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A Short History & Types of Clothings
A Short History & Types of Clothings
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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".
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.
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
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.