History of costume in Greece. Ancient Greeks: clothes, shoes and accessories. Ancient Greece: culture. Men's clothing in Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece is the country where many modern values ​​originated. For the first time, the cult of beauty and physical exercise appeared in it, which contributed not only to health, but also to the harmonious development of the body. The attractiveness of the figures was emphasized by clothing rich in decorations and complex draperies. Weaving in ancient Greece was equated with art. Despite the fact that the clothing of the ancient Greeks was mainly created from a single piece of fabric and was not cut and often not even sewn, it amazes with the complexity of its designs and the variety of shapes.

The ancient Greeks made clothes from wool and linen fabrics. With the development of trade with neighboring states, silk and cotton became available. The fabrics were decorated with traditional embroidery or designs. Most often, plant patterns were depicted:

• Palm trees (palmette pattern);
• Flowers;
• Leaves.

Line drawings were common:

• Meander (a continuous ribbon of right angles, still the most recognizable pattern in Greece);
• Wave;
• Braided pattern.

The Greeks loved bright colors - red, yellow, blue, green. But the white color was most valued, because... Linen and wool were difficult to bleach and only rich people could afford clothes of this color. After the advent of purple dyes, purple also became the color of the aristocracy. Ordinary people preferred green, brown, yellow colors. Brown, grey, dark green and black were worn for mourning.

The style and style of clothing of the Greeks was not very diverse. There are 4 main items of clothing in Ancient Greece:

1. Chiton is the main ancient Greek clothing worn by both men and women. It was an elongated tunic without sleeves or with short sleeves, belted at the waist (for men) or under the chest (for women). The chiton consisted of fabric folded in half or of two panels connected to each other. At the top, the fabric was fastened with ornamented pins - brooches. The bottom of the chiton was hemmed. Unhemmed fabric was a sign of mourning. Short chitons were part of the men's wardrobe, while long ones were worn by women and old people;
2. Peplos is an item of women's wardrobe, similar to a modern long, spacious dress. It was created from a large piece of woolen fabric that was wrapped around a chiton. Like the chiton, it was pinned at the shoulders; Usually in the upper part there is an overlap that hangs freely over the waist (kolpos). The left side of the peplos was closed, and the right side was open; the shoulders were covered in peplos. Peplos was weekend wear; in everyday life, Greek women wore a tunic and a cape - himation;
3. Himation is a cape made of linen or wool, the ancestor of today's cloak. A large piece of fabric was wrapped around the torso, usually covering the left side and leaving the right side open. To hold the fabric in place, small lead weights could be sewn into the edges. Women often covered their heads with a himation, like a scarf;
4. Chlamys is a short cape, which was fastened with a fibula in the center or on the right shoulder. Most often the chlamys was oval or rectangular with rounded edges. Usually the cape was decorated with ornaments, and weights were sewn along the edges for the correct position on the body. The chlamys was used for sports competitions, on hikes, and also by travelers on their travels.

All types of clothing consisted of solid pieces of fabric of different sizes, which were draped in a special way on the body. Draping was an art taught in ancient schools. Often, citizens had to resort to the help of slaves to beautifully drape the fabric.

For men

Men's clothing consisted of a chiton, himation or chlamys. The underwear was a short chiton. Separately, he rushed around the house; To go outside, an additional cape was worn. The length of the robe depended on age - young people wore shorter chitons (usually knee-length), and older people wore long ones. Warriors and artisans, as well as slaves, wore them to mid-thigh. A chiton, secured with a hairpin on one side, was also a sign of a slave.

Men used himation as outerwear. There were different ways to turn into it. The most common way of wearing it was slung over the left shoulder, but the himation could also be worn around the hips or draped over the shoulders. Speakers wrapped themselves completely in it, not even leaving their hands visible.

Young boys, travelers and warriors often wore chlamys instead of himation. During travel and wars, it served both as a piece of clothing and as a bedspread. Ancient Greece had a special form of equipment for a warrior - a chiton, a cuirass (protection of the torso), a helmet, greaves (plates that protect part of the leg from the knee to the ankle) and a chlamys fastened under the chin. The military leaders wore it purple. In battle, the Spartans wore chlamys on their naked bodies, which symbolized fearlessness in the face of death.

