A HISTORY OF FASHION: GREECE

Following our previous post and the journey through a History of Fashion, today we bring you the Great Greeks: their taste in fashion still prevails and it can be traced almost everywhere in the world. 

Ancient fashion: Greece

The materials that the Greeks used to make their clothes were more than anything linen, wool and animal furs. The Greeks carried complicated suits, tight dresses, with hollow sleeves and folded skirts (small pliets, sometimes bulky), in some occasions furnished with frills enhanced with drawings or embroidery. 

Both men and women wore a tunic called “chiton”, for men, up to the knees; the female one, to the ankles.

There were two types of “chiton”: the “Doric” one (generally made of wool), and the “Ionic” one (made of linen). The skirts made of wool, fell making big pliets; the linen ones were artistically ironed.

There existed suits of all the colours and drawings; but the most common were white wool ones with colour stripes. Eventhough it was a simple rectangle of fabric hanging on the body, it offered multiple ways to use it, and men could hold it on their left shoulder with a brooch leaving the right shoulder uncovered.

During the medic wars, the “chiton” was the main piece of the outfit, for both men and women.

The young people, mostly riders, wore some kind of short cape (clámide) over the “chiton” that fastened on one of the shoulders.

Because of the cold, they wore a longer cape. It was known as “himation”.

The female version of the “clámide” was known as “Pelpes”, which was worn over the “chiton”; however, in women reached their feet.

Men and women wore sandals, made of a sole that were secured with stripes to the feet, with coloured leather.

Next time you read us, we will discover the fashionista Rome...how much did they get from the greeks? Which inventions did they leave us? 

We will get there. All roads lead to Rome! 

Basili Julieta, Figueras Lucas, Verdile Florencia, Torchia Camila and Levato Bárbara - 4th Year