When I entered the Museum, I was immediately struck by quite how much stuff was contained in a comparatively small space. The Museum seemed to house artifacts from all over the world, with each room representing a different group of people in a different way. From the clothing I observed, it was clear that fashion served a dual purpose even then: functional and sociological.
The functional aspect of the clothing was obvious from the numerous materials used between the different societies. Each civilization had created a different solution to the ubiquitous problem of dealing with environmental differences. Some had adapted long coats, others needed lighter fabrics to protect from the sun while still allowing airflow. The multitude of materials and design present over the different civilizations shows a diversity in the function of fashion present from the very beginning.
The sociological aspect of fashion becomes evident when we recognize that not only did different societies employ different materials and styles, but they also differentiated within their own society. The fashion of the common person was different than that of an elite member. Fashion has always been one of the most visible markers of affluence and prestige in any society, and the societies on display in the Museum were no different.
Wandering the halls of the Museum led me to wonder what our civilization would look like if it were to be encased and preserved in the same way these people's lives had been. The closest experience we have to this is the quickly changing fashions of the modern decades, where one minute something is 'in', and the next, it's 'out'.
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