A short history & types of clothings

The different types of textiles:

1) Cotton
2) Wool
3) Silk
4) Nylon
5) Polyester
A textile is a cloth, which is either woven by hand or machine. "Textile" has traditionally meant, "a
woven fabric". The term comes from the Latin word texture, meaning to weave.
Fibers are raw materials for all fabrics. Some fibers Cotton is often used to make towels. Occur in
nature as fine strands that can be twisted into yarns. These natural fibers come from plants, animals,
and minerals. For most of history, people had only natural fibers to use in making cloth. But modern
science has learned how to produce fibers by chemical and technical means. Today, these
manufactured fibers account for more than two-thirds of fibers processed by U.S. textile mills.
Plants provide more textile fibers than do animals or minerals. Cotton fibers produce soft, absorbent
fabrics that are widely used for clothing, sheets, and towels. Fibers of flax plant are made into linen.
strength and beauty of linen have made it a popular fabric for fine tablecloths, napkins, and
handkerchiefs.
The main animal fiber used for textiles is wool. Another animal fiber, silk, produces one of the most
luxurious fabrics. Sheep supply most of the wool, but members of Clothings made of silk. The camel
family and some goats also furnish wool. Wool provides warm, comfortable fabrics for dresses, suits,
and sweaters. Silk comes from cocoons spun by silkworms. Workers unwind the cocoons to obtain
long, natural filaments. Fabrics made from silk fibers have great luster and softness and can be dyed
brilliant colors. Silk is especially popular for scarfs and neckties.
Shirts made of polyester. Most manufactured fibers are made from wood pulp, cotton linters, or
petrochemicals. Petrochemicals are chemicals made from crude oil and natural gas. The chief fibers
manufactured from petrochemicals include nylon, polyester, acrylic, and olefin. Nylon has
exceptional strength, wears well, and is easy to launder. It is popular for hosiery and other clothing
and for carpeting and upholstery. Such products as conveyor belts and fire hoses are also made of
nylon. Woven fabric consists of two sets of yarns.
Most textiles are produced by twisting fibers into yarns and then knitting or weaving yarns into a
fabric. This method of making cloth has been used for thousands of years. But throughout most of
that time, workers did twisting, knitting, or weaving largely by hand. With today's modern

machinery, textile mills can manufacture as much fabric in a few seconds as it once took workers
weeks to produce by hand.
Woven fabrics are made of two sets of yarns - a lengthwise set called the warp and a crosswise set
called the filling or weft. The warp yarns are threaded into a loom through a series of frames called
harnesses. A knitted fabric has a single yarn or a set of yarns. During the cloth-making process, the
harnesses raise some warp yarns and lower others. This action creates a space, or shed, between the
yarns. A device called a shuttle carries the filling through the shed and so forms the crosswise yarns
of the fabric. The pattern in which the harnesses are raised and lowered for each pass of the shuttle
determines the kind of weave.
Knitted fabrics are made from a single yarn or a set of yarns. In making cloth, a knitting machine
forms loops in the yarn and links them to one another by means of needles. The finished fabric
consists of crosswise rows of loops, called Felt is made chiefly from fibers of wool, fur or animal hair.
courses, and lengthwise rows of loops, called wales. This looped structure makes knitted fabrics
more elastic than woven cloth. Garment manufacturers use knitted fabrics in producing comfortable,
lightweight clothing that resists wrinkling.
Other fabrics include tufted fabrics, nets and laces, braids, and felt. None of these fabrics is woven or
knitted. However, textile industry produces another class of fabrics specifically called nonwoven
fabrics.

Cotton
Cotton is a soft white fibrous substance covering seeds of certain plants.
History of the use of cotton:
Asiatic cottons first grew wild in East Africa. About 5000 years ago, the people in what is
now Pakistan cultivated cotton. The army of Alexander the Great first brought cotton goods
into Europe in the 300s B.C. but cloth was too expensive and only the rich could afford it.
The cotton flower. English began to weave cotton in the 1600s. They imported raw cotton
from other countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Later, they imported cotton from
southern colonies in America.
In the 1700s, English textile manufacturers developed machines that made it possible to spin
thread and weave cloth into large quantities. Today, the United States, Russia, China and
India are major producers of cotton.

Production of cotton:

When cotton arrives at a textile mill, several blenders feed cotton into cleaning machines,
which mix the cotton, break it into smaller pieces and remove trash. The cotton is sucked
through a pipe into picking machines. Beaters in these machines strike the cotton repeatedly
to knock out dirt and separate lumps of cotton into smaller pieces.
Cotton then goes to the carding machine, where the fibers are separated. Trash and short
fibers are removed. Some cotton goes through a comber that removes more short The crosssection of an unopened flower. Fibers and makes a stronger, more lustrous yarn.
This is followed by spinning processes which do three jobs: draft the cotton, or reduce it to
smaller structures, straighten and parallel the fibers and lastly, put twist into the yarn. The
yarns are then made into cloth by weaving, knitting or other processes.
After inspectors check cloth, it is passed through a gas flame that singes the fuzz off its
surface. Boiling cloth in an alkaline solution removes natural waxes, colored substances or
discolorations. Then cloth is bleached in hypochlorite or peroxide. Cloth may then pass
through a machine that prints designs on it. Cloth intended to be solid-colored goes
thorough a dye bath.

