Clothing has evolved over many centuries, from tunics and loincloths made from animal hides in 4000 BC to jeans and crop tops in 2026. Clothes are worn for numerous reasons, around the world, each country having a different style. Today, we will be discussing the different factors that contribute to clothing, and their significance in the modern world...
Cultural acts and societies are shaping our world everyday, through food, traditions and clothes. Clothes can be a representation of one's culture. In India, saris are worn by women for festivals and celebrations. In Scotland, traditional clothes include kilts, which in some areas of the world, are still worn today. Clothes as a representation of culture is quite significant. Alongside our personalities and characteristics, our culture differentiates each one of us, and makes everyone unique. One of the components that define culture is clothes. Picture a world with every person wearing the same clothes. Although we all might have different thoughts and personalities, our culture would be left alone and forgotten. Cultural acts and societies are shaping our world everyday, through food, traditions and clothes.
Delving deeper into why garments are worn, many reasons lie behind this notion of wearing clothes. When humans realized that garments and clothing had to be worn, about 80,000 years ago, they understood that not only for protection from weather, but that clothes had to be worn to protect one's genitals (private parts).This would have been considered due to many reasons. People would have considered the fact that private parts in both men and women must be treated with utmost hygiene. So therefore, they had to be covered with garments. Another reason they would have considered is culture. When culture had divided the world into different segments, people would have realized that their way of clothing had not satisfied their culture's rules or laws. Even now, in many parts of the world, for instance; Afghanistan, clothing is quite strict, enforcing all women to be covered, head to foot, including the face and mouth .Although this rule does not link to the fact of private parts it revolves around the notion of covering our bodies.
Lastly, I have discovered another reason why people wear clothes. People (especially teens) are not being exposed to the outside world nowadays. Glued to devices ; e.g. texting, video games, social media, children and teenagers are not stepping into the outside world as much. But the moment people step out of their comfort zone, they start to feel a bit insecure. Questions like 'Will my friend make fun of me if she sees my legs?', or 'I think I should stop wearing half - sleeved shirts' start to enter one's mind. Due to this insecurity, people cover themselves with clothes from top to bottom, to cover parts of their body from their peers. Insecurity can affect one's well being, mental health and confidence. Clothes are to represent you as a person. Due to insecurity, people are changing the way they are being represented to the outside world. In conclusion I believe that clothes are worn for several reasons, but mainly to represent us as who we are, through culture, personality and tradition. A popular quote by Rachel Zoe is 'STYLE IS A WAY TO SAY WHO YOU ARE WITHOUT HAVING TO SPEAK'. This quote emphasizes the fact that style, fashion or clothing are mirrors that reflect ourselves onto the outside world. People must not feel insecure about the way they look. Clothes must boost one's confidence about themselves. Clothes must be worn everyday, reminding everyone of who they actually are.
Thank you for reading,
Jodha Kondapalli