For women

The costumes of Hellenic women and men were similar, but women had to dress more modestly and covered. Only young girls were allowed to wear short tunics. The usual form of women's clothing in Ancient Greece was a long chiton, which often had a lapel similar to a blouse worn over the top (diplodia). It could reach to the waist, hips or knees. The lapel was decorated with embroidery or appliqué. The chiton was sewn on the sides so that it would not open when walking. The belt could be worn in 2 ways: before marriage, at the waist, and after marriage, under the chest. Women's tunics differed from men's in the richness of their draperies and ornaments.

Either a himation or (on special occasions) a peplos was worn on top. The female himation was smaller than the male one, but it was more beautiful and richly decorated. In inclement weather, Greek women wore it as a headdress. Only free citizens could take refuge in himation. Slaves wore short tunics.

Peplos was the national formal dress of Ancient Greece. It was usually colorful - variegated, bright yellow, red or purple. Often the robe was decorated with embroidery. If desired, Greek women could remove it and use it as a seat cover. Pictures of Greek women of that time often depict noble girls in peplos at ceremonial processions.

Modern analogues in the Greek style

Designers often pay attention to antiquity when creating new collections. The main elements of the Greek style of clothing are:

• Draperies, layering;
• Asymmetry (open shoulder, asymmetrical hem);
• Straight, loose silhouette;
• Natural fabrics (linen, cotton, chiffon, silk);
• High waistline.

Antique clothing of Ancient Greece is the ancestor of many modern wardrobe items. The most famous version of the tunic and peplos for women is a dress or sundress, most often with a waist under the bust, following the example of married ladies of antiquity.

The shoulders are usually left open: the fabric is either fastened like a chiton on two shoulders, or one shoulder is completely open, forming the so-called “Greek strap”. A Greek style dress can be short, but more often there are long models decorated with draping or pleating.

Another item of clothing in the Greek style is the tunic. It can be either summer, light, or insulated. Greek tunics are distinguished by a high waist, loose fit, V-neck or boat neckline. A belt in the form of a cord or belt is often used. Since the tunic is usually cropped, it is worn as a blouse rather than as a separate item of clothing. Men can also wear tunics; for them it will look more like a loose shirt or T-shirt made from natural materials.

Himation and chlamys remained part of the folk costume of Greece. They are not worn in everyday life, but they are used as costumes for holidays.

Shoes

The art of shoe making was developed in Ancient Greece. The simplest shoes that appeared in Hellas were sandals with leather or cork soles, which were attached to the foot with straps that laced up to the ankle. Shoes were made from leather for peasants and artisans. Warriors wore high-topped leather boots. For sports or physical exercise, special shoes with open toes were made from leather or felt - endromids. Spartan boys walked barefoot even in winter to instill morale.

Women wore sandals made of leather, often with high heels or cork platforms to increase height. Shoes with a high platform were called buskins and became widespread in the theater as part of the stage costume. In the cold season, Greek women wore boots and shoes made of soft colored leather, which were decorated with embroidery, appliqués and precious stones.

Greek-style shoes are still very popular today. To choose the right model, you should pay attention to sandals with flat soles and a lot of straps made of soft leather in neutral tones. These sandals pair well with loose tunics and antique-style dresses.

Accessories and decorations

• Petas - a headdress for travelers with a wide brim;
• Pylos is a brimless cap worn by peasants and workers.

Hats were a men's accessory; women could only wear a hat when traveling. Women paid great attention to decorating their hair. The main women's hairstyle was a knot around the neck made of braided braids or plaits. Combs, hairpins, ribbons, and wreaths were used to secure braids and knots. The hair was decorated with gilded leather straps or cords, and also decorated with hoops made of gold, silver, bronze or leather.

For jewelry, men used rings, rings, bracelets and amulets made of precious stones. The amount of jewelry a man could afford was fixed by law.

Women wore tiaras (head and back), chains, earrings, necklaces made of gold, silver and alloys with pearl inserts. Greek women especially loved bracelets - they were worn on the wrist, forearm and even on the ankles. The decoration of jewelry was dominated by plant patterns - leaves, buds, flowers.

