Clothes and Accessories

You might think that clothing and accessories, and the obsession we have with them, are just a product of our modern obsession with the cutting edge and the cult of celebrity. However, the fact is that if you take a really close, anthropological look at human cultures through the ages, it becomes obvious that clothing and fashion are deeply ingrained into the genetic makeup of all homo sapiens.

Just think about it. Native American cultures distinguished individuals and their importance within the group by the way in which they dressed; generally, the biggest headdress ruled the group. And this is not a whole lot different than European cultures either; just who got to wear the best hat? The king or queen, of course!

Romans signified their belonging to the upper castes through the colours they wore with their clothes, and only the emperor, or the person trying to become emperor, was allowed to don the sacred purple. What was the first thing that Adam and Eve did when they discovered the difference between good and evil? Well, they went and got themselves clothes. And even God shows some sense of fashion in that case; the fig leaf garments our forebears wore weren't the most fitting, so he went ahead and fashioned them some suits from animal skins instead, before kicking them out of paradise (maybe it was leather).

Even in areas where the need for clothing is questionable, we see that there is a certain amount of importance attached to garb. From rain forests to deserts, the style you choose, the way you wear it, and the places you put it all have something to say about who you are within the social grouping.

And it is not just the basic coverings on your body that make a difference, either. Again, we can see from the earliest ages of men that the accessories chosen by people make a difference in how others view them. Flipping open Genesis once more, we see that Jacob, one of the patriarchs of the Jewish people, showed his love for his favourite son by giving him a coat that was decorated in several colours, not just the uniform goat hue that his brothers wore. Tribal cultures all over the world add to their garments with whatever materials occur naturally in the world around them, from the poisonous dyes found in South American frogs to colourful pebbles and the feathers of birds.

And accessories? Well, just as in today's developed world societies, most of the time accessories have a practical purpose at heart. But, they also generally take on different aspects that convey the status of the individual. Quivers for arrows, handbags for makeup, wallets, and baby buntings all tend to include some degree of originality that is meant to draw the comments of others.

So, don't think that our society's obsession with fashion and culture is anything new because the combination of individuality and clothing is common the world over. What we have done in modern developed society is take the idea of clothing and fashion to a whole new level, such that it has spawned whole new multi-billion dollar industries.

Don't believe me? Well, just take a look at the latest fashion shows in New York, Paris, or London. Most of the styles on display are not only unaffordable, just totally impractical. And yet, people continue to buy them and to be fascinated with them.

The fact is that clothes and accessories do tend to define whom we are as people, as well as serve a practical purpose. The cynical might suggest that the more individuality and distinction you require, the less practical your choices, a statement which is hard to disagree with. However, there are plenty of options that meet both the practical and the original requirements of clothing and accessories. You can make a statement with your handbag while still fulfilling the basic purpose of the bag; in that there is enough room to carry your necessary daily goods.

Sometimes, it takes a while for our pride to catch up to our style. Nowhere is this more evident than in men's fashion. More than two decades have passed since the concept of the "man purse" was floated, and yet men still have a problem with embracing this practical idea. And make no mistake; the man purse is more practical today than ever. Not only do men still need to carry around the usual items such as Kleenex, money, identification, breath freshening options, and so on, but today's male typically carries around a lot more: cell phone, Blackberry, laptop, and the ultra modern man needs child care equipment as well. The man purse makes sense, but the ego just can't seem to embrace it.

When it comes to human nature, clothing and accessories are at the very heart of our desire to express ourselves. Most of the time, the need for individuality walks hand in hand with the practical, and that gives designers and consumers alike a wide framework in which to operate. Ailsa Craig real estate for sale