The Story of Cloth

 Dear Reader

'Fashion' is a complicated and much-maligned notion, would you agree? Today, it is a personalized vision of how an individual would like to present oneself to people-personal and professional. From the common man's front, we no longer shy away from wearing different styles of apparel and experimenting with how we look and how we present ourselves to people on various occasions. On the professional front, we are talking of 'power dressing' i.e.  'dress' to create and communicate 'power' in the profession one occupies, to configure that personal communication channel. The 'boldness' of your thought defines the choice of clothes you wear or your notions of comfort and/or sense of fashion define what you wear and how you carry it off. To that extent, it shows that you are in charge of your body. The added attraction of the glamour quotient is that of being a 'fashion icon', in our own small way, of course.   

     There are darker sides to fashion that are widely criticized today- standardized notions of body, color, size, gender-stipulated clothing, and religious notions that are followed either by prescription or freely by the individual. This could lead to ridicule, being bullied, targeted, etc.  This darker side is not only with adolescent or adult professionals. Psychologists say it begins right at a very young age of 3 can bully-- remember we all have one or two favorite ones and the rest is neglected. If the dislike is mutual, ignoring is a welcome relief; the problem is when it is not mutual, rejection is hard to handle.  Socialization is learned at this tender age and at times, these early conflicts could have deeper impacts even in later life.   

         Then, there are other criteria for styles of clothing that are class/caste/gender-based. Amongst children or young adults, groups based on a sense of fashion are common but difficult to identify and address the problems due to such groups. And one such criterion of choosing friends is influenced by 'clothing'. If one doesn't or can't afford the right kind of clothes, the child is subjected to ridiculing/bullying. That is, notions of social groups and acceptance begin very early. So, many schools prescribe uniforms. The irony is, at times, this is also not affordable by many parents and 'literate/school education becomes unaffordable once again. 

     But, in the middle of all this confusion, I am tempted to take a sneak peek into our history of clothes. There is a truly lighter side (if I can be informal, a fun side) to clothes and fashion. And I am also confused about whether to write about clothes or about fashion . . . I think I will begin with clothes 😃

 1. Archeologists and anthropologists say that the first formal clothing was draped, wrapped, or wound around the human body

   2.  They have detected the date of origin of clothes to the presence of lice on the human body. They say that as humans shed body hair, the lice require the clothes fibre to survive. Genetic analysis of the human body lice shows that humans began to wear fabric clothes around 170,000 years ago. 

3. As we all know, the earliest form of clothes was made from the skin of animals.   

4. The invention of needles played a vital role in the continuation of human civilization. South-Western Siberia, near the Inya River, is a perilous region. During winter, the river freezes, making human habitation almost impossible. However, Scientists have evidence to show that Neanderthal man lived in this area. How?! Clothing. Scientists have discovered sewing needles in the caves near the Inya River. These needles are supposed to be 20,000 years old. They are sharp enough to pierce the thick animal skin and have the needle-eye to allow threading to sew 😊 

5. The researchers found eyed-sewing needles as early as 45000 years ago, in what is now Siberia and China. In Europe, the fabric-clothing is believed to have begun around 13,000 years ago

6. The earliest form of wearing clothes was draping--the sari and dhoti 👏 because it doesn't require to be cut to suit the body shape of humans 😋 simplicity is the fashion of civilization, I suppose

7. China was the first country to start the production of  Silk from cocoons.  

                                                                      To be continued 🙏

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