ABSTRACT
The construction of clothing means that it can be a repository for a wide variety of useful information. Garments may retain various types of evidence that have been deposited onto them in a wide variety of ways, most importantly during the crime event. Clothing items are one of the most commonly encountered exhibits in crimes of violence. Generally, crimes are committed while the participants are clothed (although not always, notably some sexual offenses). Consequently, that clothing may reflect the nature, the location, or the participants in the crime. Clothing cannot literally speak to the examiner, so clothing is not “direct” evidence. However, garments may contain physical evidence relating to the crime and in an indirect way provide information relating to the circumstances. In this manner, we can consider that clothing “speaks” to the examiner.
