Clothes, fabrics, and fashion
It can be argued that clothes are the most complex of all product categories. From personal, to official, to ceremonial uses, clothes are encoded with historical and cultural significance. In the biblical story, the first thing Adam and Eve do after eating from the forbidden tree of knowledge, is covering their nakedness with fig leaves that they sewed together. Adam and Eve can be considered as the first fashion designers, sewing--as the first technique for manufacturing cloths, and fig leaves--as the first materials to fashion clothes from. While the scientific community is still debating when people started wearing clothes, the range is between 50,000 to 540,000 years ago.
The image above illustrates some of the ceremonial uses of uniforms by royalty, clergy, physicians, justices, and soldiers. The use of special fitted garments and uniforms to distinguish the wearer by their special role cuts across all societies and cultures. The saying "You are what you...
