History of Costume

HISTORY OF COSTUME

Name: Viola Yeong Wai Kei

Student ID: RKL- FM2209006

Course: History of Costume

Major: Fashion Marketing

Assignment: Research Book

Term: Sep 2022

Lecturer: Mr Rizal

ANCIENT EGYPT

History of Ancient Egypt

For almost 30 centuries - from its unification around 3100 B.C to its conquest by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C. -ancient Egypt was the preeminent civilization in the Mediterranean world. Fro the great pyramids of the Old Kingdom through the military conquests of the New Kingdom, Egypt's majesty has long entranced archaeologists and historians and created a vibrant field of study all its own:

Egyptology

Predynastic Period (c. 5000-3100 B.C.)

A southern king, Scorpion, made the first attempts to conquer the northern kingdom around 3200 B.C. A century later, King Menes would subdue the north and unify the country, becoming the first king of the first dynasty.

Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150-2686 B.C.)

King Menes founded the capital of ancient Egypt at White Walis. The earliest known hieroglyphic writing also dates to this period most ancient Egyptians were farmers living in small villagers, and agriculture (largely wheat and barley) formed the economic base of the Egyptian state.

Old Kingdom (c. 2686-2181 B.C.)

The old kingdom began with the third dynasty of pharaohs. Around 2630 B.C., the result was the world's first major stone building, the Step Pyramid at Saqqara. During the third and fourth dynasties. Egypt enjoyed a golden age of peace and prosperity.

First Intermediate Period (c. 2181-2055 B.C.)

From this era of conflict emrged two different kingdoms. Around 2055 B.C, the Theban prince Mentuhotep managed to toppie Heracleopolis and reunited Egypt, beginning the 11th dynasty and ending the First Intermediate Period.

Middle Kingdom (c. 2055-1786 B.C. )

A new capital was established at It-towy, south of Memphis, while Thebes remained a great religious center. The 12th dynasty kings ensured the smooth succession of their line by making each successor coregent, a custom that began with Amenemhet 1.

Second Intermediate Period (c. 1786-1567 B.C)

During the Second Intermediate Period Egypt was divided into several spheres of influence. The official royal court and seat of government was relocated to Thebes, while a rival dynasty (the 14th), centered on the city of Xois in the Nile delta.

New Kingdom (c. 1567-1085 B.C.)

The 19th and 20th dynastiessaw the restoration of the weakened Egyptian empire and an impressive amount of building, including great temples and cities. The exodus of Moses and the Israelites from Egypt possibly occurred during the reign of Ramses II.

Third Intermediate Period (c. 1085-664 B.C.)

the Third Intermediate Period–saw important changes in Egyptian politics, society and culture. From the Late Period to Alexander’s Conquest (c.664-332 B.C.) After Alexander’s death, Egypt was ruled by a line of Macedonian kings. The last ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt–the legendary Cleopatra

VII–surrendered Egypt to the armies of Octavian in 31 B.C.

Costume of Ancient Egypt

When royalty, gods and goddesses were portrayed in statues, temple carvings and wall paintings, it was the beauty and self-confidence of the subject that was conveyed. Egyptian artistic conventions idealized the proportions of the body. Men are shown with broad shoulders, slim bodies, and muscular arms and legs and women have small waists, flat stomachs and rounded busts. Both wear elegant clothing and jewellery, and stand tall with their heads held high. Their stately appearance commands the respect of all who gaze upon their portraits.

Menswear

Schenti

A simple kilt, it was wrapped around the hips with the ends hanging down in folds at the front of the body. Initially made of leather or hide, it was later constructed of a light cloth, usually linen.

Old Kingdom

Pharaohs are sometimes shown with a loin’s tail hanging down at the back of their kilt, while soldiers sometimes wore a kilt that was striped or cut from coloured cloth. Various methods of folding this garment

Short kilt, pleated and belted

Shoulder-length hair

Necklace.