Thanks to the literature of antiquity, sculpture and images on frescoes from antiquity, the clothing of the Greeks has survived to this day and even influences modern fashion. Stylizations of tunics, peplos, himation and chlamys, as well as ancient Greek shoes and jewelry can be found among many designers of the 21st century. The popularity of the Greek style of clothing is explained by its simplicity and complementarity to any body type.

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Photo

“Nannion covered the thinnest Ionic chiton with a blue, gold-embroidered himation (himatium) with a regular border of hook-shaped stylized waves along the lower edge. In oriental fashion, the hetaera's chemation was thrown over her right shoulder and secured over her back with a buckle on her left side. Thais was dressed in a pink transparent chiton fabric, brought from India or Persia, gathered in soft folds and pinned at the shoulders with five silver pins."
“Thais of Athens” I. Efremov

Probably many people associate it with marble. White marble sculptures of ancient gods - Aphrodite and Apollo, Zeus and Neptune, Olympians frozen in marble - Discobolus, as well as marble columns of destroyed Greek temples, for example, the ruins of the Athenian Acropolis.

Artemis of Gabii
Dressed in a chiton with drapery

But not only marble was white, the clothes of the ancient Greeks were also white. At the same time, the Greeks in many ways strove to look like marble statues in their clothes - it was believed that not a single fold should wrinkle when walking. It was necessary to walk slowly and smoothly, maintaining a regal posture. And the Greeks could well afford such a gait.

In Ancient Greece there were slaves who coped well with the daily routine; as for the citizens - residents of the city-states of Ancient Greece, they preferred to spend time in theaters, at feasts, in disputes about literature and philosophy, or contemplating and enjoying the performances of speakers at central city ​​squares.

Fabrics for clothing had to be soft and elastic, because the main feature of the ancient Greek costume was draperies. The Greeks knew wool, and very often clothes were made from fine wool and linen.

Silk may have been produced on the island of Kos and Lydia. The Greeks saw cotton only during the conquests of Alexander the Great - cotton fabric was brought from India.

Chiton - men's and women's underwear, a piece of linen or woolen fabric folded in half, with a slit on the fold for the arm, and sewn on the opposite side, with a slit for the other arm. It was fastened at the shoulders with a fibula and tied at the waist with a belt.

The Greeks valued the craft of weavers. In the mythology of Ancient Greece, the Moira goddesses of fate weave the thread of human destiny. The goddess Athena competed in weaving with Arachne, the best weaver in Greece, and defeated her by weaving plain fabric instead of patterned fabric. By the way, the Greeks did not like patterns, nor did they like colorful fabrics.

The clothes of the inhabitants of Ancient Greece were monochromatic - they could be blue, green, yellow, red. But the best and favorite color remained white. And only along the bottom of the fabric could there be a small geometric or floral ornament.

Relief by the ancient Greek sculptor Phidias “Water-Carriers”
Dressed in himation cloaks

The clothing itself was also simple - both men and women wore chitons, and over them cloaks - himation.

Himation (himation) - ancient Greek men's and women's clothing,
a cloak, which is a piece of rectangular fabric,
draped directly on the human figure,
fastened with a fibula.

The chiton, both male and female, was made from a single long piece of rectangular fabric - wool or linen. The fabric was folded in half and belted, and pinned at the shoulder with a fibula clasp. The chiton was sure to be draped. Men wore shorter chitons; women's chitons were most often floor-length. The bottom of the chiton must be hemmed. It was believed that only slaves and free people wore a tunic with an unlined bottom during mourning.

Relief “Nike (goddess of victory) tying up her sandal”

In addition to the tunic, women could also wear a peplos - a rectangular piece of fabric that was folded in half along its length, while the top of the fabric was bent by approximately 50 cm and, thus, a kind of hood was obtained (this lapel was called a diploid), on the shoulders the peplos was pinned with brooch clasps . The peculiarity of the peplos was the presence of an ornament; it was decorated with a border, and also this clothing was not sewn and opened on the right side while walking.

The outer clothing of both men and women in Ancient Greece was the himation cloak.

