Fashion History

B.C. or B.C.E.
Egyptian, Greeks, Romans and
Byzantine

B.C. or B.C.E.

What does this term

mean?
It stands for Before Christ, and it means the
number of years before the time of Jesus Christ.
That was about 2000 years ago, so the date 552 B.C.
means 2552 years ago.Some people use B.C.E.
instead. That stands for Before the Common Era, and
is used in order to avoid Christian references.

A.D. or C.E
What does this term
mean?

A.D. stands for Anno Domini, which is Latin for "year of

our Lord," and it means the number of years since the
time of Jesus Christ. That was 2000 years ago, so the
date 500 A.D. means 1500 years ago.Some people use C.E.
instead. That stands for Common Era, and people use it in
order to avoid Christian references.

Ancient Egyptian Dress

Ancient Egyptian Dress

Clothing was not in any way a practical necessity in Ancient

Egypt. Egypt (and most of the rest of North Africa) was not the
mainly desert country it is today, subject to the temperature
extremes that a dry climate engenders. Then it was a lush,
food-producing country, subject to annual flooding, and a warm,
humid climate.
Clothing was therefore a luxury item of no great practical
value. Slaves and the poor in surviving Ancient Egyptian art
are therefore usually depicted in little more than loincloths.
As people went up the social scale more clothing and jewelry
was worn, but even then the drapery of the clothing is light
and designed more to accentuate the shape of the body than
conceal it.
The most elaborate Egyptian clothing was worn by the Pharaohs
and their queens as symbols of power.

Ancient Egyptian Dress

It is thought by some that royal Egyptians practiced body

modification by wrapping the sculls of infants and altering the head
shape to be more egg like than rounded in adulthood, others ascribe
this to a natural genetic fluke in the royal family.
Aristocratic Egyptians also often shaved their heads (and other body
hair) and wore wigs instead of natural hair to formal occasions. Kohl
eye makeup was worn by both sexes, as were perfumes and body oils.
Both men and women wore blue and green eyeshadow and black kohl
eyeliner, when they were dressed up fancy. People also wore kohl
around their eyes because it helped to keep the glare of sunlight
down (which is why football players do the same thing today).
During banquets, guests wore small mounds of beeswax impregnated with
perfumed oil on top of their wigs; these mounds would melt into the
wigs with the heat of the room, releasing scent, during the course of
the party.
Jewellery was the dominant costume focus, worn by both sexes;
numerous examples of Ancient Egyptian jewelry survive in museums.
Clothing has been less fortunate in survival, but linen textile
scraps remain to indicate that the mostly white pleated materials
that are shown in Ancient drawings were probably fine linens. These
pleated linen garments are usually depicted as straight pieces of
cloth, pleated to give a body-hugging stretch, that are wrapped in a
variety of ways and tied or tucked in front.

Ancient Egyptian Dress

Ancient Egyptian Fabrics

Weaving
Woven linen has been known in Egypt since 5000 BCE. The oldest
depiction of a loom was found at Badari on a pottery dish dating
from the middle of the 5th millennium BCE, while the first known
pictures of weavers were drawn during the Middle Kingdom.
Linen
Flax has been grown in Egypt from very early times, since linen
fabrics have been found of neolithic, Badarian, predynastic, and
First Dynasty dates respectively, and there is still a considerable
flax cultivation in the country. The old Egyptian linen varies
considerably in texture, from the finest gauze to a canvas-like
coarseness.
Cotton
The earliest cotton fabrics that can be traced in Egypt are from
Karanog in Nubia. These were originally reported as linen, but they
have since been examined by experts and are undoubtedly cotton. It
is thought that they may have been of Sudanese origin, more
particularly because Reisner discovered cotton fabrics at Meroe in
the Sudan, and because there are early literary references to the
use of cotton in Nubia, one about 250 AD and the other about eight
centuries later. R. Pfister, who has made a study of early Egyptian
fabrics, informs that woven cotton fabrics were not known in Egypt
until a date several centuries after 640 AD and that the earliest
known were not woven in Egypt.

