Fashion in the Prehistoric Times
The Neanderthal man survived from 200,000 B.C.E to 30,000 B.C.E. they were the first ones to make clothing. Basically during that time the temperature kept on fluctuating dramatically but their compact muscles used to conserve the heat. The Neanderthals learnt to make effective tools out of stones which in turn they used for hunting animals like mammoths, bears, bulls etc. at some point, Neanderthals learnt to use the thick fur from these animals to keep themselves warm. That is how clothing was discovered.
That is how the Neanderthals used to hunt down animals. And then they used the fur from these animals to make coats.
Type of coat they probably made.
Archaeologists believe that after thse early humans started using the fur for clothing, they also made some innovations. According to them they cut the fur into various shapes they liked making holes for the head and after a point for arms too. They also may have used thin strips of fur to tie it about themselves, perhaps in the way that belts are used today.
They used to tie thin strips of fur around themselves.
It is also important to note that the trend which the Neanderthals started 200,000 years ago is coming back. Fur coats are becoming increasingly popular and are a hot trend among celebrities.
Miley Cyrus wearing a fur coat during one of her stage shows.
It is thought that the first assembled piece of clothing was the ‘Tunic’. It was made up of two pieces of rectangular animal fur and was stitched together with a hole left for the head.
The prehistoric version of a tunic.
Modern day tunic.
The prehistoric tunic was nothing but ‘the ancestor of a SHIRT.’ From that tunic, the concept and ideation of making a shirt was developed. Thank god the Neanderthals came up with the tunic!
The similarities between a shirt and the tunic can hardly be missed!
Needles were also an important discovery in the prehistoric times. Needles were made out of ‘slivers’ of the animal bones. They were sharpened to a point at the end and an opening I.e. a loop was made on the other end.
A prehistoric needle.
Only fragments of very early clothing have survived so archeologists rely more on cave paintings and the secondary sources are carved filigrees and such things to develop their pictures of very early fashion or clothing.