This garment was worn with a bare torso regardless of social status

Middle Kingdom

Mid-calf kilt with a large apron that was probably stiffened to maintain its triangular shape

Elaborate necklace

New Kingdom

Elaborate pleated garment

Jewellery, wig and scented cone

Sandals with the extended curled toes typical of the period

Kalasiris

Close-fitting tube dress

Sewn at the side

Held up by two straps that attached behind the neck

Dyed in bright colors

Mostly pleated

Covered them with detailed patterns especially during the New Kingdom (c. 1500–c. 750)

Typically extended down the leg to between midcalf and ankle length

Sheath dress

Tight-fitted

Falls from just below the breasts to just above the ankles

Being held up by two shoulder straps

Hugs the body with no slack

Supported not by straps but by a bodice with sleeves

Old Kingdom

The upper-class women ' s dresses sometimes began below the breasts and went to the ankles. Lower-class women ' s skirts, as noted, were from the waist to the knees without a top. Before the development of linen, people wore clothes made of animal hide or woven papyrus reeds.

Womenswear

Middle Kingdom

These dresses would be made of a single sheet of cloth (cotton) which the woman would wrap herself in and then arrange for style with a belt around the waist over which she could blouse the top.

New Kingdom

Beaded gowns and kalasiris become more common among the upper classes. The capelet, or shawl cape, was a rectangle of linen twisted, folded, or cut, and usually attached to an ornamented collar.

Cosmetics

Accessories

Wigs

Jewellery

Both men and women wore makeup

Malachite, a copper ore, which provided the green eye makeup colour or so greatly favour at the time

Kohl, used to draw thick, distinctive black lines, giving an almond shape to the eyes

Red ochre, which was used as rouge or lip colour

Henna, which was widely used to stain the fingertips and toes

Red ocher, commonly used to add color to the cheeks

Worn by the wealthy of both sexes

Made from human hair, sheep's wool or Vegetable fibers (depending upon their social status)

Protected the Egyptians' baldheads from the brutal sun

Women's wigs were adorned with braids and gold, hair-rings and ivory

ornaments

Top their wigs with cones of perfumed fat that would melt to release their fragrance and condition the hair

Finger rings, anklets, armlets, girdles and pectorals, necklasces, torques, chokers, diadems, ear studs, earrings, and hair ornaments

Egyptian prefer the use of bright colors, lustrous stones and precious metals (especially gold)

Accessories

Perfume

Kyphi - the most popular Egyptian perfume

Composed of frankincense, myrrh, pine resin Could be burned, applied to the skin, or used as toothpaste and mouthwash

Images of Egyptians with cones on their heads are depicting the use of kyphi in its cone form

Painting of a woman with a wig and head cone

Footwear

Same for both sexes

It consisted of coiled sewn sandals of leatherwork, or for the priestly class, papyrus Egyptians were usually barefoot, sandals were worn on special occasions or at times when their feet might get hurt

It is non-existent among the lower classes, but in cold weather or rough terrain, they seem to have wrapped their feet in rags

Cleopatra

Cleopatra VII Philopator

Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler

A member of the Ptolemaic dynasty

A descendant of its founder Ptolemy I Soter, a Macedonian Greekgeneral and companion of Alexander the Great

After the death of Cleopatra, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire, marking the end of the second to last Hellenistic state and the age that had lasted since the reign of Alexander

Her native language was Koine Greek, and she was the only Ptolemaic ruler to learn the Egyptian language

Cleopatra's legacy survives in ancient and modern works of art

She has become a pop culture icon of Egyptomania since the Victorian era, and in modern times

Appeared in the applied and fine arts, burlesque satire, Hollywood films, and brand images for commercial products

Nefertiti

Neferneferuaten Nefertiti

A queen of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, the great royal wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten

Nefertiti and her husband were known for a radical change in national religious policy

They promoted a form of proto-monotheism centred on the sun god Aten

With her husband, she reigned at what was arguably the wealthiest period of ancient Egyptian history

Some scholars believe that Nefertiti ruled briefly as Neferneferuaten after her husband's death and before the ascension of Tutankhamun, if she did, her reign was marked by the fall of Amarna and relocation of the capital back to the traditional city of Thebes

She was made famous by her bust, now in Berlin's Neues Museum

The bust is one of the most copied works of art of ancient Egypt

Fashion Show Makeup

This bygone era ’ s approach has had a powerful effect on present makeup trends

The look is for the bold and the dramatic fill in sparse brows or darken the eyebrows with some brow pomade

Mascara is essential but more concentrate on the eyeliner

Christian Dior Spring

2004 Couture

Golden base eyeshadow and jazz up with blue / green eyeshadow

Sandals

The style of sandals in ancient Egypt look similar with sandals nowadays

The design of sandals keep developing to make it more comfortable but the appearance still the same

John Galliano fall 1997

Mesopotamia

Humans first settled in Mesopotamia in the Paleolithic era. By 14,000 B.C People in the region lived in small settlements with circular houses. Five thousand years later, these houses formed farming communities following the domestication of animals and the development of agriculture, most notably irrigation techniques that took advantage of the proximity of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Associated with Mesopotamia are ancient cultures like the Sumerians, Assyrians, Akkadians, and Babylonians.