Care of your cotton garment:

For fabrics made of 100% cotton:
1) Set your washing machine to the low setting.
2) Wash the cloth in cold water.
3) Set your iron to Medium to iron it.
4) Do not bleach the cloth.
5) Hang to dry but do not tumble dry.

50% Cotton and 50% Polyester:

1) Turn it inside out and machine wash with warm water. Dying the cotton cloth.
2) Wash with fabrics that are of light colors.
3) Use only non-chlorine bleach to bleach the cloth.
4) Tumble dry with a medium setting.
5) Set your iron to medium for ironing.

Properties of the cotton:

1) It is soft and comfortable.
2) It wrinkles easily.
3) It absorbs perspiration quickly.
4) It has good colour retention and is good to print on.
4) Cotton is also strong and durable.

Uses:
Cotton is used to make blouses, shirts, singlets, shorts, bermudas, jackets and pants. It can
also be made into bedspreads, pillowcases, carpets and curtains

Wool
Woolen fabric is made from the fleece of sheep.
History of the use of wool:
Wool was probably the first animal fiber to be made into cloth. The art of spinning wool into yarn
developed about 4000Wool comes from sheep. B.C. and encouraged trade among the nations in the
region of the Mediterranean Sea.
The first wool factory in England was established in 50 A.D. in Winchester by the Romans. In 1797,
the British brought 13 Merino sheep to Australia and started the country's Merino sheep industry.
There are 40 different breeds of sheep in the world producing a rough estimate of 200 types of wool
with varying standards. The major wool producers in the world are Australia, Argentina, China and
South Africa.

Production of Wool:
The processing of wool involves four major steps. First comes shearing, followed by sorting and
grading, making yarn and lastly, making fabric.
In most parts of the world, sheep are sheared once a year, in early spring or early summer. The best
wool comes from the shoulders and sides of the sheep.
This is followed by grading and sorting, where workers remove any stained, damaged or inferior wool
from each fleece and sort the rest of the wool according to the quality of the fibers. Wool fibers are

judged not only on the basis of their strength but also by their fineness (diameter), length, crimp
(waviness) and colour.
An Australian rancher with bales of wool.The wool is then scoured with detergents to remove the
yolk and such impurities as sand and dust. After wool dries, it is carded. carding process involves
passing wool through rollers that have thin wire teeth. The teeth untangle the fibers and arrange
them into a flat sheet called a web. The web is then formed into narrow ropes known as silvers.
After carding, the processes used in making yarn vary slightly, depending on the length of the fibers.
Carding length fibers are used to make woolen yarn. Combing length fibers and French combing
length fibers are made into worsted yarn.
Woolen yarn, which feels soft, has a fuzzy surface and is heavier than worsted. While worsted wool is
lighter and highly twisted, it is also smoother, and is not as bulky, thus making it easier to carry or
transport about.
Making worsted wool requires a greater number of processes, during which the fibers are arranged
parallel to each other. The smoother the hard-surface worsted yarns, the smoother the wool it
produces, meaning, less fuzziness. Fine worsted wool can be used in the making of athletics attire,
because it is not as hot as polyester, and the weave of the fabric allows wool to absorb perspiration,
allowing the body to "breathe".
Wool manufacturers knit or weave yarn into a variety of fabrics. Wool may also be dyed at various
stages of manufacturing process and undergo finishing processes to give them desired look and feel.
The finishing of fabrics made of woolen yarn begins with fulling. This process involves wetting the
fabric thoroughly with water and then passing it through the rollers. Fulling makes the fibers
interlock and mat together. It shrinks the material and gives it additional strength and thickness.
Worsteds go through a process called crabbing in which the fabric passes through boiling water and
then cold water. This procedure strengthens the fabric.

Care of your woolen garment:

Merino wool It is better to hand wash your woolen products. Shampoos can be used to wash such
garments. Use a good shampoo not one containing "crme rinse". If shampoo can clean your hair
without leaving residues, it can clean your woolen products too. Be careful of what softener you use
because softeners may add products to your wool. Some types of softeners may leave a coating on
fiber making it feel softer and smoother, but at same time causing your wool to lose its absorbency.
Properties of the wool:
1)It is hard wearing and absorbs moisture.
2)It does not burn over a flame but smoulders instead.
3)It is lightweight and versatile.

4)Wool does not wrinkle easily.

5)It is resistant to dirt and wear and tear.

