Welcome to our first Far-Back FRIDAY FASHION FACT! We're going way back in fashion history, back to ancient times. Everybody thinks they have a clear idea of what the ancient Greeks wore. We've all seen the statues, watched Hercules, or even attended an Animal House style toga party (I mean... what? I would never! Uh...) Anyways, how accurate are these images in our heads? Let's take a look at the reality of these ancient styles.
To start with, while their dress was very similar, Greek and Roman fashion did differ from each other. Today we're focusing specifically on the Greeks. Now, here's the biggest myth that needs to be dispelled- Greeks did not wear togas! At all! That was a Roman thing (started by the Etruscans.) The second biggest myth? Greek clothing was richly colored, particularly for women, and often elaborately decorated! The only reason people see them as being pure white is because the white marble statues are so ingrained in our minds. But just because the stone is white, doesn't mean that the clothes were. We know that their skin and hair wasn't this pure white, so why assume that their clothes were? Additionally, many people believe ancient Greek clothing was cotton. This is likely because of all the soft draping, and because cotton is our most prominent material (particularly for loose, draped clothing) today. However, they were typically made out of a heavy wool. In later eras, linen, and even on occasion imported silk, grew in popularity, but wool remained the go-to.
So beyond color and fabric, what did the ancient Greeks actually wear? Well, let's work our way out from the base. As undergarments, both men and women wore a loincloth type piece, if and when they wore undergarments. Women also often wrapped a wide band called a strophion around their torsos for support. An important note- all Greek clothing was made out of rectangular pieces. There were no curves either cut or sewed into the pieces at all.
A chiton was the main garment. This was a rectangular piece of fabric folded over at the shoulders, so that the excess fell down loose to the waist. The front and back would be pinned together at the shoulders. In earlier times this was made with one piece, but later was created with two. The loose fabric would be cinched in at the waist, under the overhanging fabric, with a belt known as a kolpos. Straps in varying styles were sometimes used to contain excess fabric, as well. Women's chitons were typically floor legnth, while men's were typically about knee length (there were, however, exceptions on both sides, but we don't have time to get into all the specifics now.) Depending on the style (and era) of the chiton, there would be varying amounts of stitching versus pinning. For example, a chiton-like garment known as a peplos was completely open on the side, while later Ionic chitons were sewn up to form a tube.
In colder weather, chitons could be created wide enough for the excess fabric to create sleeves. Both genders would also wear an outer-layer called a himation. This was a cloak-like garment made of a large rectangle and pinned by the shoulder. Warriors and hunters wore a similar but shorter garment known as a chlamys. Also in colder weather, the ancient Greeks would wear closed shoes or boots, as opposed to the sandals we normally associate with the culture. So, you see? Ancient Greek clothing wasn't as simple and one dimensional as you might have thought!
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