A feature of all modern human societies is the wearing of clothing, a category encompassing a wide variety of materials that cover the body. The primary purpose of clothing is functional, as a protection from the elements. Clothes also enhance safety during hazardous activities such as hiking and cooking, by providing a barrier between the skin and the environment. Further, clothes provide a hygienic barrier, keeping toxins away from the body and limiting the transmission of germs.
Clothing performs important social and cultural functions. A uniform, for example, may identify civil authority figures, such as police and army personnel, or it may identify team, group or political affiliations. In many societies, norms about clothing reflect standards of modesty, religion, gender, and social status. Clothing may also function as a form of adornment and an expression of personal taste or style.
Throughout history, many materials have been used for clothes. Materials have ranged from leather and furs, to weaved and woven materials, to elaborate and exotic natural and synthetic fabrics. Recent scientific research estimates that humans have been wearing clothing for as long as 650,000 years.[1] Others claim that clothing probably did not originate until the Neolithic Age (the "New Stone Age").[citation needed]
Articles carried rather than worn (such as purses), worn on a single part of the body and easily removed (scarves), worn purely for adornment (jewellery), or those that serve a function other than protection (eyeglasses), are normally considered accessories rather than clothing.
Social status
Alim Khan's bemedaled robe sends a social message about his wealth, status, and powerIn some societies, clothing may be used to indicate rank or status. In ancient Rome, for example, only senators were permitted to wear garments dyed with Tyrian purple. In traditional Hawaiian society only high-ranking chiefs could wear feather cloaks and palaoa or carved whale teeth. Under the Travancore Kingdom of Kerala, (India), lower caste women had to pay a tax for the right to cover their upper body. In China, before the establishment of the republic, only the emperor could wear yellow. History provides many examples of elaborate sumptuary laws that regulated what people could wear. In societies without such laws, which includes most modern societies, social status is instead signaled by the purchase of rare or luxury items that are limited by cost to those with wealth or status. In addition, peer pressure influences clothing choice.
[edit] Religion
See also: Category:Religious vesture
Muslims usually wear white robes and a cap during prayersReligious clothing might be considered a special case of occupational clothing. Sometimes it is worn only during the performance of religious ceremonies. However, it may also be worn everyday as a marker for special religious status.
For example, Jains wear unstitched cloth pieces when performing religious ceremonies. The unstitched cloth signifies unified and complete devotion to the task at hand, with no digression.[citation needed] Sikhs wear a turban as it is a part of their religion.
The cleanliness of religious dresses in Eastern Religions like Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism is of paramount importance, since it indicates purity.
Clothing figures prominently in the Bible where it appears in numerous contexts, the more prominent ones being: the story of Adam and Eve, Joseph's cloak, Judah and Tamar, Mordechai and Esther. Furthermore the priests officiating in the Temple had very specific garments, the lack of which made one liable to death.
Jewish ritual also requires rending of one's upper garment as a sign of mourning. This practice is found in the Bible when Jacob hears of the apparent death of his son Joseph.
相關的中文平行文本如下：
服裝（亦稱為衣物、衣服、衣著）最廣義的定義，除了指軀幹與四肢的遮蔽物之外，還包括了手部（手套）、腳部（鞋子、涼鞋、靴子）與頭部（帽子）的遮蔽物。幾乎所有的人類都有穿著衣物的文化。人類穿戴衣物除了有功能性的理由外，也有社會性的理由。衣物能夠保護脆弱的人體免於天氣與環境的傷害，而同時服裝中的每個物件也帶有某種文化與社會意義。
社會階級
在許多社會中，擁有高地位的人會將某些特別的服裝或飾品保留給自己來使用。只有羅馬皇帝可以穿戴染成紫紅色（Tyrian purple）的服裝；只有高地位的夏威夷酋長可以穿戴羽毛大衣與鯨齒雕刻。古代中國只有皇帝皇後才可以穿十二章衣和翟服。在許多情況下，有些抑制浪費的法律體系會精細地管理誰可以穿什麽服裝。在其他的壹些社會中，沒有法律會去禁止低地位者去穿戴高地位者的服裝，然而那些服裝的高價位很自然就限制了他人的購買與使用。在當代西方社會裏，只有富人能夠負擔得起高級訂制服裝（haute couture）。擔心受到社會排擠也有可能限制了服裝的選擇
[編輯] 職業
軍人、警察、消防隊員通常會穿著制服，而許多企業中的員工也可能如此。中小學生經常會穿著學校制服，而大學生則穿著學院服裝。宗教成員可能會穿著修道士服、道袍、袈裟。有時候單是壹件服裝或配件就能夠傳達出壹個人的職業與／或階級。比如說，主廚頭上所戴的高頂廚師帽。
[編輯] 道德、政治與宗教
在世界上許多地區中，民族服裝與服裝風格代表了某個人隸屬於某個村莊、地位、宗教等等。壹個蘇格蘭人會用格子花紋（tartan）來宣告他的家世；壹個正統猶太人會用側邊發辮（sidelock）來宣告他的信仰；而壹個法國鄉村婦女會用她的帽子（cap or coif）來宣告她的村莊。
服裝也可以用來表現壹個人對其文化規範與主流價值觀的異議，以及個人的獨立性。在十九世紀的歐洲，藝術家與作家會過著波希米亞式的生活，並且刻意穿著某些服裝來震驚他人：喬治·桑（George Sand）穿著男性的服裝、女性解放運動者穿著短燈籠褲（bloomers）、男性藝術家穿著絲絨馬甲（waistcoat）與俗麗的領巾。波希米亞族、披頭族（beatnik）、嬉皮、哥德族、龐克族繼續在二十世紀的西方進行這個反文化傳統。近年來連高級訂制服裝都抄襲了街頭時尚，這或許讓街頭時尚喪失了某些震驚他人的力量，然而它仍舊激勵無數人試圖把自己打扮的酷炫有型。
婚姻狀態
印度女人壹旦結了婚，她們會在發際間點上朱砂痣（sindoor），壹旦守寡，她們就要拋棄朱砂痣與珠寶並且穿著樸素的白衣。西方世界的男女可能會戴上結婚戒指來表示他們的婚姻狀態。請參見婚姻狀態的可見標誌。