Moda introducere

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THE ECHOS OF ANCIENT FASHION IN OUR DAYS

INTRODUCTION

It is not easy to write about fashion, in the XXI century, the fashion being a large subject and in

a permanent change. And because the mapamond has a assortment of cultures, each with its own native

customs, in this work I will make more references about the European space, sothat my work can have a

unitary structure and decent dimensions.

Even though this work is not a thesis I consider it is necessary to give the explanation of a term

which may represent the spine of my work; the noun fashion, everyone talks about it, but probable

everyone gives its own signification coming from the set of social influences which can be found underthe canopy of this word.

According to The Oxford Dictionary, fashion means: 1. a popular or the latest style of clothing,

hair, decoration, or behaviour and 2. a manner of doing something.

According to DEX The Explicative Dictionary of Romanian language, MD, mode, n. f.

manner, collective custom, specific at a certain moment to a social enviroment; taste, preferences over a

certain dressing stile

Fashion reprezents a language of signs, symbols and iconography that non-verbally communicate

meanings about individuals and groups. Fashion in all its forms from a tattooed and pierced navel, to

the newest hairstyle, is the best form of iconography we have to express individual identity. It enables

us to make ourselves understood with rapid comprehension by the onlookers.

It will be easy to understand why I will continue my work referring about clothing rather than

behaviour, both may represent the subject of a very serious social-science work. I will use, therefore, for

fashion the meaning referring to preferences over a certain dressing stile, and when refering to

clothing I will also mention about shoes, jewelries and haircuts styles.

For a better understanding of the complexity of the fashion phenomenon an excursion into thehistory will be appropriate, the travel into the ages will guide to the final conclusions, which will be, I

hope, self-explanatory. It is, still, a long way to go, untill there.

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I. PREHISTORIC CLOTHING

Back in time, in the prehistory, clothing may have probablly represented a necessity, a mean to

cover the body to protect it from cold. Cavepeople often wore loincloths made of animal skin.

Neanderthal man developed the first known forms of human clothing.

Image 1- Neanderthals Clothing

The evolution made the Neanderthals become more intelligent; cogitation developed the artistic

sense, more or less. And for they have painted the Altamira and Lascaux caves so beautiful, they have

probably started to embellished themselves for estetic and not just for shamanic reasons.

Image 2- Altamira and Lascaux cave paintings

Of course, these are just assumptions, written annals does not exist, and the paintings on the caves

walls and a bag of bones cannot offer data about the aesthetic predilection of humans ancestors.

Which might be the connexion between the clothing, the accessories and the hair styles with the

masterpieces spreviously mentioned?Maybe the connection is represented by the mobile, alive, daily

mindset which reflects the individual and personal way of the the need for beauty, and which, inside the

limits of the estetic landmarks of the moment, it is signaling about man own personality.

Man must have taught of his own adornment, in the moment he has overpassed the primitive stage of

the daily struggle for life and he has found some sparetime for his own.

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But, it is to be said that the fashion in the ancient times was coming with a certain simplicity in style

even though we speak about have or have-nots people.

II. THE GREEKS.

Greek clothing was very simple. Men and women wore linen in the summer and wool in the winter.

The ancient