I need to mention a few more things we do before leaving the house. These have much to do with deception. Deception, as I mentioned is a norm in our life. Even our animals engage in deception practices.
Since we are neither telepathic nor psychic, our looks are of importance. Smells are too, that is why we shower, put on clean ironed clothing and modify the appearance of our face. Males often engage in daily shaving. Dark-haired ones with light skin have to shave more often, even twice a day since dark bristle is visible on light skin. Light-haired males can shave less frequently. Why males shave is a mystery for most. I believe that modern society needs more loyal citizens and shaving makes people look younger which may be translated into loyalty. Shaving makes males look more alike, more like young brothers. Shaving is a bit more democratic in a sense all being equal and similar.
Short haircuts symbolize loyalty; long hair in males symbolizes freedom and independence.
Interestingly, shaving and long hair make males more feminine but is used to symbolize the opposite. Go figure.
Typically people less confident in their position shave. As they become indispensable and cannot be easily fired, they may grow a beard.
Females demonstrate more variety in their appearance and spend much more effort at improving their looks according to current fashions. The main direction of female cosmetics and dress design is directed at presenting them as fertile as possible. Although the majority of the population doesn't consciously appreciate that fact, many males and females subconsciously understand this. Besides, recent fashions (since hippies) fashion females in pants and suites imitating the appearance of males. This is in line with the increased involvement of women in traditionally male jobs. Strangely, males don't engage much in female fashions. This is likely because for women, dressing up like men is a step up in the hierarchy and for men is would be stepping down. Most humans tend to rise as high as they can. I would refer you here to check out Parkinson's Law. I will not explain it here because if you are a human, you likely know it. If you are an alien, it wouldn't take much effort for you to look it up. I assume you are looking up many terms as you read, don't you?
So women, before leaving the house spend 15 min fixing their hair, painting their faces and picking a dress which would better suit the weather, today's job agenda and who they are going to meet. Males also spend time picking the color of the shirt and tie, but again, the variety of male outfits is way shallower.
In any case, this can be considered one of the components of deception. If not peer pressure and pressure from bosses, most of us would dress differently. In hot weather, some would walk completely naked as some of you do.
We modify our looks often to pretend to be different than we are and to fit into the system.
Most striking is a formal dress. They change our looks and perceptions of those who see us most radically.
I need to comment again, that fashions liberalize with time. As we evolve, there is more variety and less pressure to comply.
It is unfair to say that fashions are only for deception. There are much beauty and artistic expression in fashions. For some people, it is a way to express their creative talents. Beautiful people in beautiful dresses are beautiful. No buts here.
Waling naked is not natural for us. Many generations have passed since our earth ancestor was naked. We have lost bodily hair because we were wearing clothes throughout our evolution. Our eye associates nakedness with sex in part because of our culture and I believe, in part because it is genetically imprinted in us by evolution. Maybe also some of the shame of nakedness came to us with the alien genes infused in us during our evolution by your alien ancestors. Let me know if it is so.