This page has images of typical draping arrangements of Grecian dress for
women
of ancient Greece.
The overall look for both Ancient Greek women and men is one of fabric drapery created by
the chiton. This is a garment which for most occasions reached the feet. An image showing how to make a basic
chiton is shown on the Greek
costume page.
For drama productions, carnival floats, re-enactment or fancy dress purposes
it is always essential to get the hair and feet as correct as practical.
Females of ancient Greece in the main did not wear footwear. The majority went
barefoot, but some of the wealthier Greeks did wear light sandals. Such
simple sandals were made from one piece of leather with thonging attached so
that the sandal could be drawn up around the sole of the foot.
Creating the correct hairstyle will make or break your Ancient Greek look. These
days with the availability of faux hair extensions, braids and plaits it
should be quite easy to create a hairstyle which is Grecian and similar to
any of these shown below.
Women frequently tied their hair back with filet mesh, so for re-enactment
purposes, this is something
you may be able to do using old diamond fishnet hosiery or purpose bought
hair accessories.
These are fairly easy to obtain from stores such as Claire's Accessories,
alternatively try
ballet, equestrian and drama supply shops. As usual, EBay is also a good source
of a wide variety of hair accessories.
Above and below are typical Greek hairstyles and headdresses for women, the
line drawings are taken from Hope's Book of
Antiquities.
For fancy dress, you could also invent some golden tiara type pieces by
pasting golden doilies onto clear stiff clear acetate and shaping it into a
form which fits your head. You could also add dried or fresh bay leaves
by sticking the leaves onto a
former or band. Another tip spray the band with a gold or copper paint.
Above - one of the easiest arrangements of dress for a Grecian female,
observe how it is
enhanced by the use of border print fabric. See
the simple Greek chiton
pattern here.
The Ancient Greeks used borders to create drapery interest, the knack is to
wrapped around the body in an interesting fashion.
From the image above its clear the fabric can be fairly diaphanous, or if
you prefer select a material which is totally opaque.
˚
From all these images taken from Hope's Antiquities you can appreciate how your
costume can expose as much upper body or as little as you wish. You
can cover up with an extra cloak or bare a shoulder, You may even find a one
shouldered dress in the shops that can be a modesty basis for a costume to
which you can add more layers of fabric.
Fashion-Era.com looks at women's costume and fashion history and analyses the mood of an era. Changes in technology, leisure, work, cultural and moral values. Homelife and politics also
contribute to lifestyle trends, which in turn influence the clothes we wear. These are the changes that make any era of society special in relation to the study of the costume of a period.
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