ABC-Clothing

Archive for December 30th, 2009

Most people think of the ancient Greeks and Romans, and think of togas as their choice of style. Though this is true, not all togas are created equal. Men wore a particular style of toga. Theirs was usually a single garment gathered together at the shoulders and at the waist. For younger men, their theirs would be a little shorter, while older men’s were full length.

However, if you look at any of the ancient urns from the Greek period, pay close attention to the women’s robes. Most ancient Greek women wore a two-piece suit of sorts. The bottom piece was a long, flowing piece that accentuated the hips. While the top was more like a modern tank-top. The entire ensemble was held together at the waist, giving more dynamics to the woman’s figure as a whole.

Ancient Greek Female Attire. Picture obtained from Wikimedia Commons

Of course, different classes of women also wore different styles of toga. A more high-class lady would have had intricate designs woven into her tunics, while women of a lesser class would have had to make due with the bare necessities. Some experts also believe that different classes would wear specialized colors, in order to tell them apart. This is known to be true for the extremely wealthy, who were the only ones who could afford to wear the regal color of purple.

If you take the time to really study the depictions on ancient pottery, look to see if you can spot the variations in the women’s clothing. Chances are you’ll be able to tell where they stood in society if you can tell what type of clothing they have on.