Clothing. See Dress.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
By Dr. William Smith.Published in 1863
Clothing
(garment, לְבוּשׁ, lebush', ἔνδυμα). Immediately after the Fall, our first parents clothed themselves with the leaves of the fig-tree; afterwards with the skins of animals, Subsequently some method, we may suppose, was discovered for matting together the hair of animals and making a sort of felt-cloth. Later still the art of weaving was introduced, and a web was formed combining .the hair of animals with threads drawn from wool, cotton, or flax. The art of manufacturing cloths by spinning and weaving is of very great antiquity (Gen_14:23; Gen_41:42; Job_7:6). The Egyptians were celebrated for such manufactures The Hebrews, while dwelling among them, learned the art, and even excelled their teachers (1Ch_4:21). SEE WEAVING.
While wandering in the Arabian wilderness, they prepared the materials for covering the tabernacle, and wrought some of them with embroidery. Cotton (?) cloth was esteemed most valuable, next to that woolen and linen. That which was manufactured from the hair of animals was considered of least value. Silk is not mentioned at a very early period, unless it be so in Eze_16:10; Eze_16:13. This, however, is clear, that Alexander found silks in Persia, and it is more than probable that the Median dress adopted by the Persians under Cyrus was silk. It was not introduced among the nations of Europe until a late period. (See these various materials in their alphabetical order.) Garments woven or dyed of various colors were much esteemed in the East. They were generally made by women, and were occasionally tastefully embroidered (Gen_27:3; Exo_28:4-8; Exo_39:3; Jdg_5:30; Pro_31:21-24). The Asiatic modes of dress are nearly the same from age to ace, and hence much light is thrown by modern observation on the subject of the clothing of the Hebrews. SEE COSTUME.
The principal articles of dress, with men, were the cloak, robe, or mantle, constituting the ordinary outer garment; the shirt, or tunic, forming the inner dress; the turban for the head; the girdle for confining the garments at the waist; and the sandals for the feet. To these were added, in the case of females, the veil for concealing the face, and, as a matter of ornament, the showy head-dress, the necklaces, bracelets, and anklets, the jewelled rings for the ears and nose, with other occasional articles of effeminacy, as in Isaiah in. (See each of these words in its place.) SEE ATTIRE.
CYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL
press 1895.