religion.

The cleanliness of religious dresses in Eastern Religions like Hinduism,Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism is of paramount importance, which indicates purity.

Clothing figures prominently in the Bible where it appears in numerous contexts, the more prominent ones being: the story of Adam and Eve, Joseph's cloak, Judah and Tamar, Mordechai and Esther. Furthermore the priests officiating in the Temple had very specific garments, the lack of which would make one liable to death.

Jewish ritual also requires rending of one's upper garment as a sign of mourning. This practice is found in the Bible when Jacob hears of the apparent death of his son Joseph.^[3]

Origin and history of clothing

Main article: History of clothing See also: History of Western fashion and Category:History of clothing

(According to archaeologists and anthropologists, the earliest clothing likely consisted of fur, leather, leaves or grass which were draped, wrapped or tied around the body. Knowledge of such clothing remains inferential, since clothing materials deteriorate quickly compared to stone, bone, shell and metal artifacts. Archeologists have identified very early sewing needles of bone and ivory from about 30,000 BC, found near Kostenki, Russia in 1988)^{[citation needed]}

Scientists are still debating when people started wearing clothes. Ralf Kittler, Manfred Kayser and Mark Stoneking, anthropologists at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, have conducted a genetic analysis of human body lice that suggests clothing originated quite recently, around 107,000 years ago. Body lice is an indicator of clothes-wearing, since most humans have sparse body hair, and lice thus require human clothing to survive. Their research suggests the invention of clothing may have coincided with the northward migration of modern Homo sapiens away the warm climate of Africa, thought to have begun between 50,000 and 100,000 years ago. However, a second group of researchers using similar genetic methods estimate that clothing originated around 540,000 years ago (Reed et al. 2004. PLoS Biology 2(11): e340). For now, the date of the origin of clothing remains unresolved.^{[citation needed]}

Some human cultures, such as the various people of the Arctic Circle, until recently made their clothing entirely of prepared and decorated furs and skins. Other cultures have supplemented or replaced leather and skins with cloth: woven, knitted, or twined from various animal and vegetable fibers.

See also: weaving, knitting, and twining

Although modern consumers may take the production of clothing for granted, making fabric by hand is a tedious and labor intensive process. That the textile industry was the first to be mechanized during the Industrial Revolution attests to this fact; before the invention of the powered loom, textile production took many hours and callused many hands.

(Different cultures have evolved various ways of creating clothes out of cloth. One approach simply involves draping the cloth. Many people wore, and still wear, garments consisting of rectangles of cloth wrapped to fit — for example, the dhoti for men and the saree for women in the Indian subcontinent, the Scottish kilt or the Javanese sarong.) The clothes may simply be tied up, as is the case of the first two garments; or pins or belts hold the garments in place, as in the case of the latter two. The precious cloth remains uncut, and people of various sizes or the same person at different sizes can wear the garment.

Another approach involves cutting and sewing the cloth, but using every bit of the cloth rectangle in constructing the clothing. The tailor may cut triangular pieces from one corner of the cloth, and then add them elsewhere as gussets. Traditional European patterns for men's shirts and women's chemises take this approach.

Modern European fashion treats cloth much more prodigally, typically cutting in such a way as to leave various odd-shaped cloth remnants. Industrial sewing operations sell these as waste; home sewers may turn them into quilts.

(In the thousands of years that humans have spent constructing clothing, they have created an astonishing array of styles, many of which we can reconstruct from surviving garments, photos, paintings, mosaics, etc., as well as from written descriptions. Costume history serves as a source of inspiration to current fashion designers, as well as a topic of professional interest to costumers constructing for )plays, films, television, and historical reenactment.

Contemporary clothing styles

A rave style, 2007

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (February 2009)

Western fashion has, to some extent, become international fashion, as Western media and styles penetrate all parts of the world. Fast fashion clothing is widespread worldwide. These garments are less expensive, mass-produced Western clothing. Used clothing from Western countries also reach people in poor countries.

People may wear ethnic or national dress on special occasions or in certain roles or occupations. For example, most Korean men and women have adopted Western-style dress for daily wear, but will still wear traditional hanboks on special occasions, like weddings and cultural holidays. Items of Western dress may also appear worn or accessorized in distinctive, non-Western ways. A Tongan man may combine a used T-shirt with a Tongan wrapped skirt, or tupenu.

There is a very diverse range of styles in Western fashions, ranging from expensive haute couture to thrift store grunge.

Political issues

Working conditions

This section requires expansion.

Garment workers often have to labor under poor conditions. Mass-produced clothing is often manufactured in Sweatshop conditions, typified by long work hours, lack of benefits, and lack of worker representation. While most sweatshops are found in developing countries, clothes made in industrialized nations may also be manufactured in sweatshops, most often staffed by undocumented immigrants.

Coalitions of NGOs, designers (Katharine Hamnett, American Apparel, Veja, Quiksilver, eVocal, Edun,...) and campaign groups like the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) seek to improve these conditions as much as possible by sponsoring awareness-raising events, which draw the attention of both the media and the general public to the workers' conditions.

