Classical Kids

Chapter 1: The Ace of GreeceDress Up GreekThe Greeks wore simple, loose-fitting clothing. They didn't want to restrict the body with tight garments, and they wanted to show off the grace and beauty of their physically fit bodies. It was a very warm climate, and keeping cool was more important than staying warm. Women wove the cloth in their homes. The type of yarns used in the weaving depended on the family's wealth and status. The rich wore linen; the poor and those living in the colder regions of the north wore wool. No one threw out a garment until it wore out. The Greek styles were popular for more than four hundred years and then were copied by the Romans, so there were no
fashion trends to keep up with.CHITON
Men wore a chiton, an oblong piece of cloth mostly worn draped around the body with a hole in one side to put one's arm through. The two ends of the open side were fastened over the other shoulder with a button or clasp. A free citizen (only boys whose parents were both citizens could become citizens) wore a chiton that fastened at both shoulders. Workmen, artisans, and slaves wore a chiton with one hole for the left arm; the right arm and half of the chest remained uncovered.In Greece, you could tell what social class someone belonged to just by looking at his garment. What about underwear? There wasn't any but women did wrap a linen cloth tight around their waists to look thinner.PEPLOS
Women wore a dress called a peplos, which was a narrow, ankle-length tunic that doubled over at the shoulders to create a loose top that hung to the waist. It fastened at the shoulders with long straight pins. A peplos was often made in a bright color with a decorative border. HIMATION
The himation was a sort of cloak in a large square shape that was worn by both men and women. How gracefully one draped one's himation showed style and social status. Tiny weights were sewn in the hem of the himation so it would drape elegantly.SHOES
Greeks wore sandals, some with thick soles to make men taller, some with a lot of jewels for rich ladies. Greeks took off their sandals before going inside a house, but to make things even easier,they all went barefoot most of the
time.HAIR
Greek women wore simple hairstyles: long hair tied up in the back with a band that crossed the brow or parted in the center and pulled back into a bun. They liked curly hair and used curling irons to make pretty hairdos. They also used oils and hair dressings to style their hair.
Men wore short haircuts because long-flowing tresses could be grabbed by an enemy on the battlefield. As warfare grew less important, men allowed their hair to grow longer; sometimes it was braided and pinned up at the sides or back.HATS
Queens and goddesses wore
coronets or diadems; other women wore scarves, simple veils,or hairnets to hide their hair. Men seldom wore hats, but travelers wore a large-brimmed hat that looked sort of like a cowboy hat arid hung on the back from a cord around the neck.GREEK BEAUTY
The Greeks paid a lot of attention to how their bodies looked. To keep in shape,
men...