Why Clothing: Using For Protection & Identification

Why Clothing? Name Institution Why Clothing? Some of the things people do in life are important in determining the way they are judged by others. These things can influence the kinds of interactions that people have. On most occasions, a person may take for granted their own personal appearance. The first impression that a person has of you will be influenced by your appearance. The way a person looks is determined by how they are clothed and this may make people want to know more about you or completely lose interest in you. There are different kinds of cloths that people wear and they serve different purposes. Therefore, in this essay, I argue that clothing is needed for protection, identification, and for status. Using Clothing for Protection People work in different environments, others working in more harmful conditions. For those working in dangerous environments, they need cloths specially designed for them to help in protecting them against harm. Within the textile industry, protective clothing is now a major part. According to Khalil (2015), protective clothing refers to garments and “fabric-related” items that are meant to protect wearers from harmful environmental effects that may lead to injuries or death. The hazards that people under separate circumstances face are different and therefore, no single type of clothing can be used to provide absolute protection against harmful environments. The pressure on chemical industries to ensure that their employees are protected is ever on the rise. There is need to ensure that protective clothing are developed in an effective manner. The growing concerns about health safety have raised the concern on protective clothing. Besides, technological advancement has ensured that more complicated clothing suited for various conditions can be designed. The emphasis on using cloths to ensure the protection of humans on a daily basis has been on the rise be it on recreation, occupations and other activities that may present life hazards. Hazards are on the rise each and more complicated clothing are designed to help in combating them. The purpose of these complex clothing systems is to provide improved protection (Dammacco, Turco & Glogar, 2012). Even though the primary goal of the clothing is to ensure protection, they should also be designed in such a way that they maintain comfort and improve efficiency and well-being. Besides, they should maintain the right balance of trends, fashion, aesthetics and cultural aspects (Dammacco, Turco & Glogar, 2012). Without protective clothing, employees would be more worried about protecting themselves rather than performing. This will reduce their productivity and the overall performance of a company. Using clothing to ensure the safety of employees is a business goal that every company where the working environment can be hazardous must pursue. The design of protective clothing should depend on the environment that the wearers work. If employees work in hot environments, it should be determined if the clothing they wear would enable them to breathe easily and efficiently. Some of the clothing may be too huge but they should not greatly hamper the abilities of employees to move easily (Khalil, 2015). In the U.K, there is “anchor safety” brands. Using Clothing for Identification Clothing has been used to identify people of different occupations, companies, cultures and so much more. Certain types of clothing with distinct colors have been used over the years. Therefore, with these clothing, it makes it easy for others to identify them even in a crowd and they would instantly know what their occupation is. The medical profession is synonymous with white coats. Most health professionals wear white coats 75% of their time. According to Landry et al. (2013), white coats are preferred for doctors because it gives them greater comfort and makes patients to have confidence in them. The case of doctors is indicative just how strong clothing can be used for identification. The white color is supposed to associate clinicians with cleanliness and purity. Even though several people question using white coat for the ease with which it can facilitate the spread of diseases, the white color has been able to withstand the test of time. Today, if you meet a person in a white coat, the first thing that would go to your mind is that that person is clean. In the hospitability industry, chefs and those responsible for catering are also known to wear white. Therefore, if you go to a hotel and you see somebody in certain attire, you would know that they can serve you because the attire they have is meant for identification. It is supposed to tell people that that person is indeed a staff there. School going children are also known to don certain uniforms of the colors of their choice so that they can be easy to identify as students. Mostly, in public schools in several countries, school uniforms have spread because of the belief that they create order and make the learning environment more disciplined (Gentile & Imberman, 2012). It gives school going children an identity and an order that they should adhere to. Humans are known to be exuberant in their clothing. Therefore, uniforms have been used to bring equality and a sense of mutual feeling of togetherness, making them know that they are there for a common goal, obtaining knowledge. But most importantly, they identify them as belonging to a certain school to help in distinguishing them from students from other schools. In most militaries in the world, green uniform is normally common. Armies have ensured that they have particular distinctive military uniform. These uniforms give them the identity that they belong to the armed forces of a state (Pfanner, 2004). The uniforms for particular army branches may differ in color but there is always an attempt to ensure that they are the same in style because of the need to give them an identity. In every country, the military uniform shows the tradition and history of a country. The uniform is important and reflects discipline and order that is normally very crucial in the forces. The uniform also calls for subordination. Within the armed forces, the uniform symbolizes fear, respect, authority, and power. But most importantly, it gives them an identity that helps them bond together as one even as they string to forge a more united front in defending their countries. The clothing used in the military is so important and it goes to say just how much meaning a piece of clothing can carry, the kind of identity it can create. Clothing as a Symbol of Status Known to most people is that clothing is used to create identity and status. Most dress studies have focused on the lin...