Uses:
Wool is used to make sweaters, dresses, coats, suits, jackets, pants and the lining of boots.It can also
be made into blankets and carpets.

Silk
Silk is the fine strong soft lustrous fiber produced by silkworms.
History of the use of silk:
The Chinese has used silk since the 27th century B.C.. Silk is mentioned by Aristotle and became a
valuable commodity both in Greece and Rome. During the Roman Empire, silk was sold for its
weight in gold. The Chinese silkworm spinning its cocoon. domesticated silk worms and fed them
with mulberry leaves. They unwound the silkworms' cocoons to produce long strands of silk fiber.
Farm women in China at that period were supposed to raise such silkworms as one of their chores.
Silk was used in China and exported along the Silk Road (the ancient trade route linking China and
the Roman Empire). This trade brought China great wealth, but the Chinese did not give away the
secret on how silk was formed.
Christian monks finally broke Chinas monopoly of the silk production by smuggling silkworm eggs
out of the country, and soon other countries started to produce their own silk.

Production of silk:
Silkworms are cultivated and fed with mulberry leaves. Some of these eggs are hatched by artificial
means such as an incubator, and in the olden times, the people carried it close to their bodies so that
it would remain warm.
Silkworms that feed on smaller, domestic tree leaves produce the finer silk, while the coarser silk is
produced by silkworms that have fed on oak leaves. From the time they hatch A worker sorting out
silkworm cocoons.to the time they start to spin cocoons, they are very carefully tended to. Noise is
believed to affect the process, thus the cultivators try not to startle the silkworms.
Their cocoons are spun from tops of loose straw. It will be completed in two to three days' time.
cultivators then gather cocoons and the chrysales are killed by heating and drying the cocoons.
In the olden days, they were packed with leaves and salt in a jar, and then buried in the ground, or
else other insects might bite holes in it. Modern machines and modern methods can be used to
produce silk but the old-fashioned hand-reels and looms can also produce equally beautiful silk.

Care of your silk garment: It is best to dry clean your silk garment either by individual or bulk
method, in order to maintain the characteristic of the silk.
Dry clean: Sending it to the dry cleaners may be done but make sure that you inform the dry cleaner
that your garment is made of silk. A silk factory in Italy.

Hand wash:
1) Make sure you wash in cool water.
2) Use a small amount of soap or mild detergent to wash the silk.
3) After washing it, rinse in cold water.
4) Hang it or lay it flat in a shaded area to dry.
5) If pressing is needed, use an all cotton iron board cover, a low or moderate steam setting, and
press on the wrong side of the fabric while ironing.
Other Tips:
To keep white silk white, add peroxide and ammonia to the wash.
Do not use bleach or any washing detergent with bleach
To remove yellow from white silk, add a few teaspoons of white vinegar to the wash.

Properties of the silk:

1)It is versatile and very comfortable.
2)It absorbs moisture.
3)It is cool to wear in the summer yet warm to wear in winter.
4)It can be easily dyed. Silk can be made into cushion covers.
5)It retains its shape and is relatively smooth.
6)It has a poor resistance to sunlight exposure.
7)It is the strongest natural fiber and is lustrous.

Uses:
Silk is used to make blouses, dresses, scarves, pants and ties. It can also be made into curtains,
draperies, cushion covers and sofa covers.

Nylon
History of the use of nylon:
This synthetic fiber was introduced in the 1930s. It was another early substitute for silk and soon
quickly became the fiber of choice for women's stockings. The first commercial production of nylon
in the United States was in 1939 by the E.I. du Pont de Nemours andThe microscopic close-up of a
nylon fiber. Company.
Wallace H. Carothers, a chemist of the Dupont Company played the leader in this development of
nylon. This man-made fiber is the second most used fiber in the United States.

Production of nylon:
Nylon is made by forcing molten nylon through very small holes in a device called a spinneret. The
streams of nylon harden into filament once they come in contact with air. They are then wound onto
bobbins. These fibers are drawn (stretched) after they cool.
Drawing involves unwinding the yarn or filaments and then winding it around another spool.
Drawing makes the molecules in each filament fall into parallel lines. This gives the nylon fiber
strength and elasticity.
After the In control room of a nylon plant.whole drawing process, yarn may be twisted a few turns
per yard or metres as it is wound onto spools. Further treatment to it can give it a different texture or
bulk.

Care of your nylon garment:

1) Machine wash in cold water.
2) Wash it separately from other types of fabric.
3) If needed, use only non-chlorine bleach to bleach your nylon garment.
4) Turn the setting to low before tumbling dry.
5) Remove your nylon garment promptly from the tumbler.
Other Tips:
Extensive washing and drying in an automatic dryer can lead to piling.
White nylon should be washed separately to avoid it turning grey.
To avoid yellowing of your white nylon, you should bleach it frequently with Sodium Perborate
bleach.

