Skirt: Difference between revisions
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That this is a matter of ''social convention'' is seen in the fact that, at times in the past, or in other cultures, items of wearing apparel which are distinctly skirtlike have been considered appropriate styles for men. The most well-known example is the [[kilt]], the national costume of [[Scotland]], and which is derived from the standard male attire of the Scottish Highlands of the 17th and 18th centuries<ref>There is a branch of geometry called ''topology'' which considers the basic forms of objects, reducing them to their simplest geometric figures. Considered from this point of view, the ''skirt'' and the ''kilt'' are topologically indistinguishable, both being forms of the cylinder. The only distinguishing characteristics of the two types of garments are either artificial (as, for example, the patterns of the kilt are approved by the Scottish Council of Clan Chiefs), or social, as the kilt is intended for wear by men, though that latter must itself be qualified today in view of the wide participation of girls in Highland dance competitions.</ref>. | That this is a matter of ''social convention'' is seen in the fact that, at times in the past, or in other cultures, items of wearing apparel which are distinctly skirtlike have been considered appropriate styles for men. The most well-known example is the [[kilt]], the national costume of [[Scotland]], and which is derived from the standard male attire of the Scottish Highlands of the 17th and 18th centuries<ref>There is a branch of geometry called ''topology'' which considers the basic forms of objects, reducing them to their simplest geometric figures. Considered from this point of view, the ''skirt'' and the ''kilt'' are topologically indistinguishable, both being forms of the cylinder. The only distinguishing characteristics of the two types of garments are either artificial (as, for example, the patterns of the kilt are approved by the Scottish Council of Clan Chiefs), or social, as the kilt is intended for wear by men, though that latter must itself be qualified today in view of the wide participation of girls in Highland dance competitions.</ref>. | ||
== | ==Types of skirts== | ||
There are several possible ways of classifying skirts. They could be classified, for example, by color, fabric type, or length. However interesting or important such things may be from the perspective of fashion or taste, these features are, apart from that, not very significant. More meaningful is a classification according to social function. In this latter category are certain types of uniforms, formal wear, or business outfits. But based on considerations of the garment itself, the most important distinguishing feature is related to how the garment is constructed or tailored. | |||
Most skirts are tailored garments designed to fit on the waist with a fuller amount of fabric around the hips reflecting the fact that, in most cases, the female human being is fuller at the hips than at the waist by several inches. Thus, there usually must be a tapering from hips to waist in the finished garment. There are several ways in which this tapering can be accomplished and the garment can be classified according to how this tapering is accomplished. | |||
Pleats or darts are sometimes sewn into the fabric not only to provide the necessary tapering from hem to waist but also to change the look or ease of movement. | Pleats or darts are sometimes sewn into the fabric not only to provide the necessary tapering from hem to waist but also to change the look or ease of movement. | ||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
Revision as of 06:21, 14 February 2008
A skirt is an outerwear garment having the general shape of a cylinder, open at both ends and tapered (thus, like a tube or truncated cone). It is fastened about the waist of the wearer and hangs down covering and encircling both legs simultaneously. Within this description, the skirt can be made of a wide variety of fabrics, and can assume as wide a variety of silhouettes and lengths.
The word skirt is of Scandinavian origin, coming from skyrta, which originally meant shirt, and was in use in English by about 1300. The shift in meaning from shirt to skirt may have been related to the fact that the peasant shirts in use at that time were long garments with an extension which hung down below the waist and over the legs; it was this lower portion which came to be referred to by the word skirt.
In any case, for many centuries, the common meaning of the word referred to the lower portion of any coat, dress, or such like garment, whether worn by men or by women[1]. The general restriction of the term to the garment of today is a relatively recent development, though the former usage still persists, gradually becoming more and more archaic.
Social usage
Virtually all known societies, both present and past, have been characterized by distinictive gender based clothing styles. For the most part, these styles are a matter of social convention. In Western society at present, the skirt is considered female attire, worn almost exclusively by women and girls.
That this is a matter of social convention is seen in the fact that, at times in the past, or in other cultures, items of wearing apparel which are distinctly skirtlike have been considered appropriate styles for men. The most well-known example is the kilt, the national costume of Scotland, and which is derived from the standard male attire of the Scottish Highlands of the 17th and 18th centuries[2].
Types of skirts
There are several possible ways of classifying skirts. They could be classified, for example, by color, fabric type, or length. However interesting or important such things may be from the perspective of fashion or taste, these features are, apart from that, not very significant. More meaningful is a classification according to social function. In this latter category are certain types of uniforms, formal wear, or business outfits. But based on considerations of the garment itself, the most important distinguishing feature is related to how the garment is constructed or tailored.
Most skirts are tailored garments designed to fit on the waist with a fuller amount of fabric around the hips reflecting the fact that, in most cases, the female human being is fuller at the hips than at the waist by several inches. Thus, there usually must be a tapering from hips to waist in the finished garment. There are several ways in which this tapering can be accomplished and the garment can be classified according to how this tapering is accomplished.
Pleats or darts are sometimes sewn into the fabric not only to provide the necessary tapering from hem to waist but also to change the look or ease of movement.
Notes
- ↑ Webster's 1913 Dictionary advances as their main definition of a skirt "the lower and loose part of a coat, dress, or other like garment; the part below the waist; as, the skirt of a coat, a dress, or a mantle".
- ↑ There is a branch of geometry called topology which considers the basic forms of objects, reducing them to their simplest geometric figures. Considered from this point of view, the skirt and the kilt are topologically indistinguishable, both being forms of the cylinder. The only distinguishing characteristics of the two types of garments are either artificial (as, for example, the patterns of the kilt are approved by the Scottish Council of Clan Chiefs), or social, as the kilt is intended for wear by men, though that latter must itself be qualified today in view of the wide participation of girls in Highland dance competitions.