History Of Plus Size Clothing

Clothing, in any form, be it plus size clothing or just animal skin, is most certainly a human distinction. Although one could argue that animals that grow feathers are indeed growing a form of clothing themselves. The answer to that could only be conclusively and objectively answered if the definition of the functions clothing needed to satisfy. As a basic requirement, clothing needs to protect us to a certain degree from the elements. Clothing has been traced back by archeologists using carbon dating methods to as far back as 5000 BC.

However, even though the evidence only traces back 7000 years, there is sufficient reason to believe that plus size clothing, or some variation of it was used almost 650,000 years ago. Even if it may be a bit of a stretch to date it that far back, other scientific methods using lice have determined that there is evidence to suggest that clothing dated back to 190,000 years ago. As we trace this history back, it occurs that plus size clothing does have multiple uses. First, all clothing, protects us from the elements as well as maintained a stable body temperature. Second, clothing, provides camouflage (during the hunter-gatherer) days. That slowly evolved into something that was a status symbol. Whether it was a simple loin cloth or something that acted as a simple way to cover up, the effects were that clothes were used to protect.

As civilisation carried on, we became involved with stature and as such, the clothes followed suite. Fast forward to today, clothes can be categorised into two segments, regular clothing and plus size clothing.  However, the preoccupation with all the externalities of clothes has detracted the original necessity of clothing. It is no longer about covering up and being protected from the environment. We have houses now with heating and ventilation. Cars that are temperature controlled and so on. So the argument that its primarily for protection from the elements is no longer valid. The next thing is that it was a status symbol.

As far as status symbols are concerned, it didn't really matter if it was plus size clothing or not. It was just for style. Form over function. The human body has evolved so far in the 650,000 years since the first protective covering that we now wear clothing because it feels uncomfortable not to do so. Wearing plus size clothing has become second nature.