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History of Uniforms

By the word ‘Uniform’, we generally refer to a particular type of clothing which is worn by a group of people to show that they belong to the same institute, organization or army. Currently, this definition makes little sense as there are different types of uniforms for the same group of people. Uniform has lost its importance over time and depending on the people’s lifestyles, but it still has huge importance to display professionalism and solidarity among people working together.

It is hard to tell where the idea of Uniform actually originated. In the medieval era, badges were seen as the simplest way to denote people belonging to the same group. In later periods, government and military officials started wearing specially designed uniforms to deliver the message that they work for the administration.

School uniforms were first introduced in England around the 16th century during the Tudor rule. It has evolved over the centuries and even became obsolete in many countries, but school uniforms still hold an important place to exhibit institutional prestige and tradition.

In the case of working-class people, certain uniforms indicated specific occupations. After the rise of the industrial revolution in European countries, different new professions came into existence and different uniform styles emerged along with them, suited to professional needs. Even Monks & Nuns have been wearing distinctive clothes to show their affiliations to religious organizations for centuries, and the practice is still very much prevalent. 

With the beginning of the 20th century, new types of fabrics and designs emerged, and that marked an evolution of the old-age style of uniforms. Technological progresses, as well as the growing importance of customer opinion in terms of designs, have brought more variety when it comes to work uniforms. Now uniforms have become smarter, more comfortable according to the needs of the modern world. Quite importantly, uniforms are also a great instrument to show the brand image of the company, as they create an immediate visual representation of the company.

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