In Module 3, "The Second Skin, Functions, and Social Implications of Clothing" we learn that the 6 functions of dress include:1)
Environmental Protection- The woman in the image is wearing a fur coat with fur muff to depict the fashion during 1885 in small-town Wisconsin, where the weather was extremely cold and a fur coat was necessary to keep warm when one was out on the town.
flickr.com/photos/10310410@N06/1732706168/
2)
Decoration-The image below depicts the
Ndebele tribe from Africa wearing skirts and leg decorations.
Image from: http://pro.corbis.com/images
3)
Gender Differentiation- For many decades, certain clothing pieces were made to distinguish the male gender from the female gender. The image here depicts a Chinese Cheongsam, which is a snug fitting dress made for women in China during the 17th century.
Image from:
www.cheongsamboutique.com/
4)
Group Membership- During the 1920's, the "Flapper Style" became a well know style of dress for women who were flaunting their feminist freedoms by no longer wearing long skirts that covered their legs. This style of dress was a form of group membership.
Image from:
ffwdmag.co.uk/140/Flapper-Skirts-As-Feminist
5)
Ceremonial- This type of dress is usually worn during special occasions such as weddings or religious ceremonies. In the image below,
Crown Prince Gustav VI of Sweden and Princess Margaret are wearing traditional royal wedding attire in 1905 with their bridesmaids.
Image from: http://pro.corbis.com/images/HU034437.jpg
6)
Sexual Enhancement- The image below is Betty Grable, who was a pin-up model in 1942 wearing pumps with a bathing suit to appear more sexy for her male audience that was fighting the battle of WWII. This sexy image gave American soldiers something to fight for.
Image from:
www.worldsfamousphotos.com/betty-grable-1942.html
