Greek Clothes

Greek clothes were made from both a wool material and a type of linen. The wool was woven into different types of fabrics that ranged from a coarse feel to an extremely soft fabric. The linen that was used also had different grades of material just like the wool. This linen that the Greek used to make clothes was not as rigid as the linen was that was used in Egypt. There was very little different between the women and men’s Greek clothing. The styles were not made to fit tight to the body, but instead they were made to be draped across a person’s body in folds. The main style of Greek clothing is called a Chiton; this was a rectangle shaped piece of clothing. Three of the main types of Greek clothing were named the Doric, Ionic, and the Himation they were all rectangle shaped pieces of fabric. The Greek liked for their clothes to be colorful, you would see clothing that were colored yellow or green. Violet and indigo were very fashionable along with dark red, and purple. Many also preferred to wear colors of the earth, such as brown or gray colors. Doric Chiton was a garment that was worn in the 6th century in Greece. It was made of fine wool and the upper edge of one corner would be folded down to hang over the person’s breast, another corner would be folded around the body and hooked over the shoulders with some type of jewelry. Some of these garments were sewed down the sides but some of them were not. The ones that were not sewed down the sides could be pulled over the person’s head and worn as a shawl. Ionic Chiton was another type of Greek clothing that comes from mostly a Phoenician source. It was made mostly for women but men did wear it also especially musicians. The Ionic Chiton was made from both thin wools and linens. The Right side was usually sewed all the way down but left side would be opened. Most of

these garments were pleated and were made long enough to reach the floor. It was a garment that could be worn in many different ways. A piece of clothing that could also be used as a blanket if the situation called for one was named the Himation. It was also made from a rectangle piece of wool that would be slung over the left shoulders. This garment would have weights in the corners to help hold it in place. Usually persons wearing this garment would have their right arm free. Married women who wore this Greek clothing would place one corner over their head like a shawl. A man that is wearing a Himation garment would have been considered already sufficiently dressed for any occasion.