Study Unit 1 Flashcards
Origin of Clothing
We do not know exactly when and why humans first clothed and decorated themselves. One problem is that the materials they used, for example skins and natural fibres, were biodegradable. In time such materials rot away, while items made from ceramics, stone, pottery and even metal may be preserved for many centuries.
Direct and indirect evidence suggest the following development of clothing:
Body paints Draped animal skins and furs Tailored animal skins and furs The spinning and weaving of textile fabrics that were draped around the body Tailored textile garments
Body paints
The discovery of ochre, a pigment used for body painting, in Neanderthal burial sites dating back 400 000 years indicates that people decorated their bodies by painting on them.
Draped animal skins and furs
Skins and fur garments dating back 50 000 years have been found preserved in a frozen state in northern Russia. These skins were simply draped around the body. On pages 8 and 10 in your textbook the problems surrounding the use of skins are described
Tailored animal skins and furs
The “most revolutionary technological development in the field of apparel production” (Kaiser, 1985:29) was the eyed bone needle. A needle with an eye was necessary before skins could be tailored into garments, that is, cut and sewn together to form a fitted garment. Needles as old as 25 000 to 40 000 years have been found. The ability to tailor garments developed in cold climates, and even today Eskimo women are considered to be the best tailors in the world, producing the warm and waterproof garments necessary for survival in Arctic conditions
The spinning and weaving of textile fabrics that were draped around the body
Fragments of linen fabric garments dating back to about 10 000 years ago have been found. These garments were draped around the body, and not cut and sewn. The draped garment was used in the Mediterranean civilisations, where a loose garment was more practical in the warmer climates. The Romans associated tailored garments with the barbaric tribes of northern Europe
Tailored textile garments
We know that by 1000 BC the Chinese wore tailored textile garments. The fabric was woven and then cut and sewn.
Functions of clothing
The question of why we wear clothes has often been asked. Various theories have been suggested to explain why human beings cover and decorate their bodies. Three of these reasons are modesty, protection and decoration.
Modesty
Modesty is one reason for wearing clothes. It has been suggested that we cover our bodies because we are ashamed of our nakedness, but there is very little evidence to support this theory. Our concept of modesty is determined by our culture, by the period in time and by the situation.
Cultural differences
Different cultures have different ideas about which parts of the body should be covered. In certain Eastern countries it is quite acceptable for a woman to expose her midriff, but her legs must be covered. In some parts of the world there are groups of people who have never worn clothes and are not self-conscious about being naked. Others may be deeply ashamed of their thighs, but may not consider that exposing the female breasts as immodest. A man from the Tuareg tribe in North Africa will never expose his mouth – he wears a veil, even when sleeping or eating�
Historical differences
There are also historical differences in our standards of modesty. For the European and American women of the nineteenth century even the exposure of the ankle was unacceptable, but in the 1920s and the late 1960s it was fashionable to expose the knees and thighs.
Situational differences
In certain situations, such as at the swimming pool, we are also prepared to expose far more than if we were out shopping.
Protection

Clothing can be worn for physical and/or psychological protection. We wear sturdy shoes or boots to protect the feet physically when hiking in the veld. An apron protects one’s clothing and the motorcyclist’s helmet protects the head in case of an accident.
An astronaut wears a spacesuit for protection, and people wear coats and umbrellas to protect themselves from cold and rain.
We may also wear our clothing for psychological protection. People often have “lucky clothes”, such as a favourite jersey or dress or even a good-luck charm, that they firmly believe will bring them luck or protect them from evil.
In a traditional tribal setting, warriors often wore the skins of animals or painted their faces to protect themselves or scare their enemies. In the Far East, brides wear red to ward off evil spirits.

Decoration
Even primitive tribes who have never worn any clothes – either because of modesty or as protection against the elements – will decorate their bodies by painting, tattooing or scarifying the skin, or by wearing some sort of ornamentation. We decorate our bodies for self-extension and self-enhancement. Not only do we use clothing in order to look pretty to ourselves and to others, but it can give us a greater sense of power. For example, the padded shoulders in a business suit may give the wearer a feeling of authority.
We also decorate ourselves so that we are sexually attractive. This applies to both men and women. Experts consider that the decoration theory is the most valid.
