Have you ever wondered the origin of bathrobes? The bathrobeessentially began with the robe. Robes have taken large roles throughout thecourse of history, and there are numerous robes in addition to bathrobes. Robesare worn in religious ceremonies, as clothing for judges and lawyers, and arealso used as part of academic graduations. As time has progressed, thesevarious robes have transformed into the bathrobes of today.
From Robes to Bathrobes
To understand the history of bathrobes, one must start withthe robe. Defined as a loose-fitting outer garment, the English word robe wastaken from the French word meaning "a woman's dress." The robe wasdifferentiated from other similar garments, such as capes or cloaks, because ofits sleeves. One of the most noted robes in history is the seamless robe wornby Jesus Christ at the time of his crucifixion. This actual seamless robe iscurrently kept at an altar by the Roman Catholic Church, and was last publiclyviewed in the year 1996.
The Chinese are well known for their use of robes. Chineserobes were made from fine fabrics such as silk, and worn as outer garments.These robes were also adorned with intricate embroidery. These robes were wornas far back as the 1800s, throughout a large part of the Chinese dynasties.
A style of robe that is an inspiration to the design of bathrobes is the Japanese kimono style robe. These styles of robes also date backto the early 1800s. The kimono style robes were considered pieces of art by theJapanese. These garments were usually created from silk fabric, or even goldfoil, and also had elaborate embroidery. The Chinese and Japanese robes ofancient times are still currently used as traditional apparel in thesecountries.
The Bathrobe Transformation
As history has progressed, the robe has graduallytransformed into the bathrobe. Bathrobes can be defined as robes worn afterbathing, or similar activities such as swimming. In European countries, bathswere commonly taken in bath houses where several other people would be bathing. Bath robes were commonly used in these countries to cover the body forwarmth, as well as, providing privacy. Bath robes of modern times are used forin this very way, and for similar purposes. Both men's and women's bathrobes oftoday are inspired by the robes of the past, and are available in a wide arrayof fabrics, colors, and styles.
About the Author
SusanRivera is a fashion writer and frequent contributor to
Comments