Greek clothing was very simple and practical. In the winter ancient Greeks wore clothes made of wool, and in the summer they wore clothes made of linen. Clothes and fabric could be bought in the angora, the market place, but it was very expensive. Therefore, many Greeks made their own clothes at home. This was the job of the women: the mother, the daughters, and the female slaves. To be more specific, men wore tunics. A tunic is basically a knee-length t-shirt also made of wool or linen. If it was cold, Greek men wore woolen cloaks or himations over their tunics. Their cloaks could also be used as blankets, for example if they were off fighting a war. As for the shoes, most Greek men didn’t even wear any shoes. And when they did, they were usually basic leather sandals.

    Women were a bit more elaborate with their clothing, but that doesn’t mean that they were all that fancy either. Ancient Greek women mainly wore a long sheet of fabric, also a tunic, or chiton, which they pinned in various ways around their bodies. I’m going to describe one way they did it below. You can grab a bed sheet and try it while you read:

         Ancient Greek clothing (both men and women) was often bleached or died a light color. Also embroidery or designs were used to symbolize that a person was from a certain city-state, since Greeks were very proud of their city-states. Occasionally, the Greeks would buy some jewelry or hairpins from a traveling peddler, but jewelry was usually owned by the wealthy.

         The first hat, the petasos, was created by the Greeks. It was a broad-rimmed hat that had a chinstrap. It was mainly used for traveling, and when the traveler did not need it anymore, he or she could let it hang on his or her back.

   The Greeks were very original with their hairstyles. Hair was worn in all sorts of ways. Women could have it styled up around their heads, in braids, in ponytails, or relaxed onto their shoulders (they always kept it long). Hairpins made of ribbon and metal were popular accessories. Hair was also supported with scented waxes and lotions. Hair was usually dark. That is why Greeks were very fond of the blonde look, and many tried bleaching their hair to achieve it. Men on the other hand, kept their hair short. Sometimes, they grew beards, unless they were in the army where the were forced to keep their hair short. Greek men also went to barber shops to get it cut. Barbershops first became popular in ancient Greece. At a barbershop, not only would the men get their hair cut, but also exchange political views and gossip. So, barbershops earned an important position in social life as well.