Ever since Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons in the Garden of Eden, people have worn clothing to cover and protect themselves. Clothing is worn to protect from the effects of weather and from attacks on the skin by strong sunlight, chemicals, and insects. Clothing provides modesty in public places, as well as a measure of comfort when temperatures are hot or cold. Special occasion clothing, such as wedding apparel or cultural dress, may reflect a person's ethnic heritage.
The many combinations of apparel styles, materials, and sizes open up a broad vista of choices for clothing shoppers. From baby clothes to plus sized clothes, everyone can look their best! Fashion designers show new apparel each season, influencing style and color choices as well as hemline fluctuations. All kinds of apparel are readily available at fashion boutiques, department stores, and outlet malls.
Women's clothing offers perhaps the widest and most trendy choices. Sizes range from petite to plus. Formal attire is available for proms and weddings. Popular women's dress fabric choices include wool and cotton, as well as silk and polyester. Styles and fabric colors change every season. Hats, shoes, and accessories for women also follow the whims of leading fashion designers, and they vary widely in style, material, and color.
Men's clothing changes less with passing years and seasons, and it is often designed with occupational requirements in mind. Suits are worn on Wall Street while Western style hats, boots, and clothing are worn out on the range. Besides shirts and slacks or jackets and sweaters, stylish accessories such as silk ties and gold cuff links complete the picture.
Sportswear designed for sporting activities is also popular. For instance, swimsuits, sweatsuits, and tennis skirts are worn by swimmers, fitness enthusiasts, and tennis players. Specially designed apparel, such as wetsuits for surfers, cycling shorts for cyclists, and jodhpurs for horseback riders, is also available from specialty sporting goods stores. Sports activities are often more enjoyable and successful when appropriate clothing is worn.
All of these types of apparel can be found online or at local shops. Discount stores also offer a wide variety of apparel at attractive prices. Alphabetized lists of, and links to, clothing manufacturers and clothing retailers throughout the United States are available on these manufacturer and retailer directories. A directory of clothing stores in the USA, organized by State, is available as well.
Apparel-related video resources include an artistic mother and daughter wearing colorful, striped sweaters, a woman posing in a sun dress on a sandy beach, and a farm woman in peasant dress inspecting her dairy cows.