Six Functions of Dress

Environmental Protection

1937 – A Nenet family wears traditional clothing made out of reindeer skins to stay warm while living in the Siberian artic. Men wear malitsas, a hooded poncho made with 4 reindeer skins with the fur on the inside. Men may add another clothing layer called a gus (the fur is on the outside and the leather is on the inside) during extreme cold weather. Wearing these two layers, a Nenet man can stay outside in -50C and below temperatures. Women wear yagushkas, double layered and made with 8 reindeer skins including a button on the front. The Nenet people wear an inner boot (tobaki) and an outer boot (kisy) that are tied up with a belt.

Decoration

1984 - Michael Jackson wore a Bill Whitten Red Military-Style Jacket and a Swarovski embellished white glove to the American Music Awards where he won 8 awards. Michael Jackson worked with a handful of costume designers such as Michael Bush and Dennis Tompkins but many of the famous beaded jackets were designed by Bill Whitten. As if Michael Jackson’s jacket was not eye-popping enough, he added even more decoration to his outfit with the addition of the white glove.

Gender Differentiation

2008 – In Saudi Arabia, the designer Yahya al-Bishri is re-designing the male thobe by adding his own details such as detailed embroidery. Traditionally the thobe is an ankle-length white robe wore by men. Some of Yahya al-Bishri’s clients are Saudi Arabia’s high society and King Abdullah himself.

2009 – In Saudi Arabia, women are required to wear abayas which are black robes that fully cover the body except the eyes. At a Saks Fifth Avenue fashion show held in the city Jeddah, a model wears a Carolina Herrera abaya.

Group Membership

1880s-1890s – Depicted here in a “Salt Print” photograph, typical Japanese Geisha wore lavish kimono and obi along with makeup consisting of white rice powder, red lipstick, with red and black eye shadow. Geishas were trained to entertain guests by playing instruments, singing songs, dancing, and polite conversation but did not take part in prostitution like high-class courtesans known as oiran.

Ceremonial

2000 – A Thai bride wears a Fanony Thai-Style Wedding Dress. In a Thai wedding ceremony, the couple's parents place twin loops of thread upon the heads of the bride and groom, symbolically joining the couple together. Traditional wedding garments are made of Thai silk that has a coarse texture with slightly knotty threads.

Sexual Enhancement

1976 - Farrah Fawcett wore a Norma Komali Slip Maillot Swimsuit in her famous poster shot by photographer Bruce McBroom. The background is McBroom’s car seat cover, an Indian blanket from Mexico. Fawcett’s All-American girl smile, long curly locks of blonde hair, conservative one-piece swimsuit, and with a dash of sex appeal (thanks to her nipples poking through the fabric) made her a household name.

Alinda Norasing