Journal Number 5

Hey how are ya?! Today we will be discussing Ancient Greek Clothing and its reflection to larger spirit of the culture and society through the various ears.

Throughout history clothing has been used to tell a story, this was not less evident in Ancient Greece. Clothing in Ancient Greece had linked to larger symbolic meanings of culture and Gods. First there was the idea of unity. Clothing was a reflection of being a part of the society in that everyone would dress in the same types of clothing, from dress to rope wrapped around the body. A large part of presentation was showing off and perfection. The Greeks had no problem doing this, they would present their wealth by revealing the body wearing limited clothes. So much so that the Greeks had no problem with nudity and it was normal. They wanted to look perfect so badly that women would drench themselves in water before going to parties to attain the seek curvy look from their clothing. This made the clothing tight to their bodies and reveal their curves. They began to more elaborately decorated themselves with more layers, jewelry and expensive dye colors. This was a way to separate classes by the intricacy of their clothing and value of their possessions.

Ancient Greek clothing and upkeep had great links to their gods. The Greeks believed that hair was imbued with a religious and a symbolic significance. When mourning they would cut or tear off some of their own hair and lay it upon the corpse or burn it with the deceased, there were offerings by a lover or a relative. Women cuts their hair to sacrifice to their new life on the day of their weddings. The brides would do this to symbolize her humility and renunciation of her vanity. Young boys would cut their hair when it was long enough to sacrifice to Apollo, the god of youth. 

The four main distinct eras of ancient Greece are: Cretan-Minoan, Mycenaean, Archaic, and Classical-Hellenistic. They first part of Greek history was hard to discover due the factors limiting the preservation of the artifacts. The first part of society was mainly focused on fertility. Then later in the Cretan-Minoan period, when ancient Greece flourished, we saw the expansion of the clothing while continuing around the idea of fertility, along with the nudity and showing off of the body. Then in Mycenaean era, we the expansion of men wearing skirts accompanied by armor during times of war. Women’s fashion pair alongside as they would wear open breasted costumes. Then in the Archaic Period, was the beginning of new civilization, when we saw men’s clothing become simpler with singular ropes and woman’s become elaborate with added layers and folds. Lastly, in Classical Period, is when we began to see the more elaborate clothing and additions to the dresses, including sewing and different cuts to show off the body and its curves.