Like shelter, clothing is a necessity of life in that they both provide needed covering and protection from the environment around us. If we live without shelter we would be vulnerable to temperature extremes, rain, snow, turbulent wind, sand storms, and other storms. If we lived without clothes we would be vulnerable to overexposure to the sun, precipitation, to jagged and sharp edges, to dirt, to unsanitary conditions, and body secretions. Clothes give us a layer of added protection in our environment that would otherwise cause us to have to bathe more often, clean more often, and take more precautionary measures to maintain hygienic and sanitary conditions. Clothing technology has come from the merely practical to fashion and super protective (like the suit of an astronaut). The first known pair of clothes was made from plant material, leaves to be exact. The second pair of clothes was of animal skin. This was clothing tech at its beginning. Mankind has come a long way since then with the development of clothes but the basic materials that clothes are made from virtually remain the same. Natural materials are always the best materials to use. Man has come to use both soft plant tissue and harder plant materials to make clothes. Such plants as cotton, flax, corn, and bamboo (bamboo is of the grass family of plants). Then we have come to make clothes out of minerals and metals such as armored suits. Silk clothing comes mostly from the silk worm and other animals provide material for making clothing that does not require the death an animal. For instance sheep and goats have wool and hair that is shorn to make clothes. I personally think that clothing that comes from a living animal should only be used if it does not harm the animal in the process. If the animal dies of natural or accidental causes then it would be humane and useful to use the hide for a beneficial purpose like making clothes out of it. Elephants seem to make the gathering of their hide easy for us because reportedly they go to a mutually chosen area to die when they are aware of their pending death. If this is the case it may only apply to each particular herd and not the entire elephant population. At any case, if a certain spot is known to be an elephant graveyard these spots can be monitored and the elephant hides can be gathered from there without harming live elephants. We should do as vultures do, accept without the eager anticipation of the death of a creature. Perhaps if researchers know the natural pattern that each animal has in preparing for death then such hides, tusks, and bones can be more humanely and easily gathered. This also would require patience and the avoidance of simply supplying a demand for such clothing that will not be readily available to supply. We as consumers can help the clothing industry by not purchasing any items that we know was procured by causing the death of an animal, like silk, leather, and any animal hide. We can live without it while we request that the industry regulate a humane way of gathering these products without harming animals. But after material is gathered for making clothes and the clothes are made and placed on the market, what should we buy and how should we wear it?

If we wear clothes made from natural fibers, such as cotton, wool, ramie, bamboo, corn, jute, and linen then we will cause less damage to our environment. This is because such clothing materials are not synthetically made that uses lots of energy in the process and is not made from organic tissue. Wear wool and/or silk during the cold season if you choose to wear silk. Otherwise wear layers of other animal-hair and plant-based clothes of natural fiber. Winter time requires that you wear at least double layers of outer clothes. When we wear double layers of clothing the space between the pieces of clothing acts as insulation and keeps the body warmer than if we were to wear one piece of clothing. If you do not care for long underwear try wearing cloth sweat pants under your pants. Sweat pants are soft, roomy, comfortable, and warm. Avoid wearing tight fitting clothes, especially during cold weather because the cold will be relatively close to your skin. You will want a warm layer of air between your skin and the air outside.

Wear cotton, linen, ramie, bamboo, corn, and some silks (that does not involve killing silk worms) during the warm and hot season. Long sleeve shirts of cotton, linen, bamboo, corn, or silk during the summer will keep the sun rays off your skin and allow a breeze to pass through onto your skin. As we all know heat always rises above cooler air because it is lighter in weight. This is also true with your body heat. The heat that your body generates rises constantly to your head and through your scalp. This is more evident during the winter time. As this does happen the more your body heat escapes the colder your body will become, thus, put a cap on it by wearing a head covering outside during cold weather. By the way this is also one reason hands and feet are more vulnerable to the cold. So wear insulated boots during winter months. Wear a scarf around the nose and mouth during bitterly cold weather while you breathe through your nostrils to insulate the inhalation of the cold air. Wear a snowsuit during bitterly cold weather when you will have to linger outdoors and this will act to insulate the entire body as it will keep much of your body heat from escaping. Pants worn outside your boots when snow is high on the ground will reasonably prevent snow from getting into your boots. Expandable ends at the sleeves, waist, legs, and the neck provide added protection of keeping the cold air out. The expandable ends of clothing worn over the outside of other articles of clothing is the best way keeping warm. During rainy weather, of course, wear water proof or resistant clothing outside during those days. The wearing of clothes has come a long way and it seems to be an ever developing technology that is here to stay. So the next time you think to purchase your next piece of clothing think of what it comes from, how it is made, and how you will wear it.