In order to feel like an ancient Greek, you will need to take a rectangular piece of fabric (1.7 by 4 meters) and try to wrap yourself in it. By the way, slaves helped the Greeks put on a cloak, and they then laid the hematium fabric itself into ideal folds.

They wrapped themselves in a cloak in different ways - the himation could be wrapped around the hips, throwing one of the ends over the arm, thrown over the shoulders, or completely wrapped in it.

Men most often draped themselves in a himation in this way: one end of the fabric was gathered into folds and dropped from the left shoulder to the chest, the rest of the fabric was on the back and passed under the right arm, then folded and thrown over the left shoulder to the back.

Fragment of an ancient Greek relief

The Greeks also had a more convenient version of the cloak - a mantle cloak, which was worn by travelers, and the ancient Greeks loved to travel. Just remember Herodotus, the author of the first book dedicated to the history of various countries and peoples, although it can also be considered the first guide for ancient tourists.

The mantle cloak was draped over the shoulders, was short and decorated with ornaments. In addition to the chlamys, tourists of Antiquity also wore a petas hat, a wide-brimmed hat with ties under the chin, and endromids, high lace-up shoes with open toes. These shoes were also worn by hunters, the goddess Artemis, and Olympic runners. The shoes attached well to the foot and were therefore comfortable.

Chlamys - a rectangular cloak made of soft woolen fabric,
clothing of warriors and travelers, covering the left side of the body, fastened with a fibula on the right shoulder,
slightly above the knee length.

In addition to endromids, the Greeks could also wear crepides - shoes with thick soles, attached to the foot with leather laces. Or buskins - shoes of actors of ancient Greek theaters, the peculiarity of which was a very high thick cork sole, something like a prototype of modern platform shoes.

Red-figure vase painting
The figures are dressed in himation cloaks

Women most often wore shoes made of soft colored leather without heels. Also, women had to cover their heads when leaving the house - most often the edge of a cloak was thrown over their heads.

Red-figure kylix depicting a symposium of Ancient Greece. 490–480 BC e.
The girl is dressed in a chiton

Jewelry in Ancient Greece, unlike Ancient Egypt, was worn only by women. The only jewelry that men could wear were rings. Also, it was the Greek women who were the first to actively use cosmetics for decoration, and not in connection with religious beliefs, as was the case in Ancient Egypt. And the word cosmetics itself is of Greek origin. Both the word cosmetics and the word cosmos are ancient Greek and have a common meaning - order.

Greek women blushed their cheeks and painted their lips, used aromatic oils, but the most important rule of makeup remained the rule of the golden mean. The ancient Greeks believed that in everything, including jewelry and makeup, one must adhere to the rule of the golden mean and try only to complement natural beauty.

With a cultivated craving for simplicity clothing in ancient Greece was, perhaps, the only way to express your subtle taste and stand out from the rest. The Greek costume looks simple and natural only at first glance. It would seem that what is easier - fold and wrap several pieces of fabric around the body? However, in fact, their draping, pinching and various manners of wearing the same thing were an entire art that was brought up in the family and was considered part of good form.

The Greeks began making suits to measure relatively early, rather than just using pieces of fabric. The Dorians brought with them woolen fabrics, which soon replaced Ionian linen. They were painted red, purple, yellow and blue. A complex multi-colored design was achieved either by weaving with other threads or by embroidering on the main background. A geometric pattern was placed along the border, and stars, leaves, flowers, figures of animals and gods, hunting scenes and battles were embroidered on the field. In the early period, the Hellenes preferred fabrics with large patterns. However, from the turn of the V-IV centuries. BC e. Plain clothes began to predominate, often white or brown, decorated with a yellow, red or blue border and an ornament in the form of a broken line with curls - a meander.

Ancient Greece was located in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula (its mainland), on the islands of the Aegean and Ionian seas and on a narrow strip of the western coast of Asia Minor.

Mountain ranges and sea bays divided the territory of Ancient Greece into areas isolated from each other. This geographical position served as a natural defense against enemy raids and contributed to the creation of fairly independent communities in cultural, economic and political terms (later - city-states). The poor soil was unsuitable for farming. But the sea, which washes Greece on all sides and connects it with neighboring eastern and southern countries, contributed to the development of navigation, as well as crafts, exchange and trade.