Sumerians

By 3000 B.C., Mesopotamia was firmly under the control of the Sumerian people. Sumer contained several decentralized city-states—Eridu, Nippur, Lagash, Uruk, Kish and Ur.

The first king of a united Sumer is recorded as Etana of Kish.

Sumerians built ships that allowed them to travel into the Persian Gulf and trade with other early civilizations.

Akkadians

Around 2334 BCE, Sargon of Akkad came to power and established what might have been the world’s first dynastic empire. The Akkadian Empire ruled over both the Akkadian and Sumerian speakers in Mesopotamia and the Levant—modern day Syria and Lebanon. The Empire of Akkad collapsed in 2154 BCE, within 180 years of its founding.

The Akkadian language is related to the modern languages of Hebrew and Arabic. These languages are known as Semitic languages.

Babylonians

Babylon was a minor city-state in central Mesopotamia for a century after it was founded in 1894 BCE.

One of the most important works of this First Dynasty of Babylon was the compilation in about 1754 BCE of a code of laws, called the Code of Hammurabi, which echoed and improved upon the earlier written laws of Sumer, Akkad, and Assyria

Persians

The name "Persian" comes from the people's original tribal name Parsua. This was also the name they gave the land they originally settled which was bounded by the Tigris River to the west and the Persian Gulf to the south.

The Persian culture held the truth in high esteem. Telling a lie was one of the most disgraceful things a person could do. The capital of the empire was the great city of Persepolis. This name is Greek for "Persian City".

The Persian Empire was conquered by the Greeks led by Alexander the Great.

Costume of Mesopotamia

This culture was around for a very long time, so fashion did change. We're going just sort of move slightly chronologically. But, basically, fashion changes when the world changes. Fashion changes when it needs to change. And in Mesopotamia, fashion didn't need to change for 5,000 years. The mainstay of early Mesopotamian fashion was the following. It is called a “kaunake” and it's this sort of a wrap-around skirt, worn quite high on both men and women. On men –just under the nipple on women – wrapped under one arm and over the shoulder of another.

Menswear

Sumerian

Waist strings or small loincloths that provided barely any coverage

Later the wraparound skirt was introduced, which hung to the knee or lower and was held up by a thick, rounded belt that tied in the back

Typically decorated with fringe or pieces of fabric cut in a petal shape

All classes of men seem to have worn these skirts

Babylonians

They wore skirts and shawls very similar to the Sumerians

Some men during Babylonian rule did wear loin skirts with a hemline that slanted from the upper knee in the front to the calf in the back

According to a painting, it shows a king wearing a skirt with tiered fringe that is alternately coloured red red, gray, gold, and white

Assyrians

Fringed garments

Wrapped fringed shawls over their shoulders and around their waists to cover themselves from their shoulders to nearly their ankles Held in place by belts

Around 1000 b.c.e. Assyrian men began wearing belted knee-length tunics with short sleeves

Men of high status, such as kings and military officers, also wore woolen cloaks dyed blue, red, purple, or white

Persians

After the Assyrians were conquered in 612 b.c.e., the Persian Empire began to prosper and people in Mesopotamia adopted Persian trousers into their wardrobes.

Womenswear

Surians

Around 2000B.C.E. they wore shirts and shawls that is called “kaunake” and it's this sort of a wrap-around skirt, worn quite high on both men and women

On women – wrapped under one arm and over the shoulder of another Rectangular cloth was wrapped around the waist, creating a wrap skirt

Another rectangular cloth was draped over the shoulder and kept in place by a fibula

Babylians

No evidence of female attire exists except for what was depicted in renditions of goddesses. Goddesses were shown wearing sleeved dresses with fitted bodices, V necks, and straight skirts.

