Greek and Roman Garb

Your primary sources for Greek and Roman garb are statues, frescoes, and stories (like the Ovid). I've created this page to help me make comfortable Pennsic garb and you should look at primiary sources along with it since the accuracy of this page and it's links is questionable.

Roman women wore

Tunica: 2 big rectangles (often sewn into a tube) and tied/pinned/buttoned in several places at the shoulder. Belted at the waist. Advantage: use close ties and have covered arms. Disadvantage: a tad bulky round the midsection.. does not cause slimness in non-slim women
Palla: a 6 foot long, 2-3 foot wide veil/shawl. A MUST HAVE. cheap cotton... mine is muslin. bed sheet fabric would do. I like white.
Stola: worn by married women/matrons. worn over the tunica. a tube of fabric with 2 straps at the shoulders. More bulk but obviously roman.
Vittae: worn by married women/matrons. wool rope wrapped around the head to keep the hair behaving.
Sandals.. feet
Braids/Curls.. hair
Toga: i found one website that said the only women wearing togas were prostitutes....

Some links

Roman tunica and palla: http://szarka.typepad.com/sca/garb-roman/

Roman tunica: http://www.larp.com/legioxx/caup04a.jpg and http://www.larp.com/legioxx/civcloth.html

Roman tunica, stola, palla, and vittae: http://www.dellacivetta.org/philippa/?page_id=19

Roman jewelry: http://www.dellacivetta.org/philippa/?page_id=25

three styles of tunic: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~chrisandpeter/radical_romans/female/female.htm

peplos, tunica/chiton, hairstyles, stola: http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/clothing2.html

Greek women wore:

Chiton: 2 big rectangles (often sewn into a tube) and attached once on each shoulder. Sleeveless. Advantage: sliming. Disadvantage: sunburned arms. I keep a Palla on my arms or wear a standard undergown under this. belted. the belt can be normal (waist) or under your bust or in a cross between your boobs... can get all fancy

Bloused chiton: looks like a loose blouse over a long skirt because you pin the tub on at the shoulders, belt it at the waist, and then blouse it a LOT over the belt.

Peplos: looks like a tunic over a long skirt because you folded a way tall piece of fabric at the shoulders.

Doric chiton: looks like a belted loose blouse and a butt covering short poofy skirt over a long skirt. This tube gets pinned at the shoulders, belted at the underbust, bloused enough to cover your butt, and then belted over it all at the waist.

Ionic chiton: pretty much the roman tunica

Bacchante: take a big rectangle too tall and wide enough to wrap round you. fold in half. the fold goes down one side of you. fold over at the shouldrs too. get in pin once/twice at shoulders. Add a belt.

Chlamys: a small shawl. rectangle. fold in half. pin for a head hole. open side goes down one side of you.

Himation: a huge rectangle of fabric worn like a shawl/veil.

Some links

many chitons, Chlamys, Bacchante: http://www.shpect.org/index.php/what-people-wore/ancient-world-costume/706-what-people-wore-in-greece-and-rome
ionic chiton: http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/reenactgarb/ss/062910-Model-Your-Greek-Costumes-On-Ancient-Greek-Clothing_2.htm

Bloused Chiton

Tunica

Sew a tube of fabric, taller than yourself by a few inches. Fold the top over till its the right height for you. Put stitches or pins to close it at the top of the shoulders. Put a belt at waist or empire. The folded part may be trapped under the belt. 180 AD Greek tunic. See pg 26

Peplos

Take a big rectangle, taller than you and wide enough to wrap all the way around you. Wrap it so the open edge is on one side of you. Fold the top part down till its the right height. Pin it to close the shoulders. You can also pin the open side closed. Alternatively, take 2 rectangles so you have 2 open sides and pin them both closed. See pg 27

Doric Chiton

Sew a tube of fabric, taller than yourself by a few inches. Put stitches in the top to close it at the shoulders. Belt it at the waist or empire and let the extra be up top so it blouses down past your butt. Belt it again at the waist or hips so it looks like you have a poof skirt. Doric (Spartan) Greek double girdled chiton. See Fig 3.2

Ionic Chiton

Take a wide tube a smidge taller than you. get in it. Pin it at the shoulders and down your arms in spaced places. Your arms stick out the last hole. Belt it. Poof it a bit to get the length right. See fig 3.4

Himation

A 15 foot by 6 foot rectangle or brightly colored fabric. Worn as an over wrap. Drape around yourself a lot. Either drape it like a shawl and use a bit for a veil or put the middle over your left hip and pin it at the opposite shoulder. See fig 3.5 More drawings of greel and roman clothes