A characteristic feature of ancient Greek society was the absence of large-scale slave ownership. This, basically, determined the emergence and development of ancient democracy. The great ancient Greek culture is the culture of free citizens. It is reflected in their appearance and costume.

The ideal of beauty.

In Ancient Greece, physical education played a huge role in the education of citizens and people, and the cult of a trained body was natural. The ideal of beauty is based on unity and harmony of spirit and body. The Greeks considered size, order and symmetry to be symbols of beauty. An ideally beautiful person was one whose all parts of the body and facial features were in a harmonious combination. Artists found and left behind a measure of beauty - the so-called canons and modules.

The body had to have soft and rounded shapes. The sculpture of Aphrodite (Venus) became the standard for a beautiful body among the Greeks. This beauty was expressed in numbers: height 164 cm, chest circumference 86 cm, waist – 69 cm, hips – 93 cm.

A face that could be divided into several equal parts (three or four) was considered beautiful. With three, the demarcation lines passed through the tip of the nose and the upper brow; with four - across the edge of the chin, along the edge of the upper lip, along the pupils, along the upper edge of the forehead and along the crown of the head.

According to the canons of Greek beauty, a beautiful face combined a straight nose, large eyes with a wide inter-century slit, arched edges of the eyelids; the distance between the eyes should have been no less than the size of one eye, and the mouth should have been one and a half times larger than the eye. Large bulging eyes were emphasized by a rounded eyebrow line. The beauty of the face was determined by the straight lines of the nose, chin, and low forehead, framed by curls of hair with a straight parting.

The dress was not cut according to the fashion canons of that time. Greek clothing did not know a tailored suit, in the modern sense of the word. This time was characterized by the identification of the plastic properties of fabrics in the complex rhythms of draperies. Rectangular pieces of fabric, fastened in some places with clasps, did not emphasize the shape of the body, which was slightly visible under the clothes. These robes were called differently: chiton, himation, toga, tunic.

Already in ancient times, colors had their own symbolic meaning; for example, white color was assigned to the aristocracy, and black, purple, dark green and gray expressed sadness. Green and brown were the common colors of the villagers.

Aristocrats had in their wardrobe belts made of precious metals, pins made of gold and ivory, necklaces, and bracelets. This testifies not only to the refined taste, but also to the technical maturity of that era.

Men's suit.

In the VII-VI centuries. BC e. men still wore a loincloth, but wide chitons with short sleeves were already gaining popularity.

Served as outerwear for the ancient Greeks "himatium"- a cloak made of a rectangular piece of fabric. They wore it in different ways: draped over the shoulders, wrapped around the hips, throwing the end over the arm, or wrapped completely in it.

In the ancient Greek democratic society, which developed in the 5th century. BC, restraint and moderation were valued - including in clothing.

During the classical period, men wore short, sleeveless chitons. Chiton tied at the waist with one or two belts. The hem was hemmed. Unlined chitons were worn only by slaves or during mourning.
The tunic could have short sleeves - these were worn by free citizens. And the slaves had it with one sleeve, which covered only the left shoulder.
For travel, the Greeks had special clothing: a cloak- chlamys, decorated with ornaments, sandals or short boots with bent tops and a petas hat with wide brims. In the 5th century BC. The himation increased significantly, and the method of draping it became more advanced.

The Greek costume consisted of lower clothing and a cloak, or cape. Chiton was worn by everyone: men, women, and children. It was not cut out or sewn, it was made from a single long rectangular piece of fabric.
Chitons could be made of wool or linen - these fabrics were made by the Greeks themselves, or brought from the colonies. The fabrics had a loose structure and draped easily. Later, with the development of trade, patterned Persian fabric, Syrian silk, and Phoenician purple fabrics began to be brought to Greece.

At the beginning of the Ionian-Attic period, only home-made clothes were worn and mostly white. But with the development of weaving and dyeing crafts, multi-colored fabrics with patterns appeared. Greek clothing becomes more elegant. The Ionians wore long, flowing clothes with oriental motifs. But gradually the Asian style of ornament took on a different form and a beautiful, elegant Greek ornament arose. Noble Greeks, who dressed in white clothes, decorated their collars, hem, and sleeves with them. The ornaments were narrow at first, but when the Greeks began to use heavy, expensive fabrics and clothing became bulkier, the ornaments also became wider and more massive.

