Clothing
Clothing includes all the different garments, accessories, and ornaments worn by people throughout the world. A person who lives in an Arctic region may wear boots, warm pants, and a heavy coat. An African in a village may wear only a piece of cloth tied around the waist. A nurse may wear a white uniform, cap, and shoes. A London banker may wear a business suit and a hat.
Each of these persons dresses differently, but they all feel a need to wear some kind of clothing. Like food and shelter, clothing is one of people's most important needs.
Throughout history, many people have worn clothing more for decoration than for covering the body. Even in cold climates, some people seem more interested in decorating their bodies than in protecting them. In the 1830's, for example, the famous British biologist Charles R. Darwin traveled to the islands of Tierra del Fuego, off the southern tip of South America. There he saw people who wore only a little paint and a small cloak made of animal skin, in spite of the cold rain and the sleet. Darwin gave the people scarlet cloth, which they took and wrapped around their necks. Even in the cold weather, these people wore clothing more for decoration than for protection.
No one knows exactly why or when people first wore clothes. But they probably began to wear clothing more than 100,000 years ago