Scribd
Upload
163 views8 pages

An Introduction To Clothing

Clothing serves several important functions. It provides protection for the body from environmental factors and regulates body temperature. Clothing is also a form of nonverbal communication and expression of identity, conveying information about the wearer's personality, beliefs, values, and relationships. The clothing choices people make are influenced by both psychological and social factors and can symbolize attributes like age, gender, socioeconomic status, and membership in social groups. Clothing fulfills both physical and psychological needs and plays a role in human satisfaction and communication.

Uploaded by

rockwithakm
Copyright
© Public Domain
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
163 views8 pages

An Introduction To Clothing

Clothing serves several important functions. It provides protection for the body from environmental factors and regulates body temperature. Clothing is also a form of nonverbal communication and expression of identity, conveying information about the wearer's personality, beliefs, values, and relationships. The clothing choices people make are influenced by both psychological and social factors and can symbolize attributes like age, gender, socioeconomic status, and membership in social groups. Clothing fulfills both physical and psychological needs and plays a role in human satisfaction and communication.

Uploaded by

rockwithakm
Copyright
© Public Domain
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 8

AN Introduction to

Clothing
Next to food and shelter, cloth is the most
significant fundamental necessity for mankind.
Cloth and Clothing are related in the sense that
cloth refers to the “fabric or textile”, while
clothing refers to the “visible means of covering
the body”. Clothing is “any tangible material used
to cover and decorate the human body” (Sproles
& Burns). Clothing is not only a passive
protective cover to protect the skin, but it
additionally regulates and modifies the body heat
(Ross). Clothing is, thus, “an assemblage of
modifications of the body or supplements to the
body” (Roach-Higgins & Eicher).
Clothing is vital in determining a person’s
impression of others and is functional. It
incorporates certain combination of shapes,
lines, colors, designs, patterns, and textures,
and these are often referred to as artistic
elements of clothing. Because this form of art
can be worn, clothes can be seen as wearable
art. It also includes genetic characteristics
such as ethnicity, sexuality, hair texture, and
body shape. At the personal level, the sense of
clothing can provide information about the
wearer’s personality, beliefs, values, attitudes,
culture, interests, preferences, lifestyle, and
social and personal relationships.
Clothing is a visible symbol of personality and
lifestyle. Clothing creates novelty, uniqueness,
and excitement in life. Clothing helps to show
personal values ​and self-esteem. Clothing can
be used as an external expression of personal
feelings, such as self-confidence, respect,
achievement, and satisfaction. Clothing is
important for determining human satisfaction.
When choosing clothes, people can convey
their accomplishments while expressing a
sense of gratitude, humility, and obedience.
Clothing provides a unique and satisfying
experience for everyone and every day of life
(Brookshire & Hodges).
Clothing serves as a background, while other
forms of verbal or non-verbal communication
are also taking place. Unlike many other forms
of communication, clothes tend to remain
stable or unchanged for many hours of the
day. Therefore, clothing is usually a “non-
disruptive behavior, rather than a behavior that
dynamically changes or unfolds over time like
words in conversation or movements in dance”
(Damhorst et al.). Furthermore, clothing is a
form of non-verbal communication, including a
combination of external clothing on the body
and certain changes or additions to the body.
Clothing is one of several ways of nonverbal
communication and does not necessarily
involve oral expression through spoken or
written means. Clothing is a part of the silent
language that is communicated through the
use of visual but nonverbal symbols. Clothing
is an important symbol of an individual’s
identity, emotions, and attitude, through which
meaning can be established in social
transactions. Clothing not only meets the basic
physical needs, including food and shelter, but
also meets psychological needs (Kwon).
Every item of clothing carries a
psychological meaning. The clothes that a
person chooses are to a great extent an
expression of the self-concept that the
person has, reflecting his personality and
expressing the values that are important to
him/her. Clothes convey to the observers
the following information about the wearer:
“age, gender, occupation, marital status,
socio-economic status, membership of
special groups or organizations, emotions,
personality, attitudes, interests, and values”
(Ojha).
Clothes are also superstitious. People often use
“lucky” or “favorite” clothes on special
occasions. They associate positivity with some
clothes, and people attribute it to their success
or good luck. From pendants and rings to specific
colored clothes, people wear such items
consciously or unconsciously when needed.
These superstitions can be either personal or
cultural. For instance, in an important meeting,
an individual may choose to wear a black shirt.
On the other hand, there are concepts in certain
Hindu cultures that suggest against wearing
black cloths under certain circumstances. People
often attribute their experiences to the clothes
they wear and choose clothes accordingly.

You might also like