Chapter 1 Understanding Clothing 29 a particular group of people form their culture, 1-4. People have painted their bodies with clay and vegetable dyes. They have inserted jewelry in their ears, noses, and lips. They have used colorful stones, metal bands, feathers, and animal teeth to decorate their bodies. People in some parts of the world still carry on these practices. Today, people still decorate their bodies, but a little differently. Many people use cosmetics and clothes for adornment. Accessories such as jewelry, scarves, and neckties also provide adornment. Some people use body piercing and tattoos as forms of self-adornment. Status and Prestige People wear clothing to express status, prestige, wealth or importance. Status refers to a person’s position in relation to others. Prestige is widespread respect and admiration for someone based on his or her achievements. Some clothing symbols indi- cate achievements. For example, service stripes on military uniforms show years of service in the armed forces. Ribbons, pins, and badges show achievements in scout- ing. Letters on school letter jackets indicate performance in athletic or academic events. Some people choose clothes to imply they are of a higher status than others. Designer clothes are a status symbol for some people. The names of famous fashion designers or their logos are often printed or woven into garments. Expensive jeans or athletic shoes often highlight the name brand in a highly visible place. Some peo- ple also consider expensive jewelry and fur coats to be status symbols. They may use these symbols to indicate their wealth or achievement in life. Identifi cation You can often identify people by the clothing they wear. You can easily identify police offi cers and mail carriers by their uniforms. Flight attendants of an airline dress alike. Hotel staff or restaurant wait staff at a particular establishment may also dress alike. In this way, you can easily identify them. Their attractive uniforms help to create a good image for their companies. Different branches of the armed forces, such as the Air Force or Navy, have specially designed uniforms for their branches, 1-5. Uniform designs also show rank. A general’s uniform is quite different from that of a private. In sports, such as football, members of one team wear the same uniforms. This helps identify players and teams. Imagine how confusing it would be to 1-4 This young Indian woman wears the traditional sari with her wedding jewelry following the style of her culture. Shutterstock