Properties of the nylon:

1)It is strong and elastic. Nylon track suits
2)It is easy to launder.
3)It dries quickly.
4)It retains its shape.
5)It is resilient and responsive to heat setting.

Uses:
Nylon is popular for hosiery and is used to make track pants, shorts, swimwear, active wear,
windbreakers, bedspread and draperies. It can also be made into parachutes, flak vests, combat
uniforms, tires and life vests, or used as the netting of bridal veils, umbrellas and luggage.

Polyester
Polyester is the general name for any group of widely used synthetic products. Polyesters are strong,
tough materials that are manufactured in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes.
History of the use of polyester:
The first commercial production of polyester was by the du Pont de Nemours Company. It is the
most used fiber in the United States.

Production of polyester: A factory that produces polyester.

Polyesters are made from chemical substances found mainly in petroleum. Polyesters are
manufactured in three basic forms - fibers, films and plastics.
Polyester fibers are used to make fabrics. Poly (ethylene terephthalate, or simply PET) is the most
common polyester used for fiber purposes. This is the polymer used Spinning polyester into yarn.for
making soft drink bottles. Recycling PET by re-melting it and extruding it as fiber saves much raw
materials as well as energy.
PET is made by ethylene glycol with either terephthalic acid or its methyl ester in the presence of an
antimony catalyst. In order to achieve high molecular weights needed to form useful fibers, the
reaction has to be carried out at high temperature and in a vacuum.
Care of your polyester garment:
1) Machine-wash your fabric in cold water.
2) Wash with light colours.

3) Use a gentle cycle while washing.In a factory that produces polyester.

4) Tumble dry with the setting low.
5) Do not bleach.
6) If needed, iron with a cool iron.

Properties of the polyester:

1)It is resists wrinkling.
2)It is easy to launder.
3)It dries quickly.
4)It is resistant to stretching and shrinking.

Uses:
Polyester is used to make most forms of clothing like shirts, running shorts, track pants,
windbreakers, and lingerie. It can also be made into curtains and draperies.

Apparel
Apparel is used to describe clothes worn by people. There are many different types of apparel, worn
to suit different occasions and places. Many factors can therefore affect type of clothes one wears.
The four factors are the climate of the country, its customs and traditions, the people's religion and
the different status of a certain group of people in a country.
1) Climate
2) Customs and traditions
3) Religion
4) Status

People wear clothes for three basic purposes - protection, communication and decoration. But
people of different regions of the world often need different kinds of Muslim women wear veils in
public. Protection, especially in different climates (see Climates).

People may also wear clothes that have a special meaning not understood by people of other
countries. For example, many Muslim women wear veils in public because their religion requires
them to hide their hair from strangers (see Religion). In addition, people have different ideas about
what makes clothing attractive.
People in different countries may have different materials available for making clothes. For example,
the people of France can wear clothes made from a much greater variety of materials than can the
people in Indonesia. French stores sell garments made not only of such natural materials like cotton,
fur, silk, leather and wool, but also of artificially made fibers like nylon and polyester. Most people in
Indonesia can only choose clothing made of cotton.
A woman weaving cloth in Thailand. Ways of making clothes vary from country to country. Highly
industrialized countries like Canada, Japan, Russia, Germany and the United States use many kinds
of machines and many processes to make clothes. For example, textile manufacturers in those
countries can rapidly produce cotton cloth woven many different ways. They can also dye the cloth
and rapidly sew it into different kinds of clothes.
People living in India may have only hand-powered equipment for weaving cloth. They need much
more time than a machine to make cloth and they will also have to sew clothes by hand.
A Chinese farmer wears a straw hat with brims that slant down. Clothing customs (see Customs)
affect styles. Their customs develop in a country as generation after generation of children learn
what clothes to wear. For example, a Mexican farmer and Chinese farmer may wear the same clothes
made from similar materials and by the same basic methods.
They may also need clothes for the same purposes. But the custom in Mexico is to wear straw hats
with brims that tilt up. In China, custom calls for straw hats with brims that slant down.

Climate
In many parts of the world, people need protection from the weather. Therefore the type of climate
influences the type of clothes that people wear.
The materials used for clothing vary around the world. Some textiles are better suited to a particular
climate. For example, knitted wool is more useful in cold climates, and thin woven cotton is more
useful in warm climates.
For most of history, the textiles people used depended on the raw materials available locally, such as
flax in Egypt, cotton in India, and silk in China.
Beyond considerations of utility and availability, however, people tend to derive regional or national
identity from their most characteristic textiles, just as they do from their typical foods. Thus, a
European businessman defines himself in part by his woolen suit, an Indonesian farmer by his cotton
sarong (skirt of brightly colored cloth, worn wrapped about the waist).

