The Why of Clothes

1. The Why of Clothes Standard(s): 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5Workplace Skill(s): 1. Complex Communication

2. Why People Wear Clothes • Prehistoric people clothed their bodies over 75,000 years • From the beginning, clothing has served the same basic human needs • Physical Need – protection • Psychological Needs – adornment, identification • Social Needs – modesty, status

3. Protection . . . • Physical Protection – protective clothing for the body, (ex. life jackets) • Weather – protects us from cold, heat, wind, rain • Ex. cold – sweaters, heat – wide-brimmed hats, wind – windbreaker, rain – rain jacket/umbrella

4. Protection, continued . . . • Environmental dangers – protects us from dirt, insects, and harmful agents from the environment • Ex. shoes, spacesuits for astronauts, sterile gloves/masks, grass skirts/mud to prevent bites • Occupational hazard – protect from dangers of job • Ex. hard hats, goggles, clothing to protect from fires • Enemies/attackers – protects people from getting badly hurt • Ex. shields, suits of armor, helmets, bullet proof vests, camouflaged fabric, football pads

5. Adornment . . . • It is decoration that provides a psychological feeling of well-being through beauty • Beauty – a quality that gives pleasure to the sense • Body adornment – enhances a person’s self-concept Ex. We wear clothing that is artistically designed and we combine garments in artistic ways. Then we add earrings, bracelets, necklaces, make-up and nail polish to add decoration.

6. Identification . . . • It is the process of establishing or describing who someone is what something does • Clothing can identify you and your role; it says who you are what you do. • Uniforms – outfits or articles of clothing that are alike and specific to everyone in a certain group • Dress codes – not uniforms, but must fall within a certain range of options

7. Modesty . . . • Is the covering of a person’s body according to the code of decency of a person’s society • Dictates the proper way to cover the body for social acceptance; people may have different levels of acceptance of how much/ how little one should wear • Changes over time and within cultures

8. Status . . . • Shows a person’s position or rank in comparison to others. • “Good” or “high” status is usually associated with recognition, prestige, and social acceptance. • Ex. Items that are used to achieve higher status (furs, diamond jewelry, expensive clothing) and items that show what you have achieved (military stripes, school letter)

9. Why People Select Certain Clothes • There are additional factors that influence the particular clothing choices people make . . . • Values • Attitudes • Conformity • Individuality • Personality • Physical Restrictions • Fashion is a mirror of our times because it reflects our culture at any given time

10. Values . . . • Ideas, beliefs, and things that are important to an individual • Underlying motivation for a person’s actions

11. Attitudes . . . • An individuals feelings or reactions to people, things, and ideas. • Learned concepts influenced by family members, friends, community, cultural customs and traditions • Individuals choose clothing and style based on their attitudes and values. Expensive or affordable? Comfortable or fancy? • Selection of clothing can be influenced by advertisement, age, prestige, status.

12. Conformity means obeying or agreeing with some given standard or authority. It can satisfy the need for identification Creates a safe feeling of belonging/approval Individuality is self-expression. It is the quality that distinguishes one person from another Satisfies the need for adornment and/or modesty Rejects peer pressure and conformity Conformity vs. Individuality

13. Personality . . . • Is the total characteristics that distinguish an individual, especially his/her behavioral and emotional tendencies. • Decorative clothing translates to being sociable • Comfort clothing translates to self-control and confidence • Economy clothing translates to responsible, alert, efficient and precise.

14. Physical Restrictions… • In some cases people wear clothing due to physical restrictions such as those that have disabilities, (i.e. loss of a leg/arm/hand), or children that are too young to dress themselves. • What clothing items would be appropriate for someone in a wheelchair? • What clothing items are appropriate for infants? For three-year-olds?