Beyond the snake, 蟒 also names the 蟒袍 — the dragon-pattern court robe worn by high officials and seen in Peking opera. The robe's serpent design is where the clothing sense comes from.
The creature radical on the left. Snakes and reptiles take this radical just as insects do, since it broadly covers cold-blooded crawling animals — it places 蟒 with 蛇 and 蛟.
