The Ancient Greek (from the 6th to 8th century) had a great appreciation for the human body, and it was shown in their fashion. The fabric was expertly draped round the body, and also the cloth might be slightly transparent. Males had no problem with nudity, while women could only be naked within the public bath. They typically wore purple as a symbol of wealth and money because it was the foremost expensive flower (dye) to urge hold of.
Ancient Greek clothing was made of silk, linen, and wool. However, linen was the most common fiber because of the hot climate. The production of cloth was an extended and tedious process; making ready-made clothing was expensive. It was socially accepted that textile making was primarily women’s responsibility, and therefore the production of high-quality textiles was considered an accomplishment for ladies of status. The most expensive textile was finely woven linen and really soft wool. The linen was almost transparent because the Greeks had no problem showing off their body. Less expensive and most commonly used was the linen garment that was woven from the flax plant that soaked in the olive oil. Peasants wore coarse wool. Once made, the cloth was rarely cut. The seamless rectangles of cloth were draped on the body in various ways with little sewing involved. The fabric might be crinkled or pleated to present the garment more fullness. The more fabrics in one’s garment had shown, the wealthier they would be considered. They also showed off wealth by rich dying their fabrics. People accustomed to think the Greeks wore only white because the recovered statues from this point showed white drapery.
However, they later discovered that the artwork had probably been painted that the clothes were worn by the Greeks actually quite colorful. Wealthy aristocrats had purple clothes as the purple dye was the most difficult and expensive to get. Yellow was operable dye for the common citizen, and warriors wore red for not showing blood when wounded. Peasants usually dyed their clothes greens, browns, and grays as it was cheaper but mostly stuck to whites and natural colors.
Clothing For Both Men and Women:
The fashion of ancient Greek was a loose fitting garment and both men and women typically wore sleeveless tunics. The clothes were made of two pieces of fabric that were draped around their body and composed of an undergarment and a cloak. Mainly, ancient greek clothes were based on function, necessity, protection, and materials rather than a fashion statement. That’s why their clothes were just simple, loose- fitted, and free-flowing. Since clothing was rarely cut or sewn, fasteners and buttons were often used to keep garments in situ. Small buttons, pins, and brooches were used. Large pins, called personal or fibulae, were worn at the shoulders, facing down, to hold the chiton or peplos in place. They used belts, sashes, or girdles at the waist sometimes replacing fasteners/buttons.
Peplos: The Peplos was a long, tubular cloth with the top edge folded down about halfway so that what was the top of the tube was now draped below the waist, and therefore the bottom of the tube was at the ankle. The garment was then gathered about the waist and also the folded top edge pinned over the shoulders. The folded-down top of the tube provided the looks of the second piece of clothing. Peplos was made from an oblong piece of fabric, usually of a heavier, woolen fabric. It is the earliest known item of Archaic Greek women’s clothing. It first appears in the art after the collapse of the Mycenaean culture and in the transition to the Iron Age.
Chiton: Chitons have a shell composed of eight separate shell plates or valves. Because of this, the shell provides protection at an equivalent time as permitting the chiton to flex upward when needed for locomotion over uneven surfaces and even allows the animal to twist up into a ball when dislodged from rocks. It was generally made from a single rectangle of woolen or linen fabric and held by a belt in the waist. The greek women always wore the chiton at ankle length. During the Archaic period, Greek men also started to wear extended chitons. Thereafter, aside from charioteers, priests, and also the elderly. They wore a knee-length version. Sleeved chitons were for actors and priests.
Himation: The himation was an easy outer garment worn over the peplos or chiton. It consisted of heavy rectangular material, passing under the left arm and secured at the right shoulder. The cloak would be twisted around a strap that also passed under the left arm and over the right shoulder. Both men and women wore this. Usually made of white wool, the version worn by women could be of colored silk or cotton.
Strophion: The strophion was a piece of cloth that was worn for covering or supporting the breasts during Ancient Greece and Rome. The strophion was a large band wrapped across the breasts and tied between the shoulder blades. It was made from wool or linen.
Diplax: Diplax is a form of outer clothing. It was wrapped around the body for warmth and protection. It was largely made from woven rectangles of fabrics that were made of wool or linen and able draped in different ways about the body. It was primarily worn by women. Diplax were sometimes designed with decorative geometric patterns around the borders or dyed in bright colors. Metal weights were also often sewn into the corners of these garments to help the wearer drape them more beautifully.
Perizoma: The Perizoma, a one-piece garment was used to cover the modesty and was held together by a belt. The buttocks were also covered partially by a perizoma. This loincloth was made as a triangular-shaped undergarment in ancient Greek. It was made of Linen. Perizoma was a loincloth that was worn by men, and sometimes by women.
Clothing For Children:
Greek clothing generally was very basic and therefore the clothes for kids cared for were very basic indeed. Younger children of both genders often wore no clothing in the least when the weather was mild. Babies might wear cloth diapers for sanitary purposes. Children might wear a cloth wrapped around their middles which could be likened to shorts leaving their torso bare. Both boys and girls dressed like this.
Makeover:
Makeup within the Greek ancient culture was worn by elite groups daily. Many women used eyeliner that was made of olive oil and charcoal to darken their eyes. We still use many materials in our cosmetics and beauty products that the traditional Greeks utilized in the past. These include olive oil, honey, and beeswax.
Accessories of Ancient Greek:
Wealthy Greeks wore jewelry made of precious metals like gold and silver. They wore rings, necklaces, and earrings. Women would sometimes have jewelry sewn into the materials of their garments. The most popular type of jewelry was a decorated pin or fastener used to attach their wrap or cloak.
Headdresses:
A wreath worn for purpose of attire was a headdress made of leaves, grasses, flowers, or branches. Generally, it was worn on festival occasions and holy days. They also wore wreaths featuring a long history and association with ancient pageants and ceremonies. Outside of occasional use, the wreath can also be used as a crown or a mark of honor. The wreath most frequently had an annular geometric construction. A Greek man sometimes wore a petasos, a wide-brimmed hat that helped to shield them from the summer heat. Women might be seen wearing hats that featured high-peaked crowns on very special occasions.
Ornaments:
Ornamentation in the form of jewelry, elaborate hairstyles, and make-up was common for women. Their clothes might be sewn with small golds that would show glittering while they were on move. The Greeks both men and women had rings, wreaths, diadems, bracelets, armbands, pins, pendants, necklaces, and earrings. Popular earring designs included: flying gods and goddesses, like Eros, Nike, and Ganymede. Patterns such as the meander symbolizing eternity were also commonly engraved into jewelry. Gold and silver were the most casual mediums for jewelry, but they also started to use pearls, gems, and semiprecious stones used as decoration.
Footwear
A lot of the time, the Ancient Greeks went barefoot, especially when at home. When wearing footwear, they usually wore leather sandals.
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[Source of Images: Google, Wikie, etc.]
