What's the Point of Clothes?

[GanonSlayr]

I don't get it. If it's hot out, why should we have to wear clothes? Why has our society developed to that point?

 

[TwilightDeku]

...cause we have a standard in our society that certain areas of the body have to be covered up. It doesn't make all that much sense when its hot out. But clothes have been a part of the human society before history was recorded. REALLY old habits die REALLY hard. This is an strange thread...

 

[Honorable Hero]

For one, decency. Secondly, clothes provide protection from many things.

 

[Seth]

I agree, clothes are overrated. Public nudity should be fine. I wish it were.

 

[A Link In Time]

Because people are often immature and little kids and teenagers can't handle seeing people of the opposite gender naked. Heck, they can't even stand the sight of someone of their own sex without clothes. I swear this world is going sometimes.

 

[Seth]

Because people are often immature and little kids and teenagers can't handle seeing people of the opposite gender naked. Heck, they can't even stand the sight of someone of their own sex without clothes. I swear this world is going sometimes.

If nudity was considered normal that wouldn't be an issue. There are nudist families where kids grow up just fine seeing nudity of both genders.

 

[Beckira]

I would argue the protection perspective here. Yes, decency is important, and we have incredibly old traditions on why public nudity is seen as something that should not be common place. However clothing is a reasonable form of protection against exposure, as well as against nicks, cuts, and various poisonous plants.

Your options are to be naked and slather your entire body in sunscreen every three hours (while simultaneously avoiding areas with poison ivy) or to put on a shirt. As I am a lazy human being, the shirt seems to be the most appealing option.

 

[GanonSlayr]

For one, decency. Secondly, clothes provide protection from many things.

Decency? Why is it indecent to not where clothes?

 

[Poe]

I'm going to go for the option of, there are some medications which can have negative reactions when the skin is exposed to strong enough sunlight.

Alternatively, if it's really hot there's more of a chance that wet clothes are going to keep one cooler for longer.

 

[Majora's Cat]

Decency? Why is it indecent to not where clothes?

In today's society it is considered indecent. It's nearly impossible to make people embrace public nudity today, but I understand where you're coming from. You have to think back to the main reasons why early men and women covered themselves in clothes. It not only keeps you warm in cold climates, it protects against sunburn and environmental hazards in other environments. Clothes are really just supposed to be a way to protect the body, but it's normal to think that they aren't necessary in modern times, since clothing has become an object of fashion and customization (which is not necessary for the survival of the human race).

 

[Kupsacker]

If you throw all ethics and decency aside, people can be insecure. There's really no point in going full nude if it's hot (or whatever the case is) anyway, that's why it's acceptable for guys to go shirtless, girls to have bikinis, etc.

 

[Luke's Wife]

because I'd rather not walk around showing off my not-so-gorgeous-and-rather-chubby-self?
some people don't want other people staring at their naughty bits...

 

[Mariley]

Human beings didn't start wearing clothes because of ''decency'' or because society started to demand that they do believe it or not. They started wearing them for protection first and foremost. So the idea of running around naked all the time isn't even really a viable option in most parts of the world because it's too fricken cold. Even if you live in a warm climate year round, clothes offer protection against a lot of other things as well.

I mean think about how much dirtier and unhygienic public places would be if everyone were naked. Do you really want to sit on a bench on a hot summer day right after someone who's sweating a lot and is totally naked has been? I sure don't. Of course there is also the privacy factor to consider. I don't want people seeing me naked and I'm sure most people feel the same way.

Of course, there are people who don't feel that way and want to be naked all the time. That's cool too, they are called nudists. There are plenty of nudist colonies and such around the globe. Maybe the OP should consider looking into that?

 

[Wolf Sage]

Ulterior motive?

In today's society it is considered indecent. It's nearly impossible to make people embrace public nudity today, but I understand where you're coming from. You have to think back to the main reasons why early men and women covered themselves in clothes. It not only keeps you warm in cold climates, it protects against sunburn and environmental hazards in other environments. Clothes are really just supposed to be a way to protect the body, but it's normal to think that they aren't necessary in modern times, since clothing has become an object of fashion and customization (which is not necessary for the survival of the human race).

Human beings didn't start wearing clothes because of ''decency'' or because society started to demand that they do believe it or not. They started wearing them for protection first and foremost. So the idea of running around naked all the time isn't even really a viable option in most parts of the world because it's too fricken cold. Even if you live in a warm climate year round, clothes offer protection against a lot of other things as well.

I mean think about how much dirtier and unhygienic public places would be if everyone were naked. Do you really want to sit on a bench on a hot summer day right after someone who's sweating a lot and is totally naked has been? I sure don't. Of course there is also the privacy factor to consider. I don't want people seeing me naked and I'm sure most people feel the same way.

Of course, there are people who don't feel that way and want to be naked all the time. That's cool too, they are called nudists. There are plenty of nudist colonies and such around the globe. Maybe the OP should consider looking into that?

I couldn't agree more, and there's not much I'd add that wouldn't be trite. I personally don't like being in the nude, and I think it's odd to be nude all the time when one considers everything that Majora's Cat and Mariley have explained.

 

[Trio the Punch]

To protect our uselessly frail bodies from harsh weather conditions and to prevent our reproductive organs from being endangered. Plus, indecent exposure is a class 2 felony, so there's that. There are lots of reasons for clothes. Honestly, people have been wearing basic clothing for several thousand years, so you can't really blame us for developing stigmas around not being clothed. It was sort of a natural development.

Historically, clothes have also been a display of social class in many cultures. It is a natural assumption, then, that the less ornately one dresses the less status they have. So that kind of adds to the thought of nudity as less than desirable.

Religion has a lot to do with it as well. Zealots ruin all the fun