Fionna's Physiological Wardrobe August 2022

Physiology of the Human Wardrobe Creature

Today is April 7th, 2026, almost 5:40 PM. I am transcribing notes from 2022. This is a abstract document rooted in basic biology. I don't remember the textbook which I used as the basis of research, though I cannot really call this research as it is standard introductory knowledge which would be covered in most Anatomy and Physiology textbooks of its kind.

Anatomy is the forms of the body and Physiology is the function of these structures. The image, shape, or form (anatomy) of a machine from the smallest level to the largest (whole) defines the behavior of a system. With a given input, output, and recognizable shape, an identity is formed. Bodily functions are dictated by structures that rely on cells and chemical reactions within them. Fabric functions are based on fibers and organization of fibers. This document is a long metaphor comparing the components of life between the human body and the inanimate wardrobe. Part one of two, this article focuses on physiology and the second on anatomy.

Conditions of Life

What makes something alive? This is a common opening question for students of biology. An organism is alive when is has capabilities of maintaining its own boundaries, movement, responsiveness/excitability, digestion, excretion, metabolism, growth, and reproduction. 

The first condition of life is the ability to maintain boundaries. On an internal and external level, all cells have semi-permeable membrane. Human skin is semi-permeable. The second condition is movement. Cells shorten and contract and can manipulate their shape. The third condition is responsiveness or excitability. The other requirements of life are digestion which supplies fuel, metabolism, excretion of waste, reproduction, and then growth. Metabolism is an umbrella term describing a state of change where catabolism means to destroy and anabolism means to create. Cellular respiration is an example of metabolism. Growth is a positive state where constructive processes occur faster than destructive ones.

In my conception of “The Human-Wardrobe Creature” I imagine a compound organism that sustains itself through a mutually beneficial relationship. I explore each of these conditions for life as it relates to humans and their wardrobe, hoping to illustrate how this system satisfies the requirements for life as a unit.  Obviously, humans are alive without wardrobe, though my impression is that wardrobe has become a requirement for human life as it exists today. Ultimately, I intend to “prove” that the existence of wardrobe as a concurrent phenomenon to human life as non-negotiable in our development. The species we are today is inexorable from Wardrobe.

Are Clothes Alive? Analyzing conditions of life against wardrobe

No, there are several key conditions of life which fabric obviously fails. There is no digestion or reproduction of fabric. The fraying, degradation, and loss of fabric is more like erosion than excretion. As such, fabric does not have metabolism. Forces from life such as the Sun, wind, and dirt break down material and without the ability to self-regenerate things will degrade from exposure. Humans can repair and replace things thus we make up the anabolism and reproductive system of a wardrobe. Wardrobes have no ability to grow; clothes come into being because of humans and require human maintenance thereafter. A human is the biological engine to the inanimate wardrobe.

Another condition of life is movement. Clothes are strategically designed to not inhibit the range of motion expressed in normal life. Clothes have no ability to move independently; though, components will have their own distinct motion during human wear. With the ability to accentuate movement, fashion can make humans seem more alive. Related to movement is responsiveness. Clothes maintain the body’s equilibrium and eliminate responses such as shivering and sweating. Other responses such as itching or constant adjustment are a result of poor planning or design which can ruin the experience of wearing a garment.

On the Organization of Life and Structural Levels of Wardrobe

From smallest to largest we consider the body at the chemical level, cellular, tissue, organ, organ system, and then the Organism.

At the chemical level we analyze atoms and molecules. From these fundamental units of matter form organelles which eventually create cells. At this level, all cells are similar as it is the simplest living creature. From cells form tissue out of groups of similar cells that share common functions combining to reach an overall goal. Then we consider our organs which are discrete structures with distinct boundaries and perform complex functions. Organs form organ systems which are defined by the common goal its components work towards. Finally, there is the Organism, which represents the sum of everything beneath the façade. It is the thing which everything else is trying to keep alive. Life, the reason for all other parts, the whole point.