Ancient Egyptian Fabrics

Hemp
With respect to the use of hemp for woven fabrics in ancient
Egypt, was found in the Badarian, Predynastic, and Pan-grave
cloths. The botanical source of the hemp found is not
specified, but the name is applied to a large number of bast
fibres from different plants, one at least of which, for
instance Deccan hemp (Hibiscus cannabinus), grows in Egypt.
Papyrus
The papyrus plant, belonging to the sedge family, which at
one time grew abundantly in the marshy districts of Lower
Egypt, where, however, it is no longer found, though it still
flourishes in the Sudan, was employed by the Egyptians for
many purposes, some of which have been enumerated by
Herodotus, Theophrastus, and Pliny, but it principal value
was for making sheets of material for writing upon, which was
the forerunner of modern paper, to which it gave it name.
Wool
Wool, although probably always used for clothing to at least
some extent and certainly at a later date, was accounted
ceremonially unclean and so, as Herodotus, referring to the
Egyptians, said "nothing of wool is brought into temples, or
buried with them; that is forbidden."

Egyptian
cloth

Egyptian
Weaving

Egyptian Inspired Garments

Egyptian Inspired Designs

Greek Fashion
History

Ancient Greek Dress

Ancient Greek dress was more voluminous than that of the

Egyptians, and was most often made of fine woolens,
although it is thought that the Greeks also had regular
access to linen, hemp cloth and silk.
The primary garment of Ancient Greek clothing was the
Chiton, an all-over body garment made from a large
rectangle of cloth wrapped once around the body from right
side to right side.

This garment was then pinned at the

shoulders and tied at the waist or hips, and
draped in hanging folds about the body.
Young men generally wore short chitons, and
older men and
women longer ones. Older men also often are
depicted wearing long draped mantles either
alone or over a chiton.
A smaller rectangle worn over one shoulder

Ancient Greek Dress

Ancient Greek Dress

Women's Chitons were draped in a variety of ways, and were
also worn with mantles.
Greek fabric was far more elaborate than the Egyptians, and
included complex border designs both woven in and embroidered.
Greek Jewelry, although less prominent than Egyptian jewelry,
was exceedingly complex and finely made.
Like Egyptian dress, Greek clothing was centered in an
aesthetic that idealized the human body, rather than
attempting to conceal it's natural shape.
The Greeks made many clothing decisions based on this
aesthetic that were less than practical choices: Pinning
garments closed instead of stitching, rarely wearing sandals
or shoes despite a rocky landscape, draping garments around
the body for warmth during cold instead of making garments
with sleeves or trousers as their near neighbors the Phrygians
(see at right) did.
The Greeks definitely knew how to make sleeves, for their
theatrical costumes had them, but for normal wear sleeves were
judged less aesthetic than bare arms and so were not worn.
Greek jewelry was also an object of much technical
concentration, so much so that Western jewelry technique has
only caught up to it since the Industrial Revolution.

Ancient Greek Inspired Dress

Ancient Greek Inspired Designs

Ancient Roman Dress

Ancient Roman Dress

Roman clothing owed much to that of ancient Greece, but it had

distinct forms of its own.In all the ancient world, first and
foremost clothes needed to be simple. As for possible materials
there was only really one. Wool, although to some extent linen
was also available.The needles of the day were coarse and
unwieldy by modern standards. Hence any stitching or sewing was
kept to a minimum.This of course also ruled out button holes,
and meant that any kind of clothing was held together either
with fastenings such as broaches or clasps.
Roman dress at first glance appears to be identical to Greek
dress in it's draperies and design. Closer inspection, however,
reveals many important changes. First, the basic garments are
sewn, not pinned, and close on both sides. Second, elaborate
fabric decoration nearly disappears, and bold patterns on
garments are nonexistent.
Sandals, boots and shoes are common, virtually all men wear
them, and many women.
Jewelry becomes so simple in design and execution it looks
crude, even without the comparison of the fine Greek work
standing in contrast to it.
Their clothing included the Tunica (which is, a simple ttunic), the Stola (the female version of the same thing), the
Toga (a extra long half-circle wool mantle worn by male

Ancient Roman Dress

Toga

Stola and Palla

The Pallium CloakPriest's Toga

Ancient Roman Dress

Men usually wore a

short tunic; when
they went out, and
in particular
occasions they used
to wear over the
tunic, the "toga",
a white wool coat.

Women also wore

the tunic and
over it they used
the "stola" (a
long dress with a
belt around the
waist) to go out
they put on a
coat called
"pallium", with
its edge they

Ancient Roman Inspired Dress

Ancient Roman Inspired Designs

Byzantine Dress

Byzantine Dress
Late Roman and "Byzantine" dress is more body covering than
earlier Roman costume, usually including long sleeves and long
hems. This is generally assumed to be a reaction to the growing
Christian view that the body was not beautiful, but a pit of vice.
When the tunica is shorter (only on men) the lower limbs are
encased in trousers, a "barbarian" invention first adopted by the
Roman army and lower classes, and eventually (after some
aristocratic resistance) by all men.
The toga remained for emperors and other high officials in this
period, but in vestigial form as a long thin (about 6") strip
wrapped round the torso in the traditional manner.Long half circle
capes were part of male court dress, worn in place of the old toga
over the new long sleeved tunica.
The most notable feature of the Eastern Empire's dress is its
surface decoration. Unlike the earlier period which left fabric
largely undecorated, the people of the Byzantine Empire used all
manner of woven, embroidered and beaded surface embellishment,
particularly on Church vestments and court dress.
This style of decoration, and many of the garment shapes, survive
to this day in the priestly vestments of Orthodox churches in
Greece, Eastern Europe and Russia.

