The word ‘clothing’ comes from the Old English ‘clath’ – a cloth or woven fabric worn on the body for practical, social, and psychological needs, such as protection, covering for modesty, or styling.
The initial term clothing described clothes (garments) made of fabrics or textiles.
Over time, the term’s meaning expanded to include garments made from animal skins, rubber, latex, and artificial materials.
Popular clothing items or clothes in fashion include everyday T-shirts, pants, jeans, hoodies, dresses, jackets, coats, etc.
Clothing vs Apparel
Clothing is the plural of clothes and describes garments such as shirts, pants, dresses, jackets, and coats used to cover and protect the body.
On the other hand, the term apparel refers to – apart from clothing – footwear and accessories like jewelry, glasses, and hats.
Clothing vs Garment
Clothing includes any clothes, while ‘Garment’ describes a single piece of clothing, such as a dress, a pair of pants, a suit, a jacket, or a jumper.
In that sense, clothing and garments are similar.
Clothing vs Outfit
Unlike ‘Clothing,’ which means any garments used to cover, protect, and adorn the body, ‘outfit’ combines garments, footwear, and accessories intended to be worn together.
The garments, footwear, and accessories composing outfits are intentionally selected (curated) and assembled to depict a particular fashion style or way of dressing.
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