The History of Outerwear

Outerwear is clothing that is worn over other garments to provide warmth and protection from the elements.outerwear It can be made from a variety of materials and designed with different features to meet specific requirements for use in cold and wet weather conditions. Examples of outerwear include coats, jackets, vests, parkas and windbreakers. These garments can be used for both casual and formal occasions, and they may be worn to protect the wearer from inclement weather or extreme cold temperatures.

A wide range of forces shaped twentieth-century outerwear fashions.outerwear Some of the most important factors included day and evening attire, sports, ethnic influences, development of unisex styles, new fabrics, and advances in technology. The most significant change in outerwear in the twentieth century was the gradual replacement of capes by long-sleeved coats and jackets.

For men, this meant the adoption of the spencer, an informal coat that resembled a short waistcoat and whose popularity was driven by the fashionable fashion for gentlemanly hunting attire. Women’s coats were also influenced by the fashion for spencers, although they did not replace capes until much later.

In the earliest times, fur was a common choice of material for outerwear garments. This was particularly true in societies where the fur was primarily a ceremonial rather than a practical form of clothing, such as the leopard skins seen in depictions of Egyptian priests from the eighteenth dynasty (1580-1350 b.c.e.). In addition to using animal skins, human skin was also used in some early outerwear garments, including cloaks and tunics.

The first sewn outerwear garments were probably fur capes that fitted over the shoulders, as evidenced by wooden toggle pieces found in European graves of the Magdalenean period (15,000-8,000 b.c.e.) positioned to act as the front closures of garments worn over the top of tunics. Clothes draped or tied around the body were also common in early Middle Eastern, Greek and Roman societies. In Greece, both men and women wore a fabric rectangle called a himation over their tunics; in Rome, soldiers wore a himation-like garment called the paenula.

Today, there are a wide range of outerwear garments available in a variety of styles, lengths and fabrics. The choice of outerwear depends on the climate and conditions in a region, personal preference, and activity level. For example, a short puffer coat with hood may be ideal for a commute, while a longer wool overcoat might be suitable for a dinner date or other formal occasion. Other considerations include the type of closure, neckline and sleeve style. Closures are typically zippers or buttons; sleeve styles can be either long or short, with some having a high collar and hood while others feature a more open, “bearable” collar. For warmth, most outerwear is insulated. Some insulating fabrics are synthetic, such as polyester and nylon; others are natural, such as wool or cotton. Some types of insulation, such as down, are considered eco-friendly by some consumers.