Much of what we are and create follows a similar process of construction. This continuity between sciences insinuates that there is universal truth which operates consistently amongst all living and inanimate matter.

We began constructing fabric from natural materials that once were alive. This has often caught my attention and kept me thinking in a stupor for some time. Natural fibers have a cellular identity, similar to tissue. Eventually we started making synthetic fibers to satisfy demand and they are identified by their chemical make-up. It’s easy to compare fabric made from fibers to tissue when you remember that natural fibers are made from cells. Furthermore, fabric and tissue exist on the same scale for similar purposes especially considering the integumentary system (skin, hair, nails). For example, you can use the body as a measuring tool, such as comparing the thickness of human hair to fiber or cutting out a pattern. The thing that gets me thinking in a loop is when fibers of natural origin are woven together, it becomes a film made from dead cells. The remnants of a tissue that was never alive.  

The structural levels of a Wardrobe can be considered fiber, fabric, garment, outfit, and then Wardrobe. Fabrics are identified based on their origin and process beginning with fiber. Different fabrics combine within a single garment to complement the bodily function below. Thus, the metaphor continues by comparing a garment to an organ which is made from various types of tissues. Combined with other garments, systems work within a region of or across the body. Local layering or cross body compliments determine the boundaries of a garment system. Those grouped by location have the same basic shape. An outfit is an ensemble of garments. Wardrobe is a collection of outfits.

Regulating Bodily Functions with Clothes

There are qualities of semi-permeability in fabrics which mimic the integumentary system (skin, hair, nails). This in turn regulates functions of the body such as heat loss / retention, perspiration, and UV exposure. Determining the overall purpose of a fabric comes down to how it reacts to light, moisture, and heat emanating from / to the body. A garment can be rated on a UPF scale for how much light radiates through it. Fabric in the proper environment should wick away surface moisture through capillary and evaporative effects.

Clothes are a crucial aspect of homeostasis. We construct clothes in the image of the human body to extend physiological functions. Clothes provide artificial atmosphere around the body to relieve responses such as sweating or shivering. How a fabric reacts to heat and moisture from the body determines its viability for specific applications. The integumentary system (skin, hair, nails) covers the entire body. Body temperature is regulated at the surface and clothes affect that reaction. The optimal human body temperature is 37° Celsius or 98.6° Fahrenheit. The temperature of the body controls the basic rate of chemical reactions, the metabolic rate. Too low is too slow which leads to death. Too high leads to burning and degradation which leads to death.

An outfit is like a second skin which protects deeper tissue from heat loss, UV radiation, abrasion, and dirt. Proper clothing in the sun can prevent sun poisoning. In cold environments, proper insulation and water wicking from inside out will sometimes prevent hypothermia and death. Through time, proper attire decreases risk of disease. Biological systems naturally lose efficiency with age, and regulation becomes more difficult. Chronic homeostasis static imbalance will degrade mechanisms more quickly. This is particularly the case with UV radiation.

Clothes get dirty from the inside out from pollutants, food, and body fluids.

Cutaneuous glands are constantly releasing sweat and oils. How a fabric holds onto stains, odors, and how it withstands the wash process determines its longevity.

A wardrobe reflects the human who brought it together through time, and every day is a fractal projection of that larger image. I like to imagine that my clothes are alive because they mimic and contribute to my bodily functions. My wardrobe is a living museum, a creature that is entirely reliant on me for its continued existence, and one which I cannot do without.

Further Questions and Research Leads

Changes in the skin in reaction to UV are still mysterious to me. Degenerative and creative processes of the skin when exposed to UV. I wonder how much vitamin D a person needs / produces and what other essential nutrients are synthesized by the skin. Can clothes prevent heat stroke?

I wonder how proper evaporation helps with odors during wear. Generally, how do different kinds of fiber react to contaminants.

Pathological clothes, wardrobe, economy. Immediate and cumulative capabilities of consumerism. Fast fashion. Slavery, war, and human rights.

How have we changed the shapes of our bodies specifically, but also cultures, economies, planet through wardrobe.