Ancient Greek Clothing For Women

Like any other period in history, fashion had changed throughout the decade and ancient Greek clothing for women was no different. Common clothing was green, grey and violet. The Himatian was a woolen cloak-like garment that became popular around the 5th century B.C.E and measured around 10 to 12 feet in length. It was originally an outdoor garment, but as the fabric became lighter through the century, it became more comfortable to wear indoors and around city. Another piece of ancient Greek clothing for women was the Peplos which was a loose fitting garment that hung in folds around the upper body, usually in the form of a shawl. They were tied together at the shoulders and further holstered in place with a girdle. Arms were left were bare. Chitons were tunics that were often made of linen and worn by all genders; the only difference was men’s chiton hung around the knees while the women’s chiton hung to the ankles. Like the peplos, the chiton could be open at the right side of the body, but could be closed as well. Amazonian women would wear this garment low with their right breast exposed so as not to interfere with sword practice. Clothing is often a symbol of wear a woman stands in society and although women faced discrimination many Greek women enjoyed certain freedoms that would be alien to women in the later centuries.

Clothing during this period was very comfortable for women and not hard or cumbersome to wear in the coming millennia. These were the basic garments that women wore all around Greece, but in some areas women would wear light veils when going to the markets or special events. Women also wore black veils over their heads during periods of mourning, an ancient Greek custom. Garments similar to the Himation and Peplos would later be seen in post revolutionary France as a way of discarding the traditional, restricting, womanly garments in favor something practical and simplistic yet elegant and sophisticated. French revolutionaries also sought to trace their idealism and rationality back to ancient Greece which explains why ancient fashions were so popular during the late 1700s and early 1800s. Overall, ancient Greek clothing for women was clothing that loose, easy to slip on and comfortable throughout the day.