Culture: Dress

Dress is an important part of each culture. If a cultural group did not have its own style, how else would it be identified, fashion wise? Sometimes even the clothing they wear has a great meaning, a great amount of value behind it. The wearing of clothes is a great feature in all societies. Besides protecting us from harmful rays and toxins, clothes most cultural groups wear certain styles of clothing as symbol to modesty, religious practices, appropriateness, and also social status. Some even use it to represent various affiliations ranging from gang affiliations to political affiliations. At times, clothing is used to express one's unique taste, and is sometimes prohibited in some countries.

In some countries, only a certain type of social status would be allowed to wear a certain color, or form of clothing. For example, in some countries, maybe, only the family of royalty would be able to wear any from of purple. In some nations also, the social status is portrayed because many of the finest clothing that only the richest wear are to expensive, clearly placing the bar between the wealthy, and the poor.

Marital status is also represented in clothing. Take wedding rings for example, which is jewelry, but fall under the category. Men and women wear their wedding rings to show that they are married.

Religion may have the biggest effect on other forms of clothing that we are not accustomed to. For example, the dot that Hindu people (yes, both women and men) wear on their forehead. This represents their third eye, reminding them of their spiritual heritages where ever they may go. It also serves as identification among other religions.

Ancient Chinese history lets us know that the traditional Chinese style of dress was adopted mainly from the emperor and his family, who wore a robe, with a long-sleeved, loose-fitting garment that fastened in the front. The exact cut and style of these robes changed a lot over the years, and is practically abandoned now. Japanese style of dress was the kosode, a short-sleeved shirt that opened in front, and the hakama, or long trousers. The kosode eventually became the kimono. The kimono means "thing to wear".

Clothes is more than just a cover-up!