FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SELECTION OF CLOTHING
editSelection of clothes should be very judicious so that we can buy best clothes by spending minimum amount of money.
The clothes should be compatible to age, personality, and climate and should not be a hindrance in normal working. Some factors affect the selection of clothes, which may vary from person to person as they are influenced by the requirement of the person. These factors are as follows:
Personality
The personality, value and culture of a person can be judged easily from his dress. There are different types of personalities.
Highlighting salient features of the personality and camouflaging the figure flaws to some extent is possible through dress. Improper dressing makes person a laughing stock and causes inferiority complex.
On the other hand, proper dresses help in building self-confidence which is essential for the proper development of personality. This affects our behaviour and mannerism and develops harmony and personality.
Clothes are an indication of caste, place, state, and occupation of the person. Clothes affect the personality of the wearer. People who are introverts prefer light and sober colours whereas extroverts like bright and gaudy clothes.
Dresses with delicate patterns and sober colours help in enhancing the natural characteristics of tenderness and feminine. On the other hand, big patterns and straight lines go well with regular, dominating and grand personalities. Some uniforms are reserved for certain professions, which help in enhancing their personality, e.g., wearing white coat by doctors and black by lawyers. Clothes indicate your social status and interest. Simple and elegant clothes are hallmark of a serious personality.
Age
Different clothes are required for different age groups. Therefore, care should be taken in selecting clothes for a particular age group.
(i) Selection of clothes for infants
• An infant sleeps for most of the time, so it is important that his clothes are loose and comfortable.
• These should be made of soft and absorbable cloth (preferably cotton) as they do not irritate the tender and soft skin of the child. Silken and synthetic clothes should not be used for infants in any case.
Infant's clothes are to be washed quite often, hence, the clothes should be of such material which can be washed and dried easily. The clothes should be unsearched. The seams should be flat; fasteners should not be at the back.
Tight elastic should be avoided. Infant's clothes should have openings on the front, back or on upper side and it should be head long and closed neck. Instead of buttons, there should be ties and fasteners at the back of the dress as these may hurt the infant clothes because inconvenience in and may get torn by sticking someway
• Very tight clothes are not conducive normal growth.
• If the clothes are shabby, unshaped, not to the liking of their peer group, they may suffer from inferiority complex. They are reluctant to play and with their peers.
• Hazy and dull colours should not | selected for children. Rather bright gaudy colours are good for them.
(iii) Selection of clothes for adolescents
• Adolescents like distinctive and unit colours. Clothes with bright color reflecting enthusiasm, cheerfulness liveliness should be used for them.
• They like clothes that are in fashion their clothes should be creative, styli and according to the latest fashion.
• Generally adolescents do not like influences of their parents and regarding their clothes.
(iv) Selection of clothes for adults.
• In adulthood, the clothes undergo change. Simple and elegant clothes desirable for mature and elderly
• Clothes with design and flowering print look childish.
• Clothes should be chosen after analysis of the colour of the skin, a| and body figure.
• In this age, more emphasis should be the profession, occasion, and price than on the prevalent fashion. In absence of any of this consideration the dress would look awkward.
(v) Selection of clothes for old. Some problems are come regarding the clothes of the people.
• In this period, there is loss of flexibility in the body which causes inconveniem in movements, hence, clothes should be| loose and comfortable.
• Eyesight also gets weak and hence big buttons with button holes should be used in place of hooks. Use of zip is also convenient.
• Their dresses should be in consonance with their age.
• Clothes should be light and easy to wear. They should have simple designs and easy to wear from either side with durable stitching.
• Clothes should be stain resistant, easily washable and wrinkle resistance as the elders may not have enough energy to launder their clothes frequently. Thus, we find that age is an important factor in selection of clothes.
Climate
The main purpose of clothes is to cover the body. Clothes protect us from heat and cold and help us in maintaining body temperature in adverse circumstances. Hence, knowledge of selecting the clothes according to the climate is essential.
Warm, thick and bright coloured clothes should be used in winter whereas cool, soft and light coloured clothes in summer. These should have sweat absorbing quality. In rainy season, we need such clothes as may dry up soon and are wrinkle free e.g., nylon.
Clothes compatible to a person should be soothed both to the user and onlooker, e.g., a person wearing silken clothes in sultry summer is irritable to the wearer as well as the onlooker.
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Occupation
Clothing is associated with profession also. Working people should wear formal clothes. They should be simple, neat and clean. Vulgar and improper clothes should be avoided. Clothes should give a feeling of being smart, active and sober. We all would like to wear such clothes that may wearer not cause any hindrance in our working.
If you are a physical instructor, your clothes should be loose and comfortable so that you may give a good demonstration. Farmers need strong and durable clothes and should also protect them from sunshine.
Businessmen should wear sober and modest clothes. Persons who are going to travelling should wear such clothes which are easy to wash and do not require frequent ironing, e.g., terry cot, decagon etc.
Industrial workers wear special type of uniform. People serving in army, police and railways have their own distinctive uniform. Simple and sober clothes are required in classrooms. Sportsmen need durable and porous clothes for sweat absorption. Doctors and nurses wear white clothes. All these variations are on account of different professions.
Figure
Every person has unique figure. Some are tall or short, fat or lean and thin. Some are of normal height and width. A man should wear clothes in accordance to his figure irrespective of latest trends in fashion and design.
Whatever is the body shape, clothes can make it look different. By judicious use of colours and clothes the figure flaws can be camouflaged or salient features highlighted. For example, persons who intend to look taller and thinner should wear clothes that are plain and of single colour and with vertical lines and designs. Similarly, those who wish to look shorter and fatter should wear horizontal designs and with two or more colours in their dress, e.g., if the salwar is of light colour, the shirt should be of dark colour with horizontal lines.
They may also use frills, piping in their dress to look fat. For a tall and fat lady, clothes with diagonal lines are more suitable. They should also not wear very light or loose clothes. Short coat and jacket too, give a feeling of shortness. All types of clothes do not suit to all body figures. For a fat person light and soft clothes, and heavy and fluffy clothes-like organdy and taffeta, should be used for a lean and thin person.
Occasion
Clothes should be suitable to the occasion. If they are not in accordance to the occasion and place, they would look odd. Therefore, in the selection of clothes, care should be taken about the occasion on which they are to be worn.
Expensive clothes like brocade, banarasi and silken with bright and gaudy colours may be used on special occasions like parties, marriages and celebrations. Simple clothes of black, white or dull colours are generally used in mourning or death. Clothes used in travelling or playing should be flexible, comfortable, and easily washable and sweat absorbing. While doing household jobs one should normally wear old clothes, as good ones may get spoiled.
Fashion
Sometimes it is commented that so and so person is very fashionable. What does it mean? In simple words it means that a person follows latest trend in fashion in color, shapes and design keeps on changing from time to time. For moving along with the latest trends in fashion, one must have the freedom, money, time and knowledge about latest innovations in clothing.
For ex sometimes back, loose gent's trousers art fashion and few years' later, tight ones come into fashion. Often people are j influenced by fashion which is natural. Person wants to wear clothes of hence, its consideration is: in the selection of clothes if a person his clothes very frequently, wastage of money. It is true, especially case of youths.
In the selection of clothes, it must be kept in mind that the not suit everybody's figure. Personal low of an individual are of prime the selection of clothes, but fashion should done within limits of decency and cult
Therefore, it is obvious that selected clothes depends on a number of factors, choice of clothes enhances personality the blind imitation makes people look and turn into a laughing stock.