Fabrics & Colors

• Clothes in ancient Greece were manufactured from natural sources: wool, flax and leather. Wool was the most commonly used material because of the abundance of sheep, which was a main staple of the Greek economy. Flax was used to make fine linen, but only the wealthy and certain priests and priestesses in the temples used this. Leather was used to make armor for the soldiers and shoes.
  Colors for the average Greek in ancient Greece reflected status. The majority of the Greek population at this time wore rough homespun wool garments, which were often brown or beige in color. However, wall frescoes, such as the wall paintings from the archaeological site Akrotiri, Thera, that are now at the National Archaeological Museum in Greece, have revealed that the ancient Greeks also loved colors.
  Since production of dyed materials was time-consuming and cost-prohibitive, it is believed that only the wealthy and those affiliated with the religious institutions of the time could afford this enhancement. Wall frescoes show that the Greeks had the ability to produce colors such as pink, yellow, blue and brown. In addition, fabrics were bleached white reflecting purity or great wealth. An ancient Greek wearing white indicated that the person had enough slaves that he did not have to dirty himself with labor.
  The coarseness of the fabric also indicated status. Fine linen was manufactured using a process that called for the gathering of flax, removing all the seeds and then soaking the plant until the stalks could be beaten in order to get various degrees of fiber. This fiber was sorted out and only the finest was used to create linen.
  
  

How Women Dressed

• The women of Greece wore a long, wide strip of fabric usually wrapped around the body and pinned in place. Other styles included an over-the-shoulder draping, which is the style often depicted in frescoes and statues from that time. The proper length for the tunic for women was to the ankles.
  
  

Men's Grecian Dress

• The majority of men in Greece wore a knee-length tunic made of wool or linen; it was often belted. A view of Greek frescoes and statues will often show men dressed in this style. It almost looks something like a large belted T-shirt.
  Over this, the men often wore a blanket-type cloak for travel or war. During times of war, the men would add leather breastplates and helmets to the basic tunic. Men would sleep on the ground using their blanket cloak for warmth. The wealthier men often wore helmets and breastplates made out of metal for better protection.
  
  

How Children Dressed

• Traditionally in most of ancient Greece, babies and children under the age of 2 were tightly wrapped with wool or linen strips. This was believed to ensure straight and strong adult limbs. After the age of 2, children would wear only a diaper.
  As children became older they would wear tunics until the girls reached puberty and were ready to marry and the boys attained the age of 7 when they would go to school or learn a trade. Once girls reached puberty and boys reached 7 years, they would begin to wear adult clothing as befitting their economic status.
  
  

Ancient Grecian Shoes

• The majority of ancient Greeks walked barefoot. Shoes were often only worn by soldiers and the wealthy. However, certain city-states such as Sparta often required their soldiers to be barefoot.
  When the ancient Greeks did wear footwear, it was often a sandal or boot. Both types of footwear were made from leather primarily, but the wealthy also had shoes made of wood, felt and other cloths. The leather was often kept natural, but the wealthy could afford more ornamentation and often had sandals and boots dyed or gilded in gold.
  The style of sandals and boots were similar in design at the base of the foot; however, sandals often ended at the ankle, while the boot had a higher and wider heel piece which was tied around the calf to the knee. This was worn by soldiers to protect their lower legs.
  The ancient Greeks were a very fashion-conscious people and created styles and trends that were unique to each city-state. Gold, jewels and other precious metals were use as ornamentation to enhance their appearance. Archaeological sites have revealed beautiful and elaborate earrings, necklaces and buckles for sandals and belts.