The clothing of the ancient Greeks

The clothing of the ancient Greeks was simpler than in modern times. Greek clothing tended to be loose-fitting due to the hot weather. Although adapted and adaptable throughout the Mediterranean, Greek clothing consisted of underwear (which was not necessarily hidden) and outer garments, both informal and formal. There were different types of clothing for each sex, and often the clothes denoted social status.

Undergarments were meant to protect the body and provide comfort. A bosom band (kestos) was worn next to the skin. The perizoma, a triangular loincloth worn by both sexes, could be worn next to the skin as underwear. An inner garment worn exclusively by women was the peplos, a tunic that was not put on over the head, but rather was wrapped around the body and attached by brooches. It appears to have covered the left shoulder, with one part behind the person and the other wrapped across the front on the right side and joined and connected with brooches. For women, there was the strophium, which in its simplest form was a sash or scarf twisted or rolled into a long, even form and fastened about the bust. It served to support the bosoms of ladies. It was not worn next to the skin, but rather over a tunic.

A perizoma or cinctus was a waistband worn over a tunic. A cingulum was a girdle worn by a woman over the tunic and near the bosom so that the dress could cling to the body. That term could also refer to a sash worn by a woman (especially young women) below and above the hips. These terms also meant a garment worn close to the skin, also called a tunic intima. The tunic could then be an inner or outer garment, and the peplos was not a shawl, as that was a separate garment called an amictus, which was worn over the peplos. The Greeks also used the word peplos to mean a close-fitting robe with sleeves down to the wrist. The peplos could be unclasped at the shoulder, and often it was unclasped on the left side, exposing the shoulder and side. The shawl would allow the person to be clothed but still remain comfortable.

Both sexes would wear a chiton or tunic, another undergarment akin to a shirt, chemise, or blouse in the modern world. It was made of linen and often pleated and could hang to the knees for men and the ankles for women. There were various types of tunics, depending upon the situation or gender. The colobium was the common tunic, often made of wool, short sleeved, and tied around the waist and hanging just above the knees. This was a common dress worn by itself, without any other kind of outer garment. The exomis, worn just by women, was attached on both shoulders at the collarbone and had open arms. It was also fastened by a girdle worn on the outside.

The Dorians were said to have introduced these tunics. Spartan maidens would wear a slit tunic sewed on the bottom left, allowing a long, open slit on the right that gave free movement. There was the carpatos, a tunic with long sleeves reaching the wrists, which again was worn first only by women, but later men adopted it as well. Ionian men and women would wear a long tunic that fell to the ankles, called a talaris.

Jason of the Argonauts, dressed in traditional clothing. (From The New York Public Library, https://digitalcollections.nypl.org)

One outer garment worn by upper-class Greek women was the palla, a state robe made of oblong rectangular cloth folded in an elaborate fashion. It formed a loose piece of drapery and could be adjusted as needed. It could be a loosely fitted wrap or a close-fitting dress and was put on over the head. The palla reached to the feet.

Another tunic put on over the head was the indutus, a closefitting garment. This was different from the himation, made of a piece of cloth wrapped around the body. Indutus became a common term for any kind of undergarment for both men and women. The himation was viewed as any kind of outer garment that was wrapped around the body. The cloth would go behind and over the left shoulder and behind the body, and under the right arm and across the chest, fastened on the left shoulder.

A more formal male outer garment was the pallium, made of wool; like the Roman toga, it was worn as an outer garment, although it could also be worn by itself. In its simplest manner, the pallium was thrown over the back and shoulders and fastened at the neck, in that form it was called an epiblema. The anabola, another formal garment, was put on around the body and thrown over the left shoulder. The periblema, seen as the most external or outer garment, was wrapped completely around the body so as to cover the wearer from head to toe.

Another outer garment was the chlamys, which was a light and short mantle probably related to a riding cloak, originally from the north in Thessaly and Macedon. It was a seamless rectangular garment, with a variety of ways to wear it depending upon the comfort and need. It could be worn covering the back and attached or tied under the neck like a cape. It was often worn by soldiers during the Classical Age.

The chlamys could also be worn as a cloak fastened on the right shoulder. A cucullus was a hood attached to a rustic garment and pulled over the head, which was commonly worn by slaves and farm workers to protect them from the elements. A diplois was a double cloak with part of it as a shawl over a tunic, all in one piece. The himation was often worn as an outer cloak during winter. Made of wool, it could keep the person warm. It was a heavy piece of wool twisted around a strap under the left arm, across the chest, and over the right shoulder. The himation could also be pulled over the head as a hood and could even be put over the face to hide a person’s identity.

Greek statue of a woman dressed in traditional formal clothing. (Kmiragaya/Dreamstime.com)

The most common type of footwear was the sandal, which allowed more ease of movement and comfort without being too constricting. Most individuals did not need anything that covered the entire foot. Soldiers would wear more protective clothing and shoes for protection.