History of Clothing Material: Definition, History of Fabrics and Textiles

History of Clothing Material: We wear clothes primarily to protect ourselves from the elements, such as rain, sunlight, extreme cold or heat, and so on. We also dress up because we want to look nice. There has been a remarkable transition in the production, style, and use of fabric for clothing since the time when animal skin was used to cover the body. Fabric is the name given to the material used to make clothes. Fabric is used to make not only clothes but also other useful items such as school bags, bed sheets, curtains, upholstery, and other furnishings. In this article, we will learn more about the history of clothing materials.

Define Clothing

Clothes or clothing are collective terms for the various types of materials worn on the body. Protecting our bodies from cold, rain, and other climate change or weather conditions is a human characteristic. Early humans two million years ago wrapped their bodies in tree leaves, woven grass or tree barks, bones, skulls, and the skin of dead animals, among other things, to cover and protect themselves.

According to anthropologists, there is no record of when humans first began to wear clothing. However, according to some records, humans began wearing clothes around one million years ago. Neanderthals, a subspecies of archaic humans and the distinct genus Homo, are an extinct species that lived in Eurasia from approximately \(400,000\) to \(40,000\) years ago and were the first humans to wear clothes. These Neanderthals were the first to sew clothes, as they used to sew animal skin.

History of Fabrics and Textiles

The study of the history of clothing and textiles traces the development, use and availability of clothing and textiles throughout the history of mankind. Clothing and textiles reflect the materials and technologies that were available to different civilizations at different times. The diversity and distribution of clothing and textiles within a society reveal social customs and culture.  Wearing clothes is a fully human trait and a characteristic of most human societies. Men and women started wearing clothes after the last ice age.

Anthropologists believe that animal skins and vegetation were adapted in shells to protect them from cold, heat, and rain, especially when people migrated to new climates. Textiles can be made into felt yarn or spun fibres and then processed into nets, loops, knits, or woven fabrics that appeared in the Middle East in the late Stone Age. From ancient times to the present day, textile manufacturing methods have continued to evolve, and the available textile options have influenced the way people used their possessions, dressed, and decorated their surroundings.

Available sources for studying clothing and textiles include material remains discovered through archaeology; Representation of textiles and their manufacture in art; and documents related to the manufacture, purchase, use, and marketing of finished fabrics, tools, and garments. The investigation of textile history, especially its early stages, is part of material cultural studies.

History of Clothing Material

To cover our bodies, we now wear clothes made of various fabrics. There were no fabrics (or clothing materials) available in ancient times. So, in ancient times, people covered themselves with tree bark, large leaves, animal skins, and furs.

When people began to practice agriculture and settled near bodies of water (such as rivers), they learned to weave twigs (thin shoots of trees) and grass to make mats and baskets, among other things. The ‘vines’ (very thin stems of climbing plants) and animal fleece (animal hair) such as sheep’s wool were then twisted together to form long strands.

These strands were then woven together to form fabrics. People eventually began growing cotton and flax plants in order to obtain fibres for making fabrics. These crops were grown near water sources such as rivers in order to have enough water for irrigation. Early Indians, for example, grew cotton crops near the Ganga to obtain cotton fibres for making fabrics. Cotton and flax crops were grown near the Nile in ancient Egypt, and their fibres were used to make fabrics.

The stitching of fabric or cloth to make clothes (such as shifts, pants, etc.) was unknown back then. To cover themselves, people simply draped the fabrics around various body parts. People began stitching fabrics to make various types of clothing after the invention of the sewing needle.’ Originally, clothes were hand-stitched, but sewing machines are now used for quick stitching of clothing. Stitched clothing includes our shift, pants (trouser), shorts, kurta, pyjama, and blouse, among other things. Though stitching is available everywhere these days, sarees, dhotis, lungis, and turbans are still used as unstitched pieces of fabric in our country.

Summary

Clothes or clothing are collective terms for the various types of materials worn on the body. Protecting our bodies from cold, rain, and other climate change or weather conditions is a human characteristic. The study of the history of clothing and textiles traces the development, use and availability of clothing and textiles throughout the history of mankind. Clothing and textiles reflect the materials and technologies that were available to different civilizations at different times.

FAQs on History of Clothing Material

Q.1. When was clothing material invented?
Ans: Using similar genetic methods, the second group of researchers estimates that clothing evolved between 114,000 and 30,000 years ago.

Q.2. What types of materials were used in the first clothing?
Ans: The earliest clothing, according to anthropologists and archaeologists, was likely made of fur, leather, leaves, or grass that was draped, wrapped, or tied around the body.

Q.3. What material was commonly used for clothing?
Ans:  Fabrics made of cotton, flax, wool, ramie, and silk are common natural clothing materials.

Q.4. What are the 2 types of fabric?
Ans: The two main types of fabric are natural and synthetic fabric.

Q.5. What is a thick cotton fabric called?
Ans: A thick cotton fabric is called Denim.

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