Woman suit.

Women's clothing of the Archaic period consisted of a narrow chiton, a long skirt and a short sleeveless blouse (the division of the costume into two parts - a bodice and a skirt - was influenced by the Cretan-Mycenaean culture). This costume was replaced by a pleated chiton, over which a draped scarf was thrown over one shoulder - a “farce”. This clothing transformed into the Ionian chiton with long, wide sleeves.

The earliest Dorian costume was the peplos. It was made from a rectangular piece of fabric, which was folded in half lengthwise, bent at the top by about 50 centimeters, or even longer, and fastened at the shoulders with brooches. The lapel is “diploid”, decorated with a border and draped. Diploidy could be draped over the head. The peplos was not sewn together and swung open when walking on the right side.

There were also “closed” peplos, consisting of a sleeveless chiton with diploidy. All folds of the peplos were located strictly symmetrically.

In the 5th century BC. The Greek woman's costume consisted of a chiton made of two wide pieces of fabric. The fabric was held together with clasps from the shoulders to the wrists. From the waist to the chest, the chiton was tied crosswise with a belt and draped, forming an overlap of deep folds - a “spike”.

The ancient Greeks created the perfect type of draped costume. It was made from rectangular pieces of fabric, identical in shape and size, but thanks to the many draperies that created their own special rhythm and dynamics, each costume was different from the other.

There were originally two versions of Greek costume: Ionic and Dorian

Throughout the entire period of their history, the clothing of the ancient Greeks remained the same in terms of manufacturing method, only its sizes, fabric, decoration, and decorations changed.

Young Dorian girls wore tunics in which a slit was made at the fold for the arm, and the upper ends of the fabric were secured on the other shoulder with a clasp. The edges of the chiton were not sewn together.

The length of the clothes varied. The tunic could reach to the knees, and for noble Ionian and Athenian women to the very heels with sleeves to the elbow, and sometimes to the hand.

Women used himation as outerwear. The chitons and himation of Dorian women were made from woolen fabrics of blue, yellow, purple, and lilac colors.


On especially solemn occasions, women wore a long chiton and Dorian peplos.

Young girls dressed up in short sleeveless tunics, convenient for gymnastic exercises. A “pallula” was put on top of them and tied with a belt.

Slaves did not have the right to wear himation and long tunics.

Ancient Greek warrior costume

Warriors wore a chiton under their armor, and a mantle over the armor. The warriors' armor was light: a metal cuirass with movable parts on the shoulders and hips; greaves (“knemids”) that protected the legs; sandals with thick double soles (“crepids”); a helmet that could be of different shapes. The Boeotian helmet covered the head, cheeks and nose, the Dorian had a low visor, and the Corinthian almost completely hid the eyes.

Traveler's costume: himation, long chiton and petas hat
Warrior Costume: short chiton and armor-belt, helmet with platband and high crest

Shoes.

The ancient Greeks walked barefoot for a long time. But constant military campaigns, travel, trade with distant countries “forced” them to put on their shoes.

The ancient Greeks' footwear was sandals, which were tied to their feet with intertwined straps. The word “sandals” itself translated from Greek means “sole attached to the foot with straps.” The straps could be cut from the sole itself. Shoes with thick soles, which were tied to the foot with straps or secured with leather cords, were called “crepids”.

The Greeks also wore "endromides" - high laced shoes that left the toes exposed. It was convenient to move quickly in endromids, so it was worn by hunters and participants in running competitions. According to ancient Greek myths, endromids were worn by Artemis, Hercules, Dionysus, and fauns.

Ancient Greek actors went on stage wearing “cothurns” - shoes with very high and thick cork soles.

The Greeks were the first to make shoes for the left and right feet.

Women wore elegant sandals made of soft colored leather, most often purple. They were more elegant than men's, and were attached to the legs with belts with beautiful buckles. Women also wore lace-up shoes made of red leather.

