The development of clothing has been very different among autochthonous peoples. In the warm regions of the earth, many peoples lived to the time of their "discovery" by the Europeans, sometimes even beyond, without clothing. Examples are found in Africa, the Amazon, South Asia, the Caribbean and the South Seas.

The necessary framework therefor was a social consensus that prohibited or prevented sexual assault, so that undisturbed, peaceful coexistence was possible in the first place. Unfortunately, the means and ways that individual peoples found, to reach and enforce this consensus have largely remained unexplored, because the European colonists were at the same time missionary lobbyists of the clothing industry.

However, it is known, that even in societies completely living in the nude, i.e. taboos regarding where to look existed: Thus, it was usually forbidden, to stare onto sexual organs of others or the breasts of women. Who did that anyway, was punished as a Peeping Tom or outed to the general public. You just looked into the face of other human beings – the history of development of this human cultural achievement is so ancient! Nevertheless, there are still some left, who do not master this elementary rule of human coexistence.