ANCIENT GREECE -CLOTHING

Introduction Clothing in Ancient Greece was made very differently to the manufacturing process of today. It was usually made out of large rectangular pieces of cloth, and fastened to the body. Sewing of the cloth was not very common, if it was used at all. The cloth was made from either linen or wool, and was worn by the Greeks depending on the weather. Linen was worn in the summer, and wool was worn in the winter. The cloth and clothes could be bought in the marketplace, Agora, but it was expensive to do so. Most families made their own clothes, made of material that was dyed a bright colour or bleached white. The clothes were made by women, by the mother, her daughters, and female slaves. As the Ancient Greeks were very proud of the City or State they lived in, the clothing was often decorated to represent where they lived.

Clothing Items Peplos This was the dress worn by Greek women. It was a large square or rectangular piece of cloth. This cloth was folded over to create a double layer in the upper part of the body, Apoptygma. It is then folded around the body, and fasted over each shoulder with pins or brooches, Fibulae. There were two types of peplos. The Doric Peplos was sewn shut on the side of the body, like a tube, where the Ionic or Laconic Peplos was open on the side of the body. The Ionic or Laconic peplos was always worn so that the opening was on the right side of the woman’s body. A belt, Girdle, was usually worn over the Peplos, either under or over the Apoptygma. In Greece the Peplos was mostly worn before the 5th Century BC. Chiton The Chiton was worn by both men and women. Like the Peplos, it was made from a large square piece of cloth. There were two kinds of Chiton. The Doric Chiton was very simple. It was usually made of wool. The cloth was folded and wrapped around the body. It was fastened with brooches on the shoulders, and was then allowed to fall into folds. A belt was often worn to keep the dress in place. The fabric that was folded over and left hanging across the top of the Doris Chiton was known as also known as peplos. The Ionic Chiton was sewn together so it was not open at the sides. It was usually made of linen, which was folded and sewn with holes for the head and arms. A belt was worn to keep it in position and make the fabric form folds from the waist down.

Clothing Items Himation This was worn by women and men, and was a large cloth that was used as a cloak. It was usually put over the left shoulder from the back; which was connected to the other part that was put under the right arm, which then went around the front of the body. The himation was so long that it went down to the knees, but it was not uncommon for it to be longer. Because it was usually made from heavier cloth, it was used as warmth against cold weather. Chlamys The Chlamys was usually a shorter cloak than the Himation. It was a piece of cloth that was put over the left shoulder, and then fastened over the right shoulder. It was usually worn by men or soldiers.

Clothing Items Shoes People wore bare feet at home, but whilst in the street or when they are travelling, leather sandals were worn. They were durable and very simple. Most of the time, the sandals were made to measure-the man or woman went to the cobbler’s and places their foot on a piece of leather, and from this the sole was cut around the foot. The sole was attached to the foot by leather thongs. These were ties across the instep and around the ankle. Jewellery, Perfume and Hair Only the rich could afford jewellery, which could be purchased from a marketplace, agora, or from a travelling peddler. Both men and women used perfume, which was made by boiling herbs and flowers. Hair was curled, then arranged in carefully designed styles, and held in place with scented waxes and lotions. Women also often kept their hair long, arranged on top of their heads, in buns, braids or in ponytails. Headbands were very popular, and were made of ribbon or metal.

So What Did the Males End up Wearing? The most important piece of clothing for males was a shorter version of the chiton, which was worn with a belt around the waist. If the man was exercising or doing hard work, the top shoulder would be left bare. Occasionally, a long robe was worn on the left shoulder, leaving the right shoulder bare.

…And the Females? Females Females wore long dresses and cloaks. They were the peplos, chiton, and himation. Makeup was also popular for females. White lead was used to whiten the skin, as this was seen as a sign of beauty. The cheeks were given a rosy colour by the juice of the alkanet roots, and eyeshadow was thought to have been made from ashes. Lipstick was also commonly used.

Baby Wearing a Cloth Diaper Babies and Children Babies and Children What babies wore varied due to the weather. If it was warm, they often wore nothing at all, whereas if it was cold, they would be wrapped up in blankets. Sometimes they wore cloth diapers. Children often wore cloth wrapped around their middles to resemble shorts. Baby Wearing a Cloth Diaper

By Natasha, Sania, Serena and Shannon.