25 Bizarre Facts About Clothing Most People Are Not Aware Of

Posted by , Updated on December 29, 2023

Do you want to know some really cool and bizarre facts about clothing? Like, did you know that if you didn’t wear new clothes on Christmas Eve a giant cat might eat you? That bikinis and atomic bombs go together for some really odd reason? That men started wearing heels before women? It’s all true. Though fashion may seem outrageous at times, it’s history can prove to be just as outrageous if not more. After all, what would you say to the fact that some people in ancient times wore color coordinated clothing just to show off their status in society? Or how about the fact that one of the most important pieces to a bra was designed by a famous MALE writer? You won’t believe how interesting and shocking clothing history can be. So if you want to know where the idea for the name of your favorite jeans came from, or how the original bikinis where received, take a look at these 25 Bizarre Facts About Clothing Most People Are Not Aware Of.

Video
play-rounded-fill

25

Young Victorian men used to wear locks of their lover’s pubic hair in their hats as mementos. Apparently they couldn’t remember whom they slept with a week ago.

Source: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: pixabay.com Source: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: pixabay.com
24

The first shopping mall to sell clothes was built in ancient Rome.

Ancient RomeSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: en.wikipedia.org
23

Victorian detachable men’s collars were so tight that guys sometimes chocked themselves to death from wearing them, which is how they got the nickname “father killers.”

Source: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: en.wikipedia.orgSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: en.wikipedia.org
22

The first fashion magazine was published in 1678 in, where else, France. It was called Le Mercure Galant and targeted male readers. Almost a decade later a similar magazine for women followed.

First fashion magazineSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: commons.wikimedia.org
21

Lacoste’s little embroidered crocodile was the first-ever designer logo. He created and manufactured it in 1933.

LacosteSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: en.wikipedia.org
20

The manly spacesuits worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were actually created by bra maker Playtex.

Neil ArmstrongSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: en.wikipedia.org
19

Napoleon had brass buttons sewn on the sleeves of his soldiers’ uniforms to discourage them from wiping their noses on their uniforms. It is also believed that he rewarded them after victorious battles with bottles of expensive perfume.

Napoleon The GreatSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: en.wikipedia.org
18

The Russian military started wearing socks officially in 2007. Before that they’d just wrap pieces of cloth around their feet.

Russian ArmySource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: en.wikipedia.org
17

The first high heels appear in Persia and were worn by Men. Persian horse riders used heeled shoes for extra stability when riding horses (they helped hold the rider's foot in stirrups).

High heels for menSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: en.wikipedia.org
16

Greek prostitutes had sayings etched into the bottoms of their shoes such as “follow me” to attract customers. Apparently prostitutes in ancient Greece had to be very athletic and walk in a very specific way to show them off.

Ancient Greek ProstitutesSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: commons.wikimedia.org
15

Before Queen Victoria’s white wedding, white was a color traditionally associated with mourning and not happy times.

White weddingSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: en.wikipedia.org
14

After a student was suspended for wearing a t-shirt of the nu metal band Korn, the band decided to “donate” hundreds of their shirts to the students of this high school in Michigan. The strange thing is that police actually helped to hand out the tees.

KornSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: en.wikipedia.org
13

According to the American Psychological Association (APA) people are more willing to give money to someone whose dress style resembles their own.

APASource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: commons.wikimedia.org
12

According to psychology the human eye takes longer to travel across patterned fabrics, and this apparently makes the body appear larger.

EyeSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: commons.wikimedia.org
11

Back in Medieval Europe a person’s social level and profession could be identified by the color of their clothing. The nobility wore red, peasants wore brown and gray, and merchants, bankers, and gentry wore green.

Medieval EuropeSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: en.wikipedia.org
10

It is estimated that an American woman will spend $125,000 on clothes during her lifetime. More specifically she will buy about 3,000 items with 271 of them being pairs of shoes, 185 dresses, and 145 bags.

American WomanSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: commons.wikimedia.org
9

James Jordan, father of Michael Jordan, ironically was murdered by a guy who was wearing a Michael Jordan T-shirt.

Michael JordanSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: Wikipedia
8

South Korea used to have real fashion police who would patrol the streets measuring the miniskirt length of women. If skirts were deemed too short, they could be fined or arrested.

South KoreaSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: en.wikipedia.org
7

After its modern debut, the bikini was banned initially in Italy, Spain, and Australia, while it was considered a sin by the Vatican.

BikinisSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: en.wikipedia.org
6

The inventor of the modern bikini, Louis Réard, named his creation after the Bikini Atoll — where the U.S. did most of its nuclear testing — because he hoped it would bomb the market and have a huge impact.

Atomic BombSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: en.wikipedia.org
5

Even though there currently exists a strong children fashion industry, until the 19th century, children were dressed as miniature adults.

EskimoosSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: en.wikipedia.org
4

According to Icelandic mythology and tradition, if you didn’t wear new clothes on Christmas, there was a giant Yule Cat that would eat you.

ChristmasSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: commons.wikimedia.org
3

Arguably the most successful Catwoman in history, actress Julie Newmar, holds the patent for “pantyhose with shaping band for cheeky derriere relief,” a forerunner to Spanx. She was granted the patent in 1975.

CatwomanSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: en.wikipedia.org
2

Believe it or not famous writer Mark Twain invented one of the first bra straps. Actually he was pretty proud of his invention, writing in the patent, "The advantages of such an adjustable and detachable elastic strap are so obvious that they need no explanation.”

Source: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: en.wikipedia.orgSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: en.wikipedia.org
1

The word jeans comes from a kind of material that was made in Europe. The material, was named after sailors from Genoa in Italy also known as “Genes” who used to wear clothes made from it.

JeansSource: Clothing: A Global History (Book), Image: commons.wikimedia.org