Assyrian

Continued to wear fringed garments

Basically same with men, they wrapped fringed shawls over their shoulders and around their waists to cover themselves from their shoulders to nearly their ankles

Persians

Simple tunic and shawl ( like Assyrians)

Long draping dresses that were not too tight or too loose

Headwear Jewellery

Turbans Veils

Turban or hat made of finely woven fabric, elaborately wrapped around the head.

A rectangular piece of cloth woven of linen/wool or cotton worn by women to hide their face from public view.

They worn beaded necklaces, rings, bracelets and anklets, stickpins and other jewelry made of gold, silver was set with decorative gemstones, such as deep blue lapis lazuli, red carnelian, white alabaster and sparkling crystals

Sargon of Akkad Puabi

Also known as Sargon the Great

The first ruler of the Akkadian Empire

Known for his conquests of the Sumerian citystates in the 24th to 23rd centuries BC

He is sometimes identified as the first person in recorded history to rule over an empire

the founder of the "Sargonic" or "Old Akkadian" dynasty

Ruled for about a century after his death until the Gutian conquest of Sumer

The Sumerian king list makes him the cupbearer to king Ur-Zababa of Kish

I c o n

Also called Shubad or Shudi-Ad due to a misinterpretation by Sir Charles Leonard

Woolley

Was an important woman in the Sumerian city of Ur, during the First Dynasty of Ur

Commonly labeled as a " queen "

Puabi, herself a Semitic Akkadian, was an important figure among Sumerians, indicates a high degree of cultural exchange and influence among the ancient Sumerians and their Semitic neighbors

Jewellery

Nowadays, there are a lot of jewelries are also inspired by Mesopotamia

Sandals

This collection is named "Rainy Day in Mesopotamia"

Fashion Show

Dsquared² Spring 2014

Ready-to-Wear

The design of these dresses are inspired by Kaunakes

Influences

Sandal from Mesopotamia

Sandal from Ralph Lauren

Minoan Civilization

Minoan civilization

The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age Aegean civilization on the island of Crete and other Aegean Islands, whose earliest beginnings were from c. 3500 BC, with the complex urban civilization beginning around 2000 BC

The name "Minoan" derives from the mythical King Minos and was coined by Evans, who identified the site at Knossoswith the labyrinth of the Minotaur the earliest of its kind in Europe "the first link in the European chain".

Early Minoan

The Bronze Age began on Crete around 3200 BC - indicating a "promise of greatness" in light of later developments on the island.

Pottery typical of the Korakou culture was discovered in Crete from the Early Minoan Period

Middle Minoan the 17th and 16th centuries BC, MM III-Neopalatial was the apex of Minoan civilization

The palaces began to be constructed during this period of prosperity and stability, during which the Early Minoan culture turned into a "civilization"

After around 1700 BC, material culture on the Greek mainland reached a new high due to Minoan influence

Late Minoan

Around 1450 BC, Minoan culture reached a turning point due to a natural disaster (possibly an earthquake)

After about a century of partial recovery, most Cretan cities and palaces declined during the 13th century BC (LHIIIB-LMIIIB)

Costume of Minoan Civilisation

Already from 2000-1500 BC, they made different clothes for men, women, priests, etc. Therefore, the Minoans are the first to create tailored clothing and fashion. In other words, we see that the Minoans had a multi-complex culture and more advanced not only than what the previous societies have had but also than what the societies that followed in Greece and Italy since they seem to wear a variety of garments, which are not only luxurious but also elegant and complex.

Decorative Loincloths

He ‘ zoma ’ , which was a wide strip of cloth like a belt with fringes and beads at one end Wrapped the body from the waist down to the thighs forming a skirt

Menswear

Basic Long Tunics

A short-sleeved tunic, made in white or in other colors with a lightweight fabric A one-piece dress, something like the current robe or gown

Embroidered Short Tunics

The short tunic or the Greek ‘kontochi’ of the Cretan traditional costume, is the ancestor of the blazer, vest, and sleeved jacket

Formfitting Cloth Belts

Men’s belts are characterised rised by how tight fabric was tied around their waists Decorated their belts richly with fringes or beads on the ends

Womenswear

Colorful & Elaborated Skirts

These skirts had pleats, ribbons, trimmings, and fringes

Multi-layered, bell-shaped skirts with a series of horizontal ruffles, which gradually widened until they reached the ground

