Clothing

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[[sv:Kl�der]][[pt:Indument�ria]] Clothing is any garment worn on the human body for warmth, adornment, protection against the elements, and modesty. (Humans have also dressed up non-human animals for a variety of reasons.) Clothing is a collective noun; the only singular form is "garment" or "article of clothing'.

The use of clothing can be a powerful social statement. Luxurious, perfectly tailored clothing in expensive fabrics marks the wearer as wealthy and powerful. Royalty has long assumed the exclusive privilege of wearing unique materials, such as purple-dyed cloth, ermine fur, or feathers of rare birds. Garments with a unique or trendy appearance show that the wearer is knowledgeable about fashion and wants to make a favorable impression. Mahatma Gandhi wore a simple loincloth to show his humility. Excessively worn, soiled clothing may indicate either poverty, illness or disdain for appearances.

There are dress codes on certain social occasions and for certain jobs. Schools may require school uniforms; if plain clothes are allowed there may be restrictions (see for example [1] ). A doorkeeper of a disco or nightclub may judge visitor's clothing and refuse entrance to those who are not exotically or expensively clad.

Clothing may be intentionally oversized for reasons of fashion or personal preference.

See also:

Common clothing materials:

  • Wood and metal may be used to stiffen garments such as corsets, bodices, or swimsuits.

Clothing production methods:

Some clothing is specialised equipment for a special purpose, such as a diving suit (these are included in the list below).

Some clothing materials are fetishized by a small number of people.

The rap duo Kriss Kross of two teenage boys wore all of their clothes backwards and extremely baggy.

Contents

Types of clothing

Styles

Part of the surface of clothes may be made retroreflective (small parts of coats, large parts of special high-visibility clothing for rescue workers etc.). This way they become much more visible in the dark for observers near a light source, such as the driver of a car with its headlights on. The pattern of the retroreflecting parts also helps to distinguish between objects and people.

For greater visibility at daytime, as well as for decoration, very bright colors are obtained with fluorescence. To reduce their visibility to other, soldiers and wildlife hunters or observers wear clothes with a camouflage pattern.

Classes of garments

=See also

Fictional clothes

References

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