For centuries, silk-wearing Chinese people despised wool,Eskimos which they considered the fabric
of uncivilized people. Today, such considerations of identity have weakened amid international trade
and international cultural exchange.
In cold climates, people wear warm garments made of fur, wool, or closely woven fabrics. They also
wear warm shoes or boots. These materials are usually good insulators of heat because they tend to
have many tiny hairs in them and these hairs trap air.
As air is a bad conductor of heat, heat is unable to pass through and the person is kept warm. The
Eskimos for example, made most of their clothing of caribou skin. They wear two suits, with the
inner suit of caribou skin or sealskin suit.
In warm climates, people wear materials made of lightweight materials like cotton or linen, which
have a fairly open weave. These materials absorb perspiration and allow air to flow around body.
People in these climates Women in India wear light, loose clothing because of the hot climate.
Sometimes wear white or light-coloured clothes because such colours reflect the suns rays. For
example, India, most of the people wear light, loose clothing because of the hot climate. Bright
colours and white are common.
They may also wear sandals, which are more comfortable than shoes or heavy boots in warm
weather. Large hats made of straw serve as sunshades.
This is especially evident in places in the tropical regions like in Southeast Asia where daily
temperatures range from 23 to 34 degrees Celsius and where the weather is very humid.
In an African village, villagers may wear only a loincloth around the waist.
In temperate regions, people wear different types ofA family in Russia dressed for the clod winter.
clothing because of the four different seasons: summer, spring, autumn and winter. Their types of
clothes vary with each different season.
In summer, they may choose to wear clothes made of cotton so that they will not feel too warm
during this period when temperatures are high.
During winter, they would switch to wearing coatsMen in Algeria wear loose long garments to
protect their bodies from the sun. and jackets made of thicker materials like wool to keep themselves
warm in the cold weather.
In many places, people must wear clothes for protection against several kinds of weather. For
example, people of the Arabian deserts wear loose, flowing garments that shield their bodies from
the blazing sun.
The same garments protect them against the cold night air. Even in less severe climates, people may
require protective clothing during the hot and cold seasons.

Customs & Traditions

Different countries have different customs and different. A man and woman dressed in the
traditional Mongolian costume. sets of beliefs. We have grouped the following countries into regions
to illustrate to you how the different customs and traditions of some countries affect the type of
clothes people wear.

Europe
Russia:
Traditional Russian clothing consists of The traditional Greek costume. embroidered colorful shirts
and blouses. Including embroidered headwear, and also shoes that are specially woven from bast, a
very strong and tough fiber from the bark of special trees.

Portugal:
Their traditional clothing consist of berets, stocking caps, baggy shirts and trousers for the men.
Women wear long dresses and shawls. In other places people dress entirely in black or another dark
colour for their daily activities, but they put on colourful garments on special occasions.

Scotland:
The people from the highlands of Scotland wearThe Scots wear kilts. kilts. It is a knee-length, skirtlike garment that is pleated at the back, but has a plain front. These kilts are made of tartan, a
checked cloth. The design of the kilt is usually associated with a particular Scottish clan.

Ireland:
The Irish wear kilts of saffron colour, which are made of fine-spun woolen cloth and a sporran (an
ornamental pouch), is worn in front of the kilt. The kilt is usually worn with nothing underneath.

Asia
China:
The Chinese believe that dark-coloured clothing bring bad luck and should be avoided while wearing
brighter-coloured clothes, especially the colour red is auspicious as it is believed that the colour red
can bring good luck and prosperity.

India:
Women: Most Indian women wear saris. This is aAn Indian woman dressed in a sari. garment
consisting of a 6-meter long piece of cloth, which is draped around the body as a long dress. The
loose end of cloth is flung over the shoulder or used to cover the head of the woman wearing it.

The sari is usually worn with a blouse.Most unmarried women and young girls in Northern India
usually wear long flowing trousers called a shalwar and a long blouse called kameez. The tribal
women wear long skirts.
Most Indian men wear a dhoti. This is usually white in colour and is wrapped around the legs
forming a loose trousers. This can also be wrapped around the lower part of the body forming a skirt
and is fastened at the waist. The poor laborers wear loincloth, a piece of cloth wrapped around the
hips between the thighs. In cities, western dressing is increasing in popularity.

Malaysia:
traditional wear of Malay women and men in Malaysia is a colourful skirt called a sarong or a kain.
The sarong is a long strip of cloth wrapped around body, while a kain is similar, except it has its ends
sewn together. The man usually wears a shirt with a sarong wrapped around his waist.
The woman wears a long-sleeved blouse with a sarong or a kain. The man also wears a special cap for
religious purposes and the woman wears a shawl over her shoulders or on her head. They coverThe
traditional korean costume. their heads so as not to show their hair. This is to prevent the men from
treating them as sex objects, and also because their God has told them to do so.

Korea:
The women usually wear colourful traditional clothing more often than men. traditional clothing is
made of cotton material. Traditional women-wear is a long, full skirt that extends below knees and
also a tight-fitting jacket. For the men, they wear loose-fitting trousers, shirts and jackets.

