Greek and Roman textiles and dress : an interdisciplinary anthology (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Greek and Roman dress? ›

Roman style clothing is very similar to Greek in design and concept. The main difference is that clothing is not pinned, but sewn closed on both sides. Garments feature few patters or decorations. Romans, contrary to common misconceptions, were pretty practical, upright and uptight people.

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.

Modern period. In the independent Greece, Otto and Amalia were the first to be interested in fashion matters. Amalia created a romantic folksy court dress, which became a national Greek costume still known as the Amalía dress.

Most traditional costumes for women have a simple cotton dress as a base, with a sleeveless wool vest over it. To this, women may add aprons, sashes and, perhaps most importantly, large head scarves. One example of a traditional outfit for women is the karagouna.

In a nutshell, Ancient Greek artists more focus on individualism and idealism, whereas ancient Roman artists more focus on realism and highlighting the spirits of their rulers. In this paper, I will seek for the cultural and artistic characteristics of these two ancient great countries.

Men wore a knee-length, short-sleeved tunic called a chilton. They would wear a cloak over their tunic which was carefully wrapped around their body. Important Roman men would wear a long robe called a toga made from white wool or linen. Women wore a longer tunic than men which went down to their ankles.

All ancient Greek clothing was made out of natural fibers. Linen was the most common fabric due to the hot climate which lasted most of the year. On the rare occasion of colder weather, ancient Greeks wore wool. Silk was also used for the production of clothing though for ceremonial purposes by the wealthy.

The tunic was the basic garment: it could also be used as an undergarment. Instead of a toga, some Roman women wore an ankle-length, pleated dress known as the stola, which could have long sleeves and fastened at the shoulder with the clasp known as a fibula. Such garments were worn over the tunics and under the palla.

The art of draping dates back to 3500 BCE, beginning with the Mesopotamians and Ancient Egyptians. Greek fashion followed with the invention of draped silhouettes like the chiton, peplos, chlamys and himation. The Etruscans and Ancient Romans invented the toga, a length of fabric that wraps and drapes around the body.

There is no dress code--anywhere. You set your own style no matter where you are in the world! Unless you will be there on business or going to a special even, there is just nothing to worry about. You are a tourist, so dress the way that will be comfortable for long days of walking and sightseeing.

What is Greece best known for? ›

The country is known as the cradle of Western civilisation. It is the birthplace of democracy, mathematical principles, Western philosophy, Olympic games and many more. Other than this, Greece is famous for its over 2000 islands, Mediterranean climate and physical diversity.

In Classical Greek art, goddesses are often depicted wearing peploi, the most notable example bring the caryatids on the porch of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis of Athens. The great cloak (himation), worn by both women and men, was a much heavier piece of rectangular cloth, made of linen or wool.

But as with architecture and sculpture, the Romans in their dress were more interested in images of grandeur and power as well as comfort and variety than in the Greek ideals of grace and beauty. Thus Roman clothing had the draped lines of the Greeks without their simplicity, subtlety, and beauty.

Three garments were the basis of Classical Greek dress: the khiton (pronounced kite-n), the peplos, an overgarment worn by women, and the chlamys (pronounced klom-iss), a cloak. These three garments were draped and belted to create various styles.

The characteristics of traditional Greek fashion included long, flowing garments made of lightweight materials such as linen or wool. People draped these garments over the body in a manner that allowed for a range of movement and comfort. Both men and women wore tunics that were knee-length or longer.

The toga was an item of clothing worn by men who were citizens of Rome. The toga consisted of a single length of wool cloth cut in a semicircle and wrapped around the body of the wearer without any fastenings. The Roman toga was a clearly identifiable status symbol.

Greeks established direct democracy with native-born male participation, focusing on idealized art and human-centric gods, while Romans developed a representative republic evolving into imperial rule, embraced realism in art, and adapted Greek gods to emphasize statehood and discipline.

Though rigidly adhering to symmetry, the Romans used a variety of spatial forms. Whereas Greek temples were isolated and almost always faced east-west, Roman temples were oriented with respect to other buildings. Roman columns carried arches as well as entablatures, permitting greater spatial freedom.

To elaborate, the toga was a large and cumbersome sheet of cloth which wealthy Romans wrapped round themselves as a cloak. Under that they wore a tunic like most of the men around the Mediteranean of that time. The Greeks had an equivelent but smaller garment which they called a himation.