Byzantine Inspired Garments

Byzantine Inspired Drawings

Medieval Fashion History

Medieval Fashion History

Medieval fashion during the the Middle Ages was dominated and
highly influenced by the Kings and Queens of the era. Only the
wealthy could dress in fashionable clothes. Sumptuary Laws
restricted ordinary people in their expenditure including money
spent on clothes, which impacted Medieval fashion. Under the
Sumptuary Laws passed by King Edward III only royalty were allowed
to wear cloth of gold and purple silk. Expensive veils were banned
for lower class women. Only the wives or daughters of nobles were
allowed to wear velvet, satin sable or ermine. Medieval Fashion
changed with each king and queen. Different events which occurred
during the Medieval times of the Middle Ages also affected fashion.
The Influence of the Crusades- The Crusades was probably the
greatest influence on Medieval Fashion when fine silks, satins,
damasks, brocades, and velvets were imported from the Far East. The
Medieval fashion worn in the royal courts in Medieval Times were
imitated across Europe. Fashions in France, Spain and Italy
strongly influenced the fashions of Medieval England.

Medieval Fashion
History

Most people in the Middle Ages wore woolen clothing, with undergarments made of
linen. Brighter colors, better materials, and a longer signs of greater wealth. The
clothing of the aristocracy and wealthy merchants tended to be elaborate and
changed according to the dictates of fashion.
Towards the end of the Middle Ages, men of the wealthy classes sported hose and a
jacket, often with pleating or skirting, or a tunic with a surcoat. Women wore flowing
gowns and elaborate headwear, ranging from headdresses shaped like hearts or
butterflies to tall steeple caps and Italian turbans.
Most of the holy orders wore long woolen habits in emulation of Roman clothing.
One could tell the order by the color of the habit: the Benedictines wore black; the
Cistercians, undyed wool or white. St. Benedict stated that a monk's clothes should
be plain but comfortable and they were allowed to wear linen coifs to keep their
heads warm. The Poor Clare Sisters, an order of Franciscan nuns, had to petition
the Pope in order to be permitted to wear woolen socks.

Medieval Fashion
History
Clothing
Peasant men wore stockings orPeasant
tunics, while
women wore long gowns with
sleeveless tunics and wimples to cover their hair. Sheepskin cloaks and woolen
hats and mittens were worn in winter for protection from the cold and rain. Leather
boots were covered with wooden patens to keep the feet dry. The outer clothes
were almost never laundered, but the linen underwear was regularly washed. The
smell of wood smoke that permeated the clothing seemed to act as a deodorant.
Peasant women spun wool into the threads that were woven into the cloth for these
garments.

Medieval Fashion History

Fur and Jewellery
Fur was often used to line the garments of the wealthy. Jewellery was lavish,
much of it imported and often used as security against loans. Gem cutting
was not invented until the fifteenth century, so most stones were not very
lustrous.
Ring brooches were the most popular item from the twelfth century on.
Diamonds became popular in Europe in the fourteenth century.
By the mid-fourteenth century there were laws to control who wore what
jewellery , and knights were not permitted to wear rings. Sometimes clothes
were garnished with silver, but only the wealthy could wear such items.

Overview of Medieval
Fashion

People wore tunics, togas, trousers and laced sandals

The early Medieval period featured a simple shape with a long,
wide gown decorated with embroidery at the edges or borders
Fitted tunics remained the basic item of clothes
Hose took the place of trousers
By 1200 tight lacing was used on women's clothes to create a
form fitting shape which, girdled at the hips, created a longwaisted appearance
Gowns and sleeves were long and trailing
The length of men's clothing became shorter
Burgundian styles influenced the fashion with tight, short
clothes for men and long pointed shoes. The longer the points,
the higher the status.
The women's headdresses were also long and pointed. It was
also fashionable to wear the high double horn headdresses
The tunic was narrowed and evolved into the doublet

Medieval Fashion

1350 The man wears a blue tappert with padded shoulders and slashed
sleeves. His hose are particolored white and light blue. The woman wears a
rolled and padded hennin worn over a caul and draped with a veil. Her
surcoat is worn over a brocade cotehardie and lined with fur, as are the
dalmation sleeves. High-waisted gowns became the fashion for the rest of the
Medieval period.

