Clothing in Ancient Greece
Clothing in ancient Greece varied from one period to the next and from one region to another, but there were also certain fundamentals. Basic clothing was wool or linen. Although fabric could be purchased, Greek women spent much of their days spinning and weaving. Poor women might sell the end results. To get dressed, clothing would be folded and pinned on the body, although some seams could be sewn.
Most garments were rectangular swathes of cloth jiggled into pleats or other configurations, depending on the going fashion. A woolen cloak could double as a blanket. It was expected to last.
Below are some articles that address topics of interest in looking at Greek clothing:
"Rags and Riches: The Costume of Athenian Men in the Fifth Century," by A. G. Geddes; The Classical Quarterly (1987), pp. 307-331
In the fifth century, there was a change in men's fashion. It went from long tunics (chitons) -- a term and fashion the author believes came from the East -- to short, which was a more functional style. He says that at any period a short chiton could be worn as an undergarment which would be sewn if worn under armor. For non-laborers, a large woollen cloak or himation, covered the short chiton. It might also be worn alone. It was wrapped from the right over the left to leave the right arm free. Spartans wore a red cloak into battle. In Homer, men only wear the chiton, women the peplos, although by c. 590, all Greeks wore chitons.
"The Female Athletic Costume at the Heraia and Prenuptial Initiation Rites," by Nancy Serwint; American Journal of Archaeology (Jul., 1993), pp. 403-422
Females competing at the Heraia wore a knee-length or shorter chiton that was fastened at the left shoulder, but left the right shoulder and breast bare. Suggested models for the garment include amazons, Artemis, Atalanta. Serwint rejects these and puts the model in the chiton of a laborer.
See: The Heraia Costume"Back - Mantle and Peplos: The Special Costume of Greek Maidens in 4th - Century Funerary and Votive Reliefs," by Linda Jones Roccos; Hesperia (Apr. - Jun., 2000), pp. 235-265
A mantle folded, with one side shorter than the other, worn across the back to just below the knees, and pinned on both shoulders along with the belted Attic peplos identify Athenian maidens in the Late Classical period. The epiblema is the unpinned shoulder mantle worn with the Argive peplos by matrons. The belted peplos first appears in the early Classical period. Belting on the belted peplos goes over the top of the overfold. Some incorrectly call the overfold: apoptygma. The Laconian peplos, worn by both maidens and matrons, is unbelted. Crossbands across the breasts may have served as "a sign of fertility for marriageable young women; a restraining device...; and a status symbol borrowed from the East." Some maidens wear the chiton under the peplos."The Fashion of the Elgin Kore," by Brunilde Sismondo Ridgway; The J. Paul Getty Museum Journal (1984), pp. 29-58
"Standard handbook definitions distinguish between an archaic and a classical form of the peplos as a one-piece garment with optional overfold, the main differences being the relative width of the dress and perhaps the position of the openings for neck and arms." It may be worn over the chiton and/or under the himation."Weaving or Embroidery?," by A. J. B. Wace; American Journal of Archaeology (Jan. - Mar., 1948), pp. 51-55
Argues that careless translators have created the vision of Greek women embroidering when they were really weaving. Embroidery is something associated with luxury; weaving with necessities."On Pins and Needles," by Joseph A. Maurer; The Classical Weekly (Feb. 26, 1951), pp. 161-165
Points out that needles and pins in ancient Greek as in modern English usage are not always distinguished. Needles were used for sewing, especially for darning and sewing on sleeves.
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