Ancient Greek Dress

Greek vase painting and traces of paint on ancient sculptures indicate that fabrics were brightly colored and generally decorated with elaborate designs.

Department of Greek and Roman Art

October 1, 2003

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Terracotta statuette of Nike, the personification of victory, Terracotta, Greek — Terracotta statuette of Nike, the personification of victory
Greek
late 5th century BCE

Marble grave stele of a little girl, Marble, Parian, Greek — Marble grave stele of a little girl
Greek
ca. 450–440 BCE

Marble funerary statues of a maiden and a little girl, Marble, Pentelic, Greek, Attic — Marble funerary statues of a maiden and a little girl
Greek, Attic
ca. 320 BCE

Terracotta lekythos (oil flask), Amasis Painter, Terracotta, Greek, Attic — Terracotta lekythos (oil flask)
Amasis Painter
ca. 550–530 BCE

Bronze statuette of a young woman, Bronze, Etruscan — Bronze statuette of a young woman
Etruscan
late 6th century BCE

Limestone priest, Limestone, Cypriot — Limestone priest
Cypriot
end of the 6th century BCE

Marble statue of a member of the imperial family, Marble, Roman — Marble statue of a member of the imperial family
Roman
27 BCE–68 CE

Marble grave stele with a family group, Marble, Pentelic, Greek, Attic — Marble grave stele with a family group
Greek, Attic
ca. 360 BCE

Bronze statuette of a veiled and masked dancer, Bronze, Greek — Bronze statuette of a veiled and masked dancer
Greek
3rd–2nd century BCE

Marble statue of a wounded Amazon, Marble, Roman — Marble statue of a wounded Amazon
Roman
1st–2nd century CE

Terracotta bell-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water), Persephone Painter, Terracotta, Greek, Attic — Terracotta bell-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water)
Persephone Painter
ca. 440 BCE

Marble statue of a woman, Marble, Greek — Marble statue of a woman
Greek
2nd half of the 4th century BCE

Limestone statue of a veiled female votary, Limestone, Cypriot — Limestone statue of a veiled female votary
Cypriot
1st century BCE

Ten marble fragments of the Great Eleusinian Relief, Marble, Roman — Ten marble fragments of the Great Eleusinian Relief
Roman
ca. 27 BCE–14 CE

Marble relief with a dancing maenad, Kallimachos, Marble, Pentelic, Roman — Marble relief with a dancing maenad
Kallimachos
ca. 27 BCE–14 CE

Terracotta amphora (jar), Berlin Painter, Terracotta, Greek, Attic — Terracotta amphora (jar)
Berlin Painter
ca. 490 BCE

Terracotta lekythos (oil flask), Brygos Painter, Terracotta, Greek, Attic — Terracotta lekythos (oil flask)
Brygos Painter
ca. 480 BCE

Terracotta lekythos (oil flask), Phiale Painter, Terracotta, Greek, Attic — Terracotta lekythos (oil flask)
Phiale Painter
ca. 440 BCE

Terracotta oinochoe: chous (jug), Meidias Painter, Terracotta, Greek, Attic — Terracotta oinochoe: chous (jug)
Meidias Painter
ca. 420–410 BCE

Marble statue of Eirene (the personification of peace), Kephisodotos, Marble, Pentelic ?, Roman — Marble statue of Eirene (the personification of peace)
Kephisodotos
ca. 14–68 CE

In antiquity, clothing was usually homemade and the same piece of homespun fabric could serve as a garment, shroud, or blanket. Greek vase painting and traces of paint on ancient sculptures indicate that fabrics were brightly colored and generally decorated with elaborate designs. Clothing for both women and men consisted of two main garments—a tunic (either a peplos or chiton) and a cloak (himation). The peplos was simply a large rectangle of heavy fabric, usually wool, folded over along the upper edge so that the overfold (apoptygma) would reach to the waist. It was placed around the body and fastened at the shoulders with a pin or brooch. Openings for armholes were left on each side, and the open side of the garment was either left that way, or pinned or sewn to form a seam. The peplos might not be secured at the waist with a belt or girdle. The chiton was made of a much lighter material, usually imported linen. It was a very long and very wide rectangle of fabric sewn up at the sides, pinned or sewn at the shoulders, and usually girded around the waist. Often the chiton was wide enough to allow for sleeves that were fastened along the upper arms with pins or buttons. Both the peplos and chiton were floor-length garments that were usually long enough to be pulled over the belt, creating a pouch known as a kolpos. Under either garment, a woman might have worn a soft band, known as a strophion, around the mid-section of the body.

Men in ancient Greece customarily wore a chiton similar to the one worn by women, but knee-length or shorter. An exomis, a short chiton fastened on the left shoulder, was worn for exercise, horse riding, or hard labor. The cloak (himation) worn by both women and men was essentially a rectangular piece of heavy fabric, either woolen or linen. It was draped diagonally over one shoulder or symmetrically over both shoulders, like a stole. Women sometimes wore an epiblema (shawl) over the peplos or chiton. Young men often wore a short cloak (chlamys) for riding. Greek men occasionally wore a broad-brimmed hat (petasos), and on rare occasions, Greek women donned a flat-brimmed one with a high peaked crown. Both women and men wore sandals, slippers, soft shoes, or boots, although at home they usually went barefoot.

Contributors

Department of Greek and Roman Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

October 2003

Citation

MLA

Department of Greek and Roman Art. “Ancient Greek Dress.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grdr/hd_grdr.htm (October 2003)

Ancient Greek Dress

Contributors

Further Reading

Citation

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