Tight Handweaved Corsets

They usually had short sleeves, were fitted, and open at the front

They contained a mechanism of breast augmentation, however, the Minoans simply left their breasts uncovered, as a fertility symbol

Thick Breast Cloths

The breastplate was either opaque or cobweb fabric that covered the breasts

Supported with laces around the neck

Beautifully Embellished Belts

Long, wide, and richly decorated

Tied around the waist and tight to emphasize it and is a symbol of distinction

Fancy Quilted Aprons

Typically it was either made of a single or double-layer (front and back) and went over the skirt

Garments for the Lower Body

In Greek, ‘Anasyrida’ is the name of the low-rise bloomer

It looked something like a sack, with only two holes in the bottom, for the legs to go through

Jewellery

Both men and women wore a variety of jewelry that included armlets, bracelets on the wrists, necklaces, anklets, and a great variety of earrings Materials: gold and precious or semi-precious stones, such as silver, agate, amethyst, crystal, amber

They had mastered the technique of inlaying with stones or paste, and making repousse work

Sophisticated Cosmetics & Hairstyling

They use olive oil to take care their skin and hair

They created essential oils from plants (rose, nutmeg, fennel)

Ingredients used to make perfumes and ointments: coriander, honey, and wine

Applied white powder on their face, While painting their lips, cheeks, nails and ear lobes red

Adorned their long and thin curls with hairpins, beads, and clips often in the shape of a flower

Complemented their hairstyles by adding ribbons, nets, diadems, and even hats

Eileithyia or Ilithyiae or Ilithyia

The Greek goddess of childbirth and midwifery

The daughter of Zeus and Hera

In the cave of Amnisos (Crete) she was related with the annual birth of the divine child

Her cult is connected with Enesidaon (the earth shaker), who was the chthonic aspect of the god Poseidon

Her son was Sosipolis, who was worshiped at Elis

I c o n

Prince of the Lilies

The Prince of the Lilies, or the Lily Prince or Priest-King Fresco

A celebrated Minoan painting excavated in pieces from the palace of Knossos

The mostly reconstructed original is now in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum

Only a few pieces of the original image were excavated it was probably removed from its wall deliberately during rebuilding or renovating the palace

Mycenean Civilization

Costume of Mycenean Civilisation

Clothing in the Mycenaean period varied depending on the occasion. As ritual ceremonies were important to this society, they had specific costumes to wear during the events and activities. Along with the clothes, the hairstyles, headdresses and jewellery would also be specific to these ceremonies. Wool and leather became a common material to make clothing with. Women were the only ones involved in cloth production for the most part, and they ran the production locations, whether it be at a palace or at home. This being said, “Beadwork on cloth, woven or sewn on, was probably a sub-department of textiles and thus likely to have involved women "

Mycenae Civilization

The last phase of the Bronze Age in Ancient Greece, spanning the period from approximately 1750 to 1050 BC

Represents the first advanced and distinctively Greek civilization in mainland Greece with its palatial states, urban organization, works of art, and writing system

Introduced several innovations in the fields of engineering, architecture and military infrastructure

Dominated by a warrior elite society and consisted of a network of palace-centered states that developed rigid hierarchical, political, social and economic systems

At the head of this society was the king, known as a wanax

Various theories have been proposed for the end of this civilization, among them the Dorian invasion or activities connected to the "Sea Peoples"

The Mycenaean period became the historical setting of much ancient Greek literature and mythology, including the Trojan Epic Cycle

Early Mycenaean period and Shaft grave era (c. 1750–1400 BC)

Koine era or Palatial Bronze Age (c. 1400 BC–1200 BC)

Collapse or Postpalatial Bronze Age (c. 1200–1050 BC)

Womenswear

Heavily influenced by its Minoan predecessor

Two types of skirts are depicted; woven and animal hide

The hide skirts have rounded hems, while the hems of the woven ones are straight

“Women wore a long sleeved vest, a girdle, and a flounced skirt”

A popular style of dress at the time, said to be mostly reserved for goddesses/priestesses, consisted of a flounced skirt and the woman ’ s breasts were exposed

Menswear

Mycenaean men liked to cover up slightly more than the Minoans

Kilts, tunics, and cloaks became fashion staples and are debatably less decorative

