History of Clothing
It is not really possible to know for sure exactly when the history of clothing began. One thing is sure that humans have worn some sort of clothing for as long as 70,000 years.
History of Clothing
Clothing is worn for a number of reasons. The primary reason is protection from the elements. This includes clothing worn for warmth. Other reasons include modesty and adornment. It is impossible to tell exactly when and for what reasons early man first began to make and wear clothing. The history of clothing is obscured by the fact that the materials used for early clothing were made of materials that decayed and disappeared over the centuries. This leaves us to search for other clues to the origin of clothing.
The pesky body lice give us one clue to the first use of clothing. Scientists have determined that from genetic studies that the body louse first developed somewhere around 72,000 years ago. It is unlikely that the body louse could have existed without human clothing. The naked human body does not really have thick enough hair to support this parasite. It is supposed that the first clothing worn by humans led to the introduction of the body louse to the world.
Other early archeological evidence has been uncovered. This includes what appears to be sewing needles that have been dated back 25,000 years. Around the same time, carvings of human figures seem to show some type of rudimentary clothing. Certainly, by the dawn of human recorded history, clothing had been established and textiles were being manufactured and cloth had largely replaced furs and animal skins.
Over the years, clothing has changed in style. From the very beginning, color and type of clothing indicated status and rank. The use of clothing for adornment became as important as for protection and warmth. Clothing styles were strongly influenced by such factors as climate and the availability of cloth. At the same time, culture differences were equally important in determining styles.
In the last century, the clothing styles of the world have begun to standardize as communication and transportation advances brought people closer together in a more global culture. Although unique cultural clothing is still worn on occasion, the basic styles have seemed to meld together into a common human style. These styles are constantly changing. The changes are brought about the influences of small subcultures or the introduction of new materials. They can also be caused simply by the vanity of human beings who have been using clothing for status for thousands of years.