Hughes & McCutcheon/R5M, 27. Why do women in some religions cover up their faces, or even their whole bodies?

While we often think of it as nothing more than a means of physical protection or a mundane habit, the simple act of wearing clothing is also highly symbolic. Not all cultures feel compelled to cover the same body parts, and yet in almost all cultures failing to cover one’s body in particular ways is usually considered a moral issue rather than a matter of mere preference or comfort. This indicates that clothing is a way to turn one’s body into a walking emblem of a culture’s morals and values.