Japan:
On special occasions, such as A Japanese girl wears a kimono.weddings and funerals, the Japanese
women wear a traditional clothing called a kimono. The kimono is tied around the waist with a sash
called obi and worn with zori, or sandals.

Vietnam:
In the Northern cities, both men and women wear plain black trousers accompanied with tightly
buttoned white or dark-coloured jackets. The people there wear sandals made from tires of worn-out
automobile. The dressing in the northern cities is similar to that of the southern cities.
Many women wear the traditional Vietnamese aoVietnamese women in ao dais. dai, which is a long
coat-like garment worn over trousers. In rural areas, the women wear loose-fitting shirts and skirts
and the men wear coat-like garments that extend to the knees.

North America
Mexico:

The men wear cotton shirts and trousers. TheyThe traditional Mexican poncho. also wear leather
sandals known as huaraches. Sombreros protect Mexican men from the hot sun. Sombreros are
wide-brimmed felt or straw hats. They wear ponchos when it is cold or when it rains. The women
wear blouses with long, full skirts. They also wear plastic sandals. The women cover their heads with
rebozos (fringed shawls).

South America
Brazil:
In Southern Brazil, the cowboys (gauchos) wear baggy trousers called bombachas, and also widebrimmed felt hats.
A Bolivian man wears a traditional dress.

Bolivia:
The men wear striped ponchos and colourful shawls. The women wear full skirts. They also wear
derby hats.

Africa
Egypt:
The Fellahin men (fellahin means peasant) wear pants and long, full shirt-like garments called a
galabiyah; whereas the women wear long flowing gowns either in dark or bright colours.

North Africa:
In Northern Africa, the men wear long, loose robes. Many men also wear turbans or skullcaps. The
women folk wear long, simple dresses, at times with baggy trousers underneath. The women also
wear a dark coloured cloak or shawl in public, while some follow the Islamic tradition of covering
their faces with veils. However, people in the cities dress in western-styled clothing.

Religion
There are many types of religion in the world today. Religion affects the type of clothes that people
wear because different religions have different beliefs and people wear different types of clothes
when it comes to worship. Muslim women in Malaysia.
For example, the Muslim women cover their heads with chendors. This is because to the Muslim
people, a woman's hair is a sign of her sexuality. A chaste, modest, pure woman does not want her
sexuality to enter into interactions with men in the smallest degree.
SikhSikh men are also known to not cut their hair but knot it up under a turban. Orthodox Jews

In Judaism, Orthodox men wear hats or yarmulkas (skullcaps) at all times as a sign of respect to God.
Monks and priests of different religions also dress themselves differently. Monks in Asian countries
like Thailand and India tend to dress in lighter colours as temperatures here are higher. Buddhist
monks in different countries also dress differently.

Status
In some countries, groups of people have different status in society compared to others. This has also
led to people dressing differently and wearing different types of clothes.The wealthy in China wore
silk robes bearing intricate designs.
In Communist China, the Chinese male and female wore very ordinary clothes like shirts, pants, and
skirts, whereas the Government officials and technicians could wear better clothes like suits with
four-pocket jackets that button at the neck. These were available only in special stores.
In ancient China, the clothes that people wore indicated their status and where they stood in society.
For example, scholars dressed in long blue gowns. Women of the upper class wore elaborate hairdos
and wore colourful silk robes with intricate embroidery.
However, the common folk wore patched and faded jackets and pants. The officials meanwhile wore
gowns with embroidered dragons, whilst the Emperor wore a very elaborate costume, usually golden
inThe poor in China wore only old and faded clothings. colour, of top quality material such as silk.
In northern India, the common women folk usually wear saris, while the richer women there can
afford to wear jeans.
The common men folk usually wear dhotis, whereas the poorer laborers and farmers wear only a
loincloth. It is wrapped around the hips between thighs. A woman in Afghanistan with her child.
In other countries like Afghanistan, the women hold very low social status compared to the men.
Therefore the women not only have to ride in separate carriages in trains from the men, they also
have to cover themselves from head to toe, allowing only their eyes to be seen. Other parts of the
body cannot be exposed or the woman might face punishment from the men.

Color
Colors affect every movement of our lives although our color choices are mostly unconscious. Many
of us have a favorite color and often wear clothes of a certain color. However, these colors that we
are attracted to over long periods of time are linked to our personality type, our strengths and
weaknesses, as well as indicating our potential in life.
Here at Fabric Online, we keep you informed on the color significance in fabrics & clothes we wear;
where you can learn what your favorite color (to wear) actually shows about your personality.

Often, in some cultures, we encounter certain beliefs on color superstition. People belief that certain
colors bring bad luck while others bring good luck. Many people also believe that there are
appropriate colors for different occasions. For example, the Chinese consider it bad luck to wear
black on the first day of the Lunar Year as black symbolizes death and should never be worn on such
a joyous occasion.

