clothing elements of ancient costume

elements of ancient costumeExamples of different articles of clothing characteristic of a period, country, condition or occasion.

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togaVery long length of woolen fabric thatRomans wrapped around themselves,

draping it over the left shoulder and armand leaving the right arm free.

sinusPart of the toga that draped down over

the left shoulder and went under theright arm, creating carefully arranged

folds.

purple borderIn ancient Rome, the purple border wasworn by magistrates and by boys until

the age of 16.

peplosIn ancient times, a rectangle of woolenfabric wrapped around the torso and

pinned at the shoulders, worn by Greekwomen.

fibulaIn ancient times, a pin or metal fastenerused to secure clothing.

foldPart of the cloth folded over the belt tomake it puff out.

C L O T H I N G

elements of ancient costume

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stolaLong full robe with or without sleevesand drawn in with a belt; it was worn byRoman women.

pallaLong rectangular piece of cloth, foldedin half lengthwise and used as a cloakby Roman women.

chitonTunic worn by Greek men and women inancient times, made of two rectangles of

linen sewn together to form a tube and beltedat the waist.

chlamysIn ancient times, a rectangle of woolen

fabric pinned on one shoulder; it wasworn by soldiers next to the skin or

over a chiton.

C L O T H I N G

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corsetTight-fitting undergarment with stays that

appeared in the 18th century; women laced itup under their dresses to shape their waists

and hold in their stomachs.

surcoatWorn over a tunic by men and women from the13th to the 15th century; the women’s was very

long, with greatly enlarged armholes, which wereoften decorated with fur.

underskirtFrom the 16th century, the underskirt was a

short skirt worn under other skirts; by the late18th and 19th century, it had become a skirt

revealed by an open-fronted dress.

dress with crinolineA 19th-century dress worn over severalunderskirts, including a full one madeof horsehair.

short sleeveHalf sleeve covering the upper arm and

extended by another half sleeve ofvarious shapes.

sleevePart of the garment covering the arm; itcan be of various shapes and lengths.

fringeStrip of material with hanging threads

used to decorate the border of clothing.

elements of ancient costumeC L O T H I N G

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caraco jacketClose-fitting bodice with sleeves, cutoff at the hip and buttoned in front; it

appeared in the second half of the 18thcentury.

bustleUnderskirt with a semicircular wire hoopat the back to support the skirt and draw

it away from the body.

dress with panniersDress that appeared in the mid-18th century; itwas worn over an underskirt with two hoopsthat made it puff out at the hips.

stomacherDecorative triangle worn under thebodice of the dress.

ruffleFunnel-shaped lace cuff with two orthree flounces.

cotehardieIn the 14th century, the cotehardie was

a kind of low-cut fitted surcoat withlong sleeves left open from the elbow.

floating sleeveSleeve characterized by a long,

sometimes ankle-length panel fallingfrom the elbow.

vertical pocketPocket cut along the grain of the fabric.

dress with bustleDress that appeared about 1870; it wasworn over a bustle; which gave fullness

to the back of the skirt.

shawlIn fashion since the 19th century, theshawl is a square, rectangular ortriangular length of fabric used bywomen to cover their shoulders.


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vestIn the 17th and 18th centuries, the vestwas worn under the justaucorps; it hungstraight and had two pockets with flapsand tight sleeves.

justaucorpsLong garment for men that was close-fitting andslightly flared at the bottom. It was initially worn

as a military uniform; after 1670 it became anitem of civilian clothing.

cuffReverse side of the sleeve or a strip ofmaterial added to the end of a sleeveand folded back.

breechesTight knee-length pants that appearedin the second half of the 17th century.


jacketPadded and belted male garment worn between

the 14th and the 16th century, based on thedoublet; the belt created folds below the waist

and the sleeves widened at the shoulders.

capeVery full coat of variable length that covered thebody and arms; it had no sleeves or armholesand sometimes had a hood and slits for the

arms.

C L O T H I N G

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houppelandeLong full ceremonial garment (man’s coator woman’s dress) worn at the end of the

14th century and in the early 15th century.

wingPiece of fabric added to the armhole to

accentuate the width of the shoulder.

trunk hoseShorter version of braies and a forerunner of

breeches, trunk hose were worn from the 16thto the 17th century; they puffed out and were

gathered above the knee.

doubletTight padded garment with a belt andsleeves; it was worn by men from the

14th to the 17th century.

hanging sleeveLong sleeve, slashed at the elbow so

the arm could extend out of it.

frock coatIn the 19th century, a vest with nopockets that was extended by two longpanels in the back.

waistcoatWorn since the end of the 18th century,the waistcoat is tight and sleeveless; thefront is buttoned and made of qualitymaterial while the back is made of lining.

braiesFull pants that were characteristic of

Gallic attire; they were pulled in at thewaist with a belt and tied at the ankle

with straps.

breechesTight knee-length pants that appearedin the second half of the 17th century.


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fraiseStiff pleated collaret worn by men andwomen from the late 16th century tothe beginning of the 17th century.

collaretPiece of delicate, pleated or gathered

fabric that adorned the neck of a dress;its shape varied greatly from one

period to another.

tricorneMen’s hat with a brim folded into threepoints and a relatively flat crown; it was

worn in the 17th and 18th centuries.

bicorneMen’s hat with a brim folded into two

points; it replaced the tricorne after theFrench Revolution.


crakowShoe characterized by a

disproportionately long toe; it was infashion from the end of the 14th

through the 15th century.

gaiterCover for the top of the shoe and the

lower part of the leg; it was held in placeby an understrap and fastened at the side

with buttons or hooks.

heeled shoeIn the 17th century, the heeled shoehad a large tongue decorated with a

bow or a buckle.

henninIn the 15th century, a high cylindrical

women’s headdress that was covered inexpensive fabric; a transparent veil of

medium length hung from it.

C L O T H I N G

spearA long wooden pole with a pointed

steel head.

tricorneHat with a brim folded into three pointsand a relatively flat crown.

necktieBand of fabric that is knotted at theneck of the shirt.

buckled shoeLeather shoe decorated with a brass

buckle.

stockingWoolen garment covering the foot andthe leg up to the thigh.

rosetteInsignia in the regiment’s colors, wornon the tricorn hat.

breechesTight knee-length pant.

justaucorpsLong garment that is close-fitting and

slightly flared at the bottom, worn on avest.

vestGarment that is open at the front andworn over a shirt.

waist beltLeather belt on which a sword wasusually worn.

French soldierIn the 18th century, French soldiers’uniforms varied depending on their

regiment and rank.

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clothing elements of ancient costume

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