Clothing and Culture
Clothing, in the modern definition, is considered to be fiber or textiles that are worn on humans, and one of the anthropological features of human culture and society. The type (color, style, fit) of clothing is typically dependent upon a number of variables -- geography, weather, gender, status, physical state, work activities, and even status symbols. From a practical standpoint, clothing serves as protection from external weather, or for safety reasons (constructing, cooking, hiking, sports); it may protect the wearer from flora and fauna (nettles, bites, thorns); it may insulate against hot or cold conditions; and may even provide a hygienic barrier. Often, studying the aspects of clothing and society tells scholars a great deal about the particular culture -- not just in external appearance but in the technology of textile production, weaving, and adornment (Boucher & Deslandres, 1989).
Evolution of Clothing Styles: Scholars are uncertain as to the exact development of clothing as more than furs worn for warmth and protection, but studies show that the introduction of formal clothing began between 42 and 72 thousand years ago (Wade, 2003). The most obvious function of clothing was to improve the comfort of the wearer -- protect from the elements, and thus ensure survival of the species. However, as societies coalesced into urban areas and stratification of activities occurred (art, law, governance, baking, agriculture, animal husbandry, etc.), clothing began to perform a wide range of social and cultural functions that differentiated individuals, class, gender, religion, and even age. Clothing has been made of a wide variety of materials ranging from leather and fur to woven materials both natural and synthetic. As societies developed, clothing sometimes served in an exaggerated way to separate economic and social status and moved from being practical to becoming overly decorative. In the modern area, wearing clothes continues to have social implications -- witness youth in the developed world believing they need certain styles to fit in with their peers, and rather than wearing clothing to be function, clothing is worn to make a social...
Between 1200-1600 Europe was reinvented through the Renaissance and Age of Discovery. In France, for instance, the Renaissance period consisted of the consolidation of the French language, exploration and colonialization, and the peak of French power during the 17th century. France's Ancien Regime was the social, political and cultural system that characterized France from the 15th to 17th century under the Valois and Bourbon dynasties, and became the time of state-building, internal civil wars, and the conflict between the ideals of the Enlightenment and the conservative belief in absolute monarchy and state centralization, clear social boundaries, and the Court of Versailles as a central locus of French culture (Doyle, 2001).
18th Century French Clothing: As in most of Europe of the time period, the 18th century was a complex mix of political, social and cultural ideas that would eventually change the manner in which society defined itself. In France, for instance, clothing became a clear statement of class and economic health, as well as a way to import and export textiles and the ideas of clothing to other countries. The overall paradigm for this period was one of contradictions -- clothing for the less wealthy classes remained quite utilitarian -- breeches and coats for the men, practical dresses for the women designed simply for protection and utility rather than style. Clothing for the upper classes, however, moved into the extremes -- headgear and wigs that weighed upwards of 30 pounds and often took hours to prepare; gowns of silk and other rare materials that were layered and often required netting or wooden frames, and even outfits that could not be worn without servant assistance. For the middle classes, the closer one could come to the attire of the wealthy, the more economically secure one appeared. Practicality was not a consideration, but rather the more ornate and "artistic" the outfit, the more successful or…