1400 The man wears a red houppeland with daggeddalmation sleeves

and a chaperon which is also dagged. The woman wears a dress with a style
very popular in this period. The neckline forms a deep V to the waistband,
with a ruched bib underneath coming up higher to the neckline. The blue
gown is trimmed with red velvet. This style of gown was often known as a
Burgundian gown. She wears a hennin with a butterfly styled veil.

Medieval Fashion

1200 The woman is wearing a black wool surcoat over a pleated chainse,
and a porkpiehat over her hair. This style of a loose, vertical gown was
frequent in the earlier Medieval period. The man is wearing a particolored
cotehardieand a surgarloafhat, all over his hose and leather shoes.

1250 The woman is wearing a pale green cotehardie with a full skirt and
sleeves over a maroon chainse. Belts were often worn as in this picture to
hold up the skirts and allow for freer movements. Low-waisted belts would
remain the fashion until the late fourteenth century. She is also wearing a
chatelaine to carry household items. She wears a gorget and wimple over her
hair and neck. The man wears a fur houppeland with the leather on the
outside and a leather belt with another form of a chatelaine.

Medieval Fashion

1450 The man wears a shockingly short tunic that became popular in this
period. The feet of his hose are pointed and tipped by bells. Bells were often
used on many garments, especially belts, purses, and shoes. The woman
wears a gown with bag sleeves trimmed in fur. Her headdress is a more
modern version of the toque, worn with a butterfly veil.

1450 The man wears a short pourpoint jacket lined with fur. His hat is
trimmed with a gold coronet. The woman wears an escoffion with a veil and
gold ribbon attached. Her brocade gown has fur-lined dalmation sleeves.
Jewels and gold were often used to line clothing of the nobility as a means to
display wealth.

Medieval Fashion
Glossary

bliaud overgown with either long, tight sleeves or looser, elbow-length sleeves
braies/slops short pants gathered and tied at the waist and tucked into hose (men)
butterfly starching veils and shaping them using wired, worn over headdresses (women)
caul/snood/crespinette a net, usually of gold or silver, used to hold up hair, often lined with fabric (women)
chainse under-tunic, often belted with leather or cord and worn alone in warm weather
chaperon hood covering head and draped over shoulders
chatelaine leather pouch or chain hanging from a belt that usually carried household tools, personal items,
or coins
chausses hose attached at the top (men)
coif close-fitting headdress of white linen, cotton or silk that tied under chin, usually worn under other head
coverings
cotehardie tight-fitting tunic or gown
cotteshistories familys coat of arms emblazoned on garments in embroidery or appliqu
crackowes/poulaines soft, pointed shoes, often wooden-soled, sometimes with the toes held up by gold
chains attached to the knee if they were long enough
cyclas sleeveless tunic worn with or without belt
dagging ornamental cutting of fabric edges, applied to all manners of clothing
dalmation/angelsleeves large, voluminous sleeves
escoffion double-pointed headdress (women)

Medieval Fashion
Glossary

gorget square of fabric draped under chin to cover neck (often accompanying the wimple) (women)
hennin high, pointed, conical headdress that imitated the Gothic church spire, often with veils attached
to them (women)
houppelande long, voluminous coat with sleeves sometimes lined or trimmed with fur
justacorps/pourpoint/jupon quilted garment similar to a vest or jacket (men)
liripipe long, trailing point often added to a hood or headdress
mantle cloak worn over clothes, sometimes lined with fur or with a hood
particolored garments divided into sections and sewn in contrasting colors
pelicon fur lined robe, usually made from large piece of fabric with holes cut for the head and slits for
arms
points/tapes small laces that tied hose up to slops or braies (men)
ruching pleating or gathering
stomacher traingular piece extending from neckline to lower abdomen (women)
sugarloafhat tall, rounded hat (men)
surcoat/robe outer tunic
tabard scoop-necked surcoat often open at the sides (men)
tappert German coat padded at the shoulders, usually with slashed and cuffed sleeves (men)
toque/porkpiehat hat with scalloped/pleated edges and an open top, attached by a chinstrap
wimple/headrail/couvre-chef kerchief draped over head and shoulders or over a cloth cap (women)

Medieval Fashion History

Medieval Inspired Fashion

Medieval Inspired Designs