[dancing spawn of ungoliant]

Edit: Lots of cross-posting. Could I possibly write any slower? Anyway, I'm trying to make a serious answere here, mind you...

Originally Posted by Feanor of the Peredhil

I didn't imagine a loin cloth until the movies came out, and even then, I wondered how that impressive little garment defied the laws of physics so admirably.

Ditto.

Year 2941, Third Age, Bilbo meets Gollum who definitely has pockets (can't give you the quote because I don't have the Hobbit in English).

78 years pass.

Year 3019, Frodo meets Gollum who (according to the films) is clad in a mere loincloth. Hardly any pockets there. I understand if Gollum's clothes wear out while he journeys to Mordor, gets tortured by Sauron's minions, is kept in captivity by the Elves, finally escapes and trails the Fellowship.

Originally Posted by Bb

I think in part the lack of clothing signifies how distant Gollem is from human/hobbit society. He has been thrown back to the most elemental aspects of hobbit nature, even eating raw fish (from a Western perspective). He has been shunned, has he not, forced outside the human community and seems even to be beyond the need for warmth or protective covering. Thrown back solely upon himself, he is almost animalistic.

I agree. Once we know the history behind Smeagol's transformation into Gollum, his poor clothing and addiction to raw diet add just a couple natural details to his character.

However, in the Hobbit Gollum is portrayed just as some weird creature who talks to himself because there isn't anyone else to talk to. He's quite an eccentric being but far from an animal with his boat, riddles and little treasures. At this point Tolkien says that it isn't known where Gollum came from and how he got the Ring. I believe that there wasn't any mention about his age, either (I'm not sure, though). In that sense I think it's interesting that many artists have made Gollum so primitive already in their works based on the Hobbit. For example, Look at John Howe's watercolour painting of Gollum. What a wretched creature he is and almost naked, even.

After reading LotR and learning how long Gollum had been an exile they can't be his old hobbit clothes that he is still wearing in 2941 (not to speak of year 3019). I think it's plausible that Gollum took his dinner's clothes and wore them - if they had enough pockets for his liking.