Hairstyles and hats.

The Greeks wore different hairstyles; only hair care was mandatory. Thick, lush hair was considered the main decoration (Homer calls the Greeks “lusciously curly”). In more ancient times, before the Persian Wars, hair was braided or tied into a bun. The Spartans initially wore short hair, but after the victory over the Agrivans they did not cut their hair. In Athens and Sparta, thick, long hair and a beard were a sign of masculinity and aristocracy, while short hair indicated low origin. From the 4th century BC, under Alexander the Great, mature men began to shave their beards and cut their hair short or curl it in small curls. Only boys under sixteen and old people wore long hair.


For Greek women, the hairstyle had to cover the forehead: a high forehead was considered unattractive. Greek women styled their hair in different ways: they combed it back and gathered it into a bun, pinning it at the back of the head; they curled them all over the head into curls and lifted them up, tying them with a ribbon; they braided them and wrapped them around their heads. Women's hairstyles were in harmony with their clothes.

Hetaeras wore more complex hairstyles, decorating them with tiaras and gold nets.

The woman's head was covered with a veil that fell in thick folds, or large colorful scarves were tied. During travel, the head was protected by the same petas hat, and later by a wicker hat.

On hot days, Greek women covered their heads with a himation and attached a straw hat on top.

Usually the Greeks did not cover their heads. They wore caps or hats when traveling, hunting or in bad weather. The felt pileus had the shape of a cone. The Phrygian cap was similar to a sleeping cap with the top curved forward; it was tied with ribbons under the chin.

A felt petas hat with a flat crown and wide brim was secured under the chin with a strap and could hang on the back. According to legend, the Greek god Hermes wore such a headdress.

Petas were worn by ephebes - free-born young men of eighteen to twenty years of age who were being trained for civil and military service. Later, the petas was worn by the Romans, and in the Middle Ages this headdress became a mandatory part of the costume of devout Jews. The authorities of those European countries in which Jews lived ordered it to be worn, apparently to remind people that their status was temporary.

Cosmetics.

Greek women carefully monitored their appearance. They used cosmetics - whitewash, rouge, antimony; anointed with incense and oils. The body was rubbed with chalk powder mixed with white lead to give it whiteness. Powder was prepared from fragrant flowers ground into powder. Special slaves looked after the face and body of their masters, who were called “kosmet”, which means “putting in order” (hence the word “cosmetics”).

The ancient Greeks made extensive use of massage and hygienic baths, various oils and ointments for skin and nail care, teeth cleaning products, hair coloring, and body scenting.

Strict and noble beauty was in fashion. Above all, blue eyes, golden-haired hair and fair, shiny skin were valued.

To give their faces whiteness, privileged Greek women used white, light blush was applied with carmine - red paint from cochineal, powder and lipstick were used. To line the eyes - soot from the combustion of a special essence. Women from the people, for whom cosmetics were inaccessible, put on a mask made of barley dough with eggs and seasonings at night.

Decorations

The jewelry art of Ancient Greece approached perfection. Women decorated themselves with elegant gold and silver necklaces, bracelets, gold hairnets, chains, earrings (often in the shape of a falling drop), rings, and rings with precious stones.

Bracelets were worn on hands and feet. Hairstyles were decorated with gold pins. But the necklace was considered the most elegant and expensive decoration. It could consist of a chain with pearls and precious stones strung on it. Greek women used metal mirrors, umbrellas, fans made of colored feathers, and bone and metal combs.

In Ancient Greece, only women wore jewelry. It was considered indecent for men to adorn themselves. Sparta even passed a law prohibiting men from wearing jewelry. The only thing the Greeks allowed themselves were rings. At first, gold and silver rings with carved stones served as a seal, but gradually they became simply decoration, and men began to wear several of them on one hand. In Sparta, men wore only iron rings.

Fashion history: Antiquity. Roman grace

Women's clothing, like men's, consisted of a chiton and himation, but was much more colorful and varied.