Significance of colors
Look at the colours you wear most often and see what they reveal about you. The following analyses
are based on various psychological tests.

Red-If you wear red

You are impulsive, excitable and energetic. You are ambitious and like things to happen quickly
when you want them to do so. You like to be the best in everything you do. You may be a bit
insensitive to the feelings of the other people, since you like to be the center of attraction.
Learn to be a good listener. Red means vital force, with your nervous activity urging you to achieve
results and be successful. If you make a habit of wearing red it may indicate you place importance on
sexual desire and eroticism. This energy can be best used in the form of creative endeavor, leadership
development and expansion.
You are courageous and extroverted, but tend to become irritable and bad tempered if you do not get
your own way. Learn to be patient. Maroon and brick reds show you are fun loving, but be careful
not to become resentful and feel victimized by the others.

Pink-If you wear pink

You have an affectionate, loving nature, which makes you sympathetic and understanding. You may
lack willpower and show weakness when you cannot control affairs of the heart.
You need a great deal of support from others and can be childlike in behavior. You must learn to
accept and love yourself. If you become more self-reliant you will attract and give out the feelings of
warmth and love you desire.

Orange-If you wear orange, peach or apricot

You are competent, self-oriented and impatient. You are also independent, an organizer and selfmotivated. Orange is the colour of practicality and creativity. Your energy levels are high, and you
are sometimes restless. You have a forceful will and tend to be active and competitive. You are also
excitable and can seek domination over the others.
Bright orange and burnt orange can make you feel frustrated and blocked. Try wearing peach, which
will direct your energy to the others in a more caring way.

Yellow-If you wear yellow

You have an interesting and stimulating personality. You like to be active and involved in whatever is
going on. Lively and vital, you can cope well with lifes challenges.
Bright yellow represents spontaneity and communication. You are active, inspiring and like to
investigate. There is a desire and hope of greater happiness, which implies some minor conflict in
which release is needed. Yellow presses forward to the new, modern, the developing and uniformed,
and drawn in ideas from the "higher mind".

Green-If you wear green

You are a cautious person and not inclined to trust others easily. You are an observer in life, but do
not wished to get involved more than you have to. A quiet life suits you best. You are benevolent,
humanistic and service-orientated.
If you wear blue-green you need a peaceful environment, wishing release from stress, and freedom
from conflicts or disagreement. You take pains to control the situation and its problems by
proceeding cautiously. You have sensitivity of feeling and a fine eye for detail. Try wearing pale
yellow with your green to help you share yourself and develop an optimistic attitude.

Light blue-If you wear light blue

You are creative, perceptive and sensitive. You have a good imagination and practical approach to
life. Your approach can be analytical and you are best advised to use your knowledge for problem
solving. You like to do things in your own time and not be rushed. You need a secure and peaceful
environment.

Dark blue-If you wear dark blue

You are intelligent, self-reliant and have a great depth of feeling. You feel responsibility for others
and enjoy decision-making. You need tranquility all around you and must be surrounded by
tenderness, love and affection. Noisy people disturb you. You may suffer from mental stress owing to
the lack of play and relaxation. Try wearing some blue-greens or greens to help your self-expression
and improve your health.

Violet-If you wear violet

Yours is a sensitive, compassionate nature so you can be easily imposed upon and should be careful
to pick friends who are as sensitive as you are. To be happy, work where you feel needed. Try wearing
lilac or magenta, a colour with more red in it. This will boost your self-confidence and provide your
vulnerability with protection.

Purple-If you wear purple

You are very intuitive and have deep feelings and high aspirations. You are interested in the best of
everything, including your friends. Lesser mortals do not interest you or enter into your scheme of
things except where necessary.

Watch that you do not become arrogant try to make more time for listening. Orchid, grape or
violet can make you feel imposed upon by others belief systems, rules and regulations. Be sensitive
to your personal and spiritual needs. Try yoga or meditation to release mind blocks.

White-If you wear white

White contains all the other colours in the spectrum, showing that you have a positive, wellbalanced and optimistic personality. You are highly individualistic and a loner. You seek a simplified
lifestyle free from outside pressures.
You have chosen a simple and pure colour, but one that reaches out for recognition. You are
probably going through a transitional period with new ideas not yet taken form. Be open-minded
and communicate, for with white all things are possible

Gray-If you wear gray

You are very much an individual. Many people may get the impression you are self-sufficient as you
have excellent self-control and prefer to remain uninvolved. Those who wear gray have a tendency to
isolate them, which can lead to loneliness. You may be passive because you feel stressed and
overburdened.
You may need rest, relaxation and freedom from daily stress. Maybe you need a good break take in
the blue of the ocean or green of the countryside. People who wear gray are often those who make
judgements and may be good critics. Those who lack judgement and struggle to form opinions
should wear gray.

