| Garment or clothing or clothes protect
the human body from extreme weather and other features of the environment.
It is worn for safety, comfort, modesty and to reflect religious, cultural
and social meaning. The practical function
of clothing is to protect the human body from dangers in the environment:
weather (strong sunlight, extreme heat or cold, and precipitation, for
example), insects, noxious chemicals, weapons, and contact with abrasive
substances, and other hazards. Clothing can protect against many things
that might injure the naked human body. In some cases, clothing protects
the environment from the clothing wearer as well (example: medical scrubs).
Humans have shown extreme inventiveness in
devising clothing solutions to practical problems and the distinction between
clothing and other protective equipment is not always clear-cut; examples
include space suit, air conditioned clothing, armor, diving suit, swimsuit,
bee-keeper's protective clothing, motorcycle leathers, high-visibility
clothing, and protective clothing. People
also decorate their bodies with makeup or cosmetics, scented perfume, and
other ornamentation; they also cut, dye, and arrange the hair on their
heads, faces, and bodies (see hairstyle), and sometimes also mark their
skin (by tattoos, scarifications, and piercings). All these decorations
may contribute to the overall effect and message of clothing, but do not
constitute clothing. Articles carried
rather than worn (such as purses, canes, and umbrellas) are normally considered
fashion accessories rather than clothing, but hats and small dress sweaters
can be called clothing or accessories. Jewelry and eyeglasses are usually
considered as accessories as well, even though in common speech these particular
items are described as being worn rather than carried. Historically,
there have been many societies where partial or complete nudity was the
cultural norm. In the modern world, most cultures find it socially unacceptable
to walk around in public without clothes. |