Various capes were worn over the tunic, which differed in size and way of wearing. Diplodios passed under the left arm and brought out to the right shoulder, where it was fastened with a clasp. U himation , which was a rectangular piece of material about 1.5 m long and about 3 m wide, one corner was thrown from behind over the left shoulder forward, the rest was pulled across the back, passed under the right arm and the other corner was thrown over the left shoulder back. To make the himation better hold, small lead weights were sewn into its four corners.

Female chiton The silhouette was a slender elongated rectangle, in which the length of the upper part was related to the lower part according to the principle of the classical “golden ratio” (3:5).

The diplodium played a large decorative role in the costume; it was decorated with embroidery, appliqué, painted patterns, and could be made of fabric of a different color. The length of the lapel could be different: to the chest, hips, knees. Depending on the ratio of the length of the diploid and other parts of the chiton, certain proportions of the figure were created.

Just like the men's, the women's tunic was fastened at the shoulders brooches - with buckles and belted with a slouch - kolpos. The later Ionic chiton, made of very thin soft fabric, was richly draped and girded around the waist, hips and crosswise on the chest. Thanks to its large width, a semblance of sleeves was created.

During the heyday of ancient Greek culture, the wardrobe of the Greeks was quite diverse. Women began to pick up their tunic using a belt at the waist or under the chest.

In the first case, the chiton fell in deep folds on both sides through the belt. Sometimes women even wore two tunics, one on top of the other, with the lower one being longer than the upper one.

Spartan women wore a chiton - peplos ; its right side sections were left unstitched and decorated with an ornamental border and drapery. The noble maidens of Athens, depicted in a solemn procession on the eastern frieze of the Parthenon by the Greek sculptor Phidias, are dressed in peplos.

Short cape - faros - could be worn over peplos, these were two rectangular pieces of fabric, folded, fixed on the braid to which they were sewn. The edges of the braid were tied or fastened with buckles, leaving space in the middle for the neckline. The folds of the pharos fell from the shoulders; short at the back, they reached the hips in a rhythmic wave, lengthening towards the sides.

The outerwear of Greek women was the himation, which was draped in various ways. The female himation was smaller than the male one, but much more richly ornamented.

In the novel by the scientist-paleontologist and writer I. Efremov “Tais of Athens” there is an interesting description of the color scheme of the Greek woman’s costume: “Nannion covered the thinnest Ionian chiton with a blue, gold-embroidered chiton with a usual border of hook-shaped stylized waves along the lower edge. In oriental fashion, the hetaera's chemation was thrown over her right shoulder and secured over her back with a buckle on her left side. Thais was dressed in a pink, transparent chiton, sourced from Persia or India, gathered in soft folds and pinned at the shoulders with five silver pins. Gray himation with a border of blue daffodils enveloped her from the waist to the ankles of her small feet, dressed in sandals with narrow silvered straps.”

Greek women's shoes are sandals of various shapes, elegant, made of leather in bright colors, decorated with gold and silver.

Greek women rarely wore hats, covering themselves in bad weather with the upper edge of a himation or chlamys. Tanager figurines depict girls wearing round straw hats.

They also sometimes wore a light scarf on top of the himation and faros - pallulu , or a wide scarf made of byssos, which could, like a veil, cover the face; The pallulu could also be draped over the shoulders and fastened with a buckle. When going on a road or journey, women, just like men, covered their heads with a wide-brimmed hat, like a petasos. The woman's hat was called "folia" , it had wide round brims and a pointed crown. Sometimes married Greek women attached a veil to the top of their hair.

When a rich Greek woman walked down the street, accompanied by one or more slaves, she might have in her hand a fan shaped like a leaf or made of feathers. Slaves held a sun umbrella over her head and carried a basket of shopping or handicrafts if she was heading to a friend’s house to spend an hour or two at the spinning wheel or hoop and discussing the latest news and gossip.

In ancient Greece, the art of jewelry was highly developed, represented in women's costumes by metal casting, filigree, and engraving. These are earrings, necklaces, intaglios, cameos, buckles, bracelets, rings, tiaras made of gold or silver with precious stones and a chased ornamental pattern.

The costume of women from the poor strata of society was similar in silhouette and shape to the costume of women of the nobility, had traditional draperies, but was of smaller volume, made of cheap fabrics, without expensive decorative ornaments. Slaves wore the costume of their homeland.