Clothing facts for kids

Clothing is something we wear to cover our bodies. Humans are the only animals that wear clothes, and almost everyone does!

Clothing helps protect us from the weather. For example, it can keep us warm in cold places like the arctic with thick coats and boots. It can also protect us from the hot sun in warm, tropical countries. Clothes can even offer some protection from injuries.

But clothing is more than just protection. It's also a way to show our style! Different cultures have different clothing traditions and beliefs about what to wear. For many, clothing is a way to show who they are or what they do. It helps people express themselves. Young people often use clothes to show their personality. Sometimes, people just follow popular fashion trends to fit in. So, clothing is much more than just something to keep us safe!

When Did People Start Wearing Clothes?

It's hard to know exactly when people first started wearing clothes because old clothing doesn't last. Scientists have studied tiny creatures called lice to guess when clothing began. Body lice live in clothes and are different from head lice. They became separate about 107,000 years ago. This suggests that clothing might have existed around that time.

Another idea is that modern humans are the only ones left from several types of early humans who might have worn clothes. Some think clothing could be as old as 650,000 years! Other studies based on lice suggest clothing appeared between 42,000 and 72,000 BC.

One of the oldest pieces of clothing found is a cloak made from squirrel fur. It was found in a cave in Italy and is about 23,000 years old.

What Is Not Clothing?

People often decorate their bodies in other ways that are not clothing. This includes makeup or perfume. They might also change their hair or get body modifications like tattoos or body piercings. But these are not considered clothing.

Things we carry, like wallets, purses, canes, and umbrellas, are called accessories. They are not clothing either. Jewelry and eyeglasses are also accessories that we put on our bodies. Even nail polish is more like makeup for your fingertips.

What Is Clothing Made Of?

Clothing is often made from different materials. Here are some common ones:

• Cloth
  • Natural fibres: These come from plants or animals. Examples are cotton, flax, wool, hemp, ramie, and silk.
  • Synthetic fabrics: These are man-made materials. Examples include nylon, polyester, and acrylic.
• Fur: This comes from animal skins with their hair still on.
• Leather: This is made from animal skins that have been treated.

What Is Needed to Make Clothing?

To make clothing, you usually need these things:

• Cloth
• Scissors or knives to cut the fabric.
• Needles and thread to sew pieces together.
• A Sewing machine or a weaving wheel for faster or more complex work.

Images for kids

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  Paris 1860

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  The Oba (Nigeria)

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  A woman wearing a traditional Kimono (Furisode)

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  Clothing in history, showing (from top) Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, Romans; Byzantines, Franks; and thirteenth through fifteenth century Europeans

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  A kanga, worn throughout the African Great Lakes region

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  Hindu lady wearing a sari, one of the most ancient and popular pieces of clothing in the Indian subcontinent, painting by Raja Ravi Varma

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  A young woman wearing a t-shirt and shorts in the warm summer in Åland

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  A baby wearing many items of winter clothing: headband, cap, fur-lined coat, scarf, and sweater

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  Jacket by Guy Laroche, from a woman's suit with a black skirt and blouse (1960)

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  University students in casual clothes in the U.S.

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  A woman wearing a sports bra and boyshorts, often worn as casuals or athleisure

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  Fashion shows often show the latest trends in clothing fashions, a model in a modern gown at an Haute couture fashion show

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  Laundromat in Walden, New York, United States

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  A Hindu North Indian wedding, the groom wearing a sherwani and pagri turban and the bride wearing a sari

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  Japanese PM Shinzō Abe and Ivanka Trump (right) wearing Western-style business suits (2017)

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  Italian actors Gabriel Garko in a suit and Laura Torrisi in a gown, considered Red carpet fashion (2009)

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  A group of women and men gathered at a sport event in Sweden (1938)

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  3rd Duke of Fife wearing a traditional Scottish kilt (1984)

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  Achkan sherwani and churidar worn by Arvind Singh Mewar and his family during a Hindu wedding in Rajasthan, India

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  A Barong Tagalog made for a wedding ceremony

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  Alim Khan's decorated robe shows his wealth, status, and power

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  The Buddha wearing kāṣāya robes, worn by fully ordained Buddhist monks and nuns

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  Clerical clothing worn by Catholic priests

See also

In Spanish: Ropa para niños