Outsourcing production to low wage countries like Bangladesh, China, India and Sri Lanka became possible when the Multi Fibre Agreement (MFA) was abolished. The MFA was deemed a protectionist measure which placed quotas on the exports of textiles.^{[citation needed]} Globalization is often quoted as the single most contributing factor to the poor working conditions of garment workers. Although many countries recognize treaties like the ILO, many have also made exceptions to certain parts of the treaties. India for example has not ratified sections 87 and 92 of the treaty.^{[citation needed]}

Fur

Main article: Fur clothing

The use of animal fur in clothing dates to prehistoric times. It is currently associated in developed countries with expensive, designer clothing, although fur is still used by indigenous people in arctic zones and higher elevations for its warmth and protection. Once uncontroversial, it has recently been the focus of campaigns on the grounds that it may be cruel and unnecessary. PETA, along with other animal rights and animal liberation groups have called attention to fur farming and other practices they consider cruel.

Sport and activity

Most sports and physical activities are practiced wearing special clothing, for practical, comfort or safety reasons. Common sportswear garments include short pants, T-shirts, tennis shirts, tracksuits, and trainers. Specialized garments include wet suits (for swimming, diving or surfing), salopettes (for skiing) and leotards (for gymnastics). Also, spandex materials are often used as base layers to soak up sweat. Spandex is also preferable for active sports that require form fitting garments, such as wrestling, track & field, dance, gymnastics and swimming.

Clothing maintenance

Clothes drying in the sun.

Clothing suffers assault both from within and without. The human body sheds skin cells and body oils, and exudes sweat, urine, and feces. From the outside, sun damage, moisture, abrasion and dirt assault garments. Fleas and lice may hide in seams. Worn clothing, if not cleaned and refurbished, will itch, look scruffy, and lose functionality (as when buttons fall off and zippers fail).

In some cases, people wear an item of clothing until it falls apart. Cleaning leather presents difficulties, and bark cloth (tapa) cannot be washed without dissolving it. Owners may patch tears and rips, and brush off surface dirt, but old leather and bark clothing will always look old.

But most clothing consists of cloth, and most cloth can be laundered and mended (patching, darning, but compare felt).

Laundry, ironing, storage

Humans have developed many specialized methods for laundering, ranging from the earliest "pound clothes against rocks in running stream" to the latest in electronic washing machines and dry cleaning (dissolving dirt in solvents other than water).

Many kinds of clothing are designed to be ironed before they are worn to remove wrinkles. Most modern formal and semi-formal clothing is in this category (for example, dress shirts and suits). Ironed clothes are believed to look clean, fresh, and neat. Much contemporary casual clothing is made of knit materials that do not readily wrinkle, and do not require ironing. Some clothing is permanent press, having been treated with a coating (such as polytetrafluoroethylene) that suppresses wrinkles and creates a smooth appearance without ironing.

Once clothes have been laundered and possibly ironed, they are usually hung on clothes hangers or folded, to keep them fresh until they are worn. Clothes are folded to allow them to be stored compactly, to prevent creasing, to preserve creases or to present them in a more pleasing manner, for instance when they are put on sale in stores.

Many kinds of clothes are folded before they are put in suitcases as preparation for travel. Other clothes, such as suits, may be hung up in special garment bags, or rolled rather than folded. Many people use their clothing as packing material around fragile items that might otherwise break in transit.

Mending

In past times, mending was an art. A meticulous tailor or seamstress could mend rips with thread raveled from hems and seam edges so skillfully that the darn was practically invisible. When the raw material — cloth — was worth more than labor, it made sense to expend labor in saving it. Today clothing is considered a consumable item. Mass-manufactured clothing is less expensive than the labor required to repair it. Many people will buy a new piece of clothing rather than expend time mending. The thrifty still replace zippers and buttons and sew up ripped hems.

The life cycle of clothing

Used, unwearable clothing was once used for quilts, rag, rugs, bandages, and many other household uses. It could also be recycled into paper. Now it is usually thrown away. Used but still wearable clothing can be sold at consignment shops, flea markets, online auction, or donated to charity.

There are many concerns about the life cycle of synthetics which come primarily from petrochemicals. Unlike natural fibers, their source is not renewable (in less than millions of years) and they are not biodegradable.

See also

Find more about clothing on Wikipedia's sister projects: Definitions from Wiktionary

Textbooks from Wikibooks Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Images and media from Commons News stories from Wikinews

Learning resources from Wikiversity

• Blouse
• Clothes hanger
• Clothes valet
• Clothing material
• Clothing terminology
• Coat
• Costume
• Dress
• Jacket
• Jumpsuit
• Pajamas
• Shirt
• Skirt
• Trousers

