Abstract
Clothing is a portable micro-environment of the human body. This paper confirms how effective clothing is a tool for the human body to adapt to various climates on the earth from cold to hot. From a spatial stand point, this paper summarizes the relationship between climate and the characteristics of folklore costumes throughout the world. From the perspective of time, the seasonal changes in wearing conditions of people in Tokyo are introduced with a fixed point observation method using photography. The amount of clothing worn in different periods of time are compared and the change due to the period in time are discussed in relation to the changes of house construction, air conditioning systems and the social needs for energy conservation. In order to develop the functional, climate adaptable and comfortable clothing, two different approaches are conducted in this field. One is a physical approach using a thermal or a sweating thermal manikin. The origin of a thermal manikin and the development of many types of sweating thermal manikins in the world and the factors affecting the thermal characteristics of clothing are summarized. Another is a physiological approach to the human body. The examination of physiological and psychological responses in the human body to different climates is basic and very important to develop functional and comfortable clothing. The research methods and the results obtained from skin temperature, sweat rate, thermal sensation and humid sensation over the skin surface are briefly introduced.
