[P113]Pay Attention Or Pay The Price

In its broadest acceptance, the term 'clothing' refers to coverings for the entire body. When speaking about clothing, we can also refer to coverings for the hands , feet or head. Almost all the people on this planet wear clothing. Other terms such as 'dress', 'apparel' or 'garments' may be used when referring to clothing.

The reasons why people wear clothing are both functional and social. The human body needs protection against some weather or environment features, and clothing provides safety for people. There is also a social and cultural meaning associated to clothing.

There are many other ways in which a person can decorate his/her body, such as cosmetics, makeup or perfume, but these do not constitute a form of clothing, but are more likely to contribute to the general message that a particular style of clothing transmits. Some other article, which are carried and not worn, such as purses or umbrellas, are not considered clothing, but rather fashion accessories. Out of the two genders, it is the women who resort mostly to accessories and decorations. Most of the cosmetics or makeup on the market are designed for women, but that doesn't mean that men are entirely neglected. And as far as clothing is concerned, both men and women receive the same attention, more or less.

The functional aspect of clothing refers to the protection of the human body against the dangers that surround us, such as strong sunlight, precipitation, extreme cold, insects, abrasive substances and others. Throughout history, experience has taught humans to be extremely inventive as far as their safety is concerned. We can now find pieces of clothing design especially for protection against some hazards. Such pieces of clothing are swimsuits or diving suits, costumes for bee-keepers, clothing with high visibility, leather costumes for motorcycle riders, and so on.

As important as protection, there's another feature of clothing, which refers to the social message that clothes send. Several pieces of clothing can transmit messages about a person's occupation, religious affiliation, social or marital status or even sexual availability. Of course, all of these messages can be sent according to some criteria that a particular society or community sets.

The most common way of denoting occupation through clothing is a uniform. Uniforms are worn by many categories of people, from police and firefighters to schoolchildren. As far as sexual availability is concerned, certain pieces of clothing may denote that the person wearing them is more receptive to sexual advances than others. In most parts of the world it is accepted that showing your hair and part of your skin is a signal for availability, whereas covering them signals the opposite. Thorough consideration must be put into choosing clothing with the purpose of expressing availability or openness to flirtation, especially by women, since the possibility of being confused with prostitutes is considerable, and that would certainly be quite unpleasant.

In fact, women are assumed to be a lot more attentive with their clothing than men. But according to their personality, occupation and status, women tend to pay more or less attention to their clothing. While some women use clothes and accessories to look good and emphasize some physical qualities that they have, other women choose to be practical, regardless of the way they look wearing those particular pieces of clothing. However, women must keep one thing in mind. No matter where they live or to which extent they choose to align themselves to the latest fashion, they will keep being attractive to men through clothing, just as they have always been.