References

1. ^ John Travis (2003-08-23) ( – ^{Scholar search}). The naked truth? Lice hint at a recent origin of clothing. 164. Science News. pp. 118. http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20030823/fob7.asp.
2. ^ http://books.google.ca/books?id=OXmOXQPc6eEC&pg=PA63&lpg=PA63&dq=Women+%2Bclothing+%2Battention+%2Bdress+-islam&source=bl&ots=za_iogc9KC&sig=EHnPXyq-wPd7rj83ImFs9p4-czo&hl=en&ei=rgEXSo2NKJiQmAeqlvDtDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4 The Pursuit of Attention, 2000]
3. ^ http://www.divreinavon.com/pdf/BegedSimlaJBQ.pdf

External links

• , scholarly publications
• German Hosiery Museum (English language)
• Molecular Evolution of Pediculus humanus and the Origin of Clothing by Ralf Kittler, Manfred Kayser and Mark Stoneking (.PDF file)
• Home Economics Archive: Research, Tradition, History (HEARTH) An e-book collection of over 1,000 books on home economics spanning 1850 to 1950, created by Cornell University's Mann Library. Includes several hundred works on clothing and textiles in this period, itemized in a specific bibliography.

Clothing Materials Cloth · Denim · Down · Fur · Leather · Nylon · Polyester · Spandex · Silk Tops Blouse · Crop top · Dress shirt · Halterneck · Henley shirt · Hoodie · Jersey · Guernsey (clothing) · Polo shirt · Shirt · Sleeveless shirt · Sweater · T-shirt · Tube top · Turtleneck Trousers or pants Bell-bottoms · Bermuda shorts · Bondage pants · Boxer shorts · Capri pants · Cargo pants · Culottes · Cycling shorts · Dress pants · Jeans · Jodhpurs · Overall · Parachute pants · Shorts · Sweatpants · Windpants Skirts Ballerina skirt · Hobble skirt · Jean skirt · Job skirt · Leather skirt · Kilt · Pencil skirt · Poodle skirt · Prairie skirt · Miniskirt · Slip · Skort · Train Dresses Ball gown · Cocktail dress · Evening gown · Gown · Jumper dress · Little black dress · Petticoat · Sari · Sundress · Tea gown · Wedding dress Suits and uniforms Academic dress · Black tie · Clerical clothing · Court dress · Gymslip · Jumpsuit · Morning dress · Pantsuit · Red Sea rig · Scrubs · Stroller · Tuxedo · Lab coat · White tie · Tang suit · Mao suit · Afrocentric suit Outerwear Abaya · Academic gown · Anorak · Apron · Blazer · Cloak · Coat · Duffle coat · Frock coat · Jacket · Hoodie Opera coat · Overcoat · Pea coat · Poncho · Raincoat · Redingote · Robe · Shawl · Shrug · Ski suit · Sleeved blanket · Top coat · Trench coat · Greatcoat · Vest · Waistcoat · Windbreaker Underwear Boxer briefs · Boxer shorts · Brassiere · Briefs · Compression shorts · Corselet · Corset · Knickers · Lingerie · Long underwear · Panties · Teddy · Trunks · Undershirt Accessories Belly chain · Belt · Bow tie · Chaps · Earring · Gaiters · Gloves · Handbag · Leg warmer · Leggings · Necklace · Necktie · Scarf · Stocking · Sunglasses · Suspenders · Tights Footwear Athletic shoe · Boot · Dress shoe · Hosiery · Pump · Sandal · Shoe · Slipper · Sock Headwear Balaclava · Cap · Fascinator · Hat · Headband · Helmet · Hijab · Hood · Mantilla · Niqab · Sombrero · Turban · Ushanka · Veil Nightwear Babydoll · Blanket sleeper · Negligee · Nightgown · Nightshirt · Nightcap · Peignoir · Pajamas Clothing parts Back closure · Buckle · Button · Buttonhole · Collar · Cuff · Fly · Neckline - Waistline - Hemline · Hook-and-eye · Lapel · Pocket · Shoulder pad · Sleeve · Snap · Strap - Shoulder strap · Zipper · Elastic · Velcro National costume Abaya · Aboyne dress · Áo bà ba · Áo dài · Áo tứ thân · Barong Tagalog · Bunad · Cheongsam · Dashiki · Deel · Dhoti · Dirndl · Djellaba · Gho & Kira · Han Chinese clothing · Hanbok · Jellabiya · Jilbāb · Kebaya · Kente cloth · Kilt · Kimono · Lederhosen · Sampot · Sarafan · Sari · Sarong · Scottish dress Historical garments Banyan · Bedgown · Bodice · Braccae · Breeching · Breeches · Brunswick · Chemise · Chiton · Chlamys · Doublet · Exomis · Farthingale · Frock · Himation · Hose · Houppelande · Jerkin · Justacorps · Palla · Peplos · Polonaise · Smock-frock · Stola · Toga · Tunic History and surveys Africa · Ancient Greece · Ancient Rome · Ancient world · Anglo-Saxon · Byzantine · Clothing terminology · Dress code · Early Medieval Europe · Formal wear · Hanfu · History of clothing and textiles · History of Western fashion series (1100s-2000s) · Sumptuary law · Timeline of clothing and textiles technology · Undergarments · Vietnam · Women wearing pants See also Costume · Fashion · Adaptive clothing · Adult diaper · Locking clothing · Bathrobe

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