The sleeves usually fell just before the elbow starts

The necklines were square and trimmed elbow-length, trimmed, boat neck tunics

battle armour would have been a common feature of the male wardrobe

Accessories

Their jewellery varied from necklaces and bracelets to anklets, brooches, and diadems

Women wore very impressive jewellery that gave a strong insight to her social class

The color of preference for most of their jewellery was a rich dark blue, as it represented a very rare and expensive stone called the lapis lazuli

“No beads have a specifically masculine motif” (Hughes-Brock, 1999; pg. 287), meaning that most jewellery in the Mycenaean period, especially beads, were worn only by females

Earrings - to be worn by younger women of a higher status

Jewellery

Headdresses

Mycenaean women are often depicted with a distinctive accessory: the polos

A round, cylindrical crown, shaped almost like a side-turned wheel that was worn on the head

Commonly sported by powerful women such as goddesses

In Greek mythology, Perseus is the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty alongside Cadmus and Bellerophon, the greatest Greek hero and slayer of monsters before the days of Heracles beheaded the Gorgon Medusa for Polydectes saved Andromeda from the sea monster Cetus son of Zeus and the mortal Danaë the half-brother and great-grandfather of Heracles

I c o n

In Greek mythology, Agamemnon was a king of Mycenae who commanded the Greeks during the Trojan War

He was the son, or grandson, of King

Atreus and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus

the husband of Clytemnestra and the father of Iphigenia, Electra, Laodike, Orestes and Chrysothemis

Legends make him the king of Mycenae or Argos

Agamemnon was killed upon his return from Troy, either by his wife's lover Aegisthus or by his wife herself

Ancient Greek

Ancient Greece (Greek: Ἑλλάς, romanized: Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (c. AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically related city-states and other territories. Archaic period

In the 8th century BC, Greece began to emerge from the Dark Ages, which followed the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization. the Greeks adopted the Phoenician alphabet, modifying it to create the Greek alphabet. earliest evidence of Greek writing comes from graffiti on Greek pottery from the mid-8th century

The Lelantine War (c.710 – c.650 BC) is the earliest documented war of the ancient Greek period.

A growing population and a shortage of land also seem to have created internal strife between rich and poor in many city-states

In the second half of the 6th century BC, eager to secure Athens' independence from Spartan control, Cleisthenes proposed a political revolution: that all citizens share power, regardless of status, making Athens a "democracy"

The advent of democracy cured many of the social ills of Athens and ushered in the Golden Age

Classical Greece

As the Athenian fight against the Persian empire waned, conflict grew between Athens and Sparta

Athens and Sparta signed the Thirty Years' Peace in the winter of 446/5, ending the conflict

The first half of the fourth century saw the major Greek states attempt to dominate the mainland; none were successful, and their resulting weakness led to a power vacuum which would eventually be filled by Macedon under Philip II and then Alexander the Great Aiming to prevent any single Greek state gaining the dominance that would allow it to challenge Persia, the Persian king initially joined the alliance against Sparta, before imposing the King's Peace which restored Persia's control over the Anatolian Greeks

The power vacuum in Greece after the Battle of Mantinea was filled by Macedon, under Philip II. In 338 BC, he defeated a Greek alliance at the Battle of Chaeronea, and subsequently formed the League of Corinth. From 329 his son Alexander the Great led expeditions to Bactria and then India;[55] further plans to invade Arabia and North Africa were halted by his death in 323

Hellenistic Greece

The period from the death of Alexander the Great in 323 until the death of Cleopatra VII,

the last Macedonian ruler of Egypt

The first Hellenistic kings were previously Alexander's generals, and took power in the period following his death, though they were not part of existing royal lineages and lacked historic claims to the territories they controlled In the early part of the Hellenistic period, the exact borders of the Hellenistic kingdoms were not settled the importance of "Greece proper" (the territory of modern Greece) within the Greek-speaking world declined sharply

The great capitals of Hellenistic culture were Alexandria in the Ptolemaic Kingdom and Antioch in the Seleucid Empire

The city-states within Greece formed themselves into two leagues; the Achaean League (including Thebes, Corinth and Argos) and the Aetolian League (including Sparta and Athens)

The Antigonid Kingdom became involved in a war with the Roman Republic in the late 3rd century

Although the Achaean league outlasted both the Aetolian league and Macedon, it was also soon defeated and absorbed by the Romans in 146 BC, bringing Greek independence to an end

Costume of Ancient Greece

Clothing in Ancient Greece consisted of lengths of rectangular linen or wool fabric. The Greeks wore light clothes as the climate was hot for most of the year. Their garment usually consisted of two main parts: a tunic (either a peplos or chiton) and a cloak (himation).

Clothes were secured with ornamental clasps or pins at the shoulder and belt, sash, or girdle at the waist. Length of clothing differed between men and women. Women clothing was to their ankles while men wore their robe to the knees.

Menswear

Chlamys

Made from a seamless rectangle of woolen material about the size of a blanket, usually bordered

Pinned with a fibula at the right shoulder

Originally it was wrapped around the waist like a loincloth, but by the end of the 5th century BC it was worn over the elbows

The characteristic garment of Hermes (Roman Mercury), the messenger god usually depicted as a young man

Young men often wore a chlamys for riding

Exomis

A Greek tunic used by workers and light infantry

Largely replaced the older chiton as the main tunic of the 5th century BC

Made of sheep skin and leather

Made of two rectangles of linen (other materials were also used), which were stitched Together from the sides to form a cylinder, leaving enough space at the top for the arms

The cylinder was gathered up at the waist with a cloth belt using a reef knot, which made the cloth fall down over the belt, hiding it from view

Womenswear

Strophion

A cloth band which served women as a bra

Under their garments and around the midportion of their body

Wide band of wool or linen wrapped across the breasts and tied between the shoulder blades

Peplos

A square piece of cloth that was originally worn over the chiton by women

Made of wool and had clasps at shoulders

The top third of the cloth was folded over and pinned at both shoulders, leaving the cloth open down one side

This upper part of the peplos which is folded down to the waist

Worn alone as an alternative form of chiton

With the chiton, often a girdle or belt would be used to fasten the folds at the waist

Veil

An article of clothing or hanging cloth that is intended to cover some part of the head or face, or an object of some significance

Costumes

Chiton

A form of tunic that fastens at the shoulder, worn by men and women

Two forms of chiton: Doricchiton & Ionic chiton

A sleeveless shirt

A rectangular piece of linen or wool draped by the wearer in various ways and kept in place at the shoulders by brooches (fibulae) and at the waist by a belt

Knee-length for men and ankle-length for women

Ionic chiton

A simple sleeveless outer garment

Draped without the fold and held in place from neck to wrist by several small pins or buttons

Made from much lighter linen fabric, dyed in bright colors and embroidered with stars, birds, or other designs

Much larger than earlier chitons, often measuring twice the width of the wearer ' s outstretched arms

Wrapped around the wearer and pinned along the shoulders and arms in as many as eight to ten places

Doric chiton

Single rectangle of woolen or linen fabric

Folded down at the top before being wrapped around the wearer, creating a short cape or overblouse at the top

It can be worn plain or with an overfold called an apoptygma, which is more common to women

Draped and fastened at the shoulder by pins (fibula) or sewing, or by buttons

Men often wore it pinned at only one shoulder, leaving the other shoulder bare

Another common male style was to drape a belt or sash around the back of the neck, then under the arms to tie in back, creating a sort of harness to hold the chiton in place

Women frequently wore several belts or girdles with the Doric chiton (under the breasts, at the waist, and at the hips)

Wrapping one long belt around the body and crossing it between the breasts or across the back

Costumes

Himation

A mantle or wrap worn by ancient Greek men and women from the Archaic through the Hellenistic periods (c. 750–30 BC)

Worn over a chiton and/or peplos

Made of heavier drape and played the role of a cloak or shawl

When the himation was used alone, without a chiton, and served both as a chiton and as a cloak, it was called an achiton

When worn by men, the himation is draped over the left shoulder and wrapped around the rest of their body, except for their right arms

For women, the himation allows for either the right or the left arm to be freed from the garment

Unmarried men and married men alike only wore the himation

Accessories

Fibula

A functional and a decorative accessory used by men and women

The early form was simply a bent wire with a sharp point on one end and a hook latch on the other Fibulae developed into elaborately decorated, large pins fashioned in many diverse shapes Made of precious metals with intricate Showed status or power

Armor

These wonderful, stylized long helmets with these almond-shaped holes for the eyes

Breastplates that were fashioned to duplicate and mirror the male torso