Clothing is symbolic in Lord of the Flies for several reasons. First, the condidtion of the clothing mimics their emotional and mental condition. The more frayed the clothing becomes, the more ripped, torn, and stained they become, so too, does the mind set of the boys. The type of clothing that they wear is also symbolic. At the first of the story they are wearing boarding school uniforms, indicating orderliness and adherence to rules. The choir robes also indicate an 'angelic' innocence of the boys prior to their descent into barbarism.