Brown-If you wear brown

Brown clothing suggests an honest, down-to-earth person who likes a structured supported lifestyle.
A lover of the best things life has to offer, you are a sensuous type, appreciating good food, drink and
company. Brown is the colour of Mother Earth.
It is a protective colour, but you may be bottling up emotion or a secret that makes you retreat into
your shell and fear the outside world; thus you feel protected by wearing brown or muddy colour.
There is a desire to be emotionally secure and accepted by the outside world. You need to
understand your self-worth and ward off narrow-mindedness.

Black-If you wear black

You are strong-willed, opinionated & disciplined. You may be too inflexible and too independent.
Watch out that these are not defense tactics. You may really lack confidence in yourself and your
own ability to handle life efficiently. It may be you have a little way to go to maturity and are using
black to cloak yourself while you discover your true identity.

Black represents renunciation ultimate surrender or relinquishment-& those who choose to wear
black constantly want to renounce everything out of a stubborn protest. Wearing black on certain
occasions shows you have control in yourself in order to communicate an authoritative image

Appropriate Colors for Occasions

Funerals: The color white is preferable, because it is a White is the colour for mourning. symbol of
mourning. Black is also a common color for funerals. Wearing the color red is considered taboo, and
people see it to mean disrespect towards the dead.
Weddings: For a traditional Chinese wedding, color red or other bright colors is considered to be a
lucky color, thus wearing bright colors can scare away evil spirits and bring good luck to couple.
For a westernized wedding, the groom is usually seen wearing a black tuxedo, and the bride, a white
dress.Both the bride and groom are dressed in traditional Chinese wedding suits. These two colors
can be used to differentiate the men from the women.
In modern day western weddings, the color of clothes has been varying. People are becoming bolder
when choosing the color of their attire.
Graduation Day: On graduation day, people wearing caps and gowns are a common sight. The
students wear caps and gowns on special occasions.
The attire consists of a full-flowing robe and a skullcap. These gowns are usually black. The color of
the hood's satin lining indicates the school Graduates on Graduation Day.that conferred the degree.
The tassel is usually black in color. For a doctorate degree, the tassel is gold in color. For a bachelor
degree, women wear gowns with white collars.
Chinese New Year: On Chinese New Year it is believed that wearing clothes that are red in color can
bring good luck and prosperity throughout the year.
Story behind the color red, started long ago when a beast called 'Nian' created havoc in a village. It
ate up people and The Chinese believe that the colour red can bring good luck.their livestock. The
people wanted to get rid of it, but were too frighten to attack it as they feared for their lives.
A brave farmer decided to kill the beast. Although his wife was against it, he still went. For many
days he did not return, and many people feared that he was dead.
Soon all their livestock were eaten up. The beast turned up at the village looking for food. A brave
man decided to attack the beast.
This man was wearing red colored clothing. The beast saw him and immediately tried to shield itself.
It suddenly dawned upon the man that the beast was afraid of bright colors like red and orange, and
he yelled to the villagers to bring all kinds of bright colored objects from the village.

They managed to scare of the beast away, and after that incident, on every Chinese New Years eve,
Chinese people would put up red and bright New Year decorations, as well as wear red colored
clothing.

Fashion
Fashion is a term used commonly to describe a style of clothing worn by most people of a country. A
fashion remains popular for a few months or years before being replaced by yet another fashion. A
product or activity is in fashion or is fashionable during the period of time that a large segment of
society accepts it. After a time, however, the same product or activity becomes old-fashioned when
the majority of people no longer accept it.

The Evolution of Fashion and Fashion Changes

Major changes in fashion occurred frequently before the 1300s. Since then, the political and social
conditions of a nation, plus technological developments, have influenced fashion in various ways.
King Louis XIII
During the 1300s, rulers of many European nations began to set fashions that were followed by the
members of their courts. In the mid-1600s, King Louis XIII of France began wearing a wig to hide his
baldness. Fashionable Frenchmen soon began to shave their heads and wear wigs. In the mid-1800s,
English women were said to have copied Queen Victorias stout figure by wearing puffy dresses with
padding underneath. Queen Victoria
Some fashion changes have accompanied a breakdown in system of having social classes. Members
of nobility lost much of their power during the 1300s, when rigid class systems were weakened in
Europe. Nobility began to dress more elaborately to distinguish themselves from the middle classes.
During mid-1800s, mass production of clothing made fashionable clothes available to more people at
lower prices. People of all social classes began to wear similar styles of clothing. Today, it is easier to
identify an expensive garment by quality of its fabric and manufacture than by its style.
Through the years, fashions in games and sports have influenced the way people dress. During the
1700s, people in England adopted simpler clothing styles after they became interested in fox hunting
and other outdoor sports. Today, many people wear special clothing for activities such as golf,
horseback riding, hunting and tennis.
Wars have also affected the style of dress in a country. European soldiers returning from the crusades
during the 1100s and 1200s brought back various eastern ideas of dress styles. The crusaders also
returned with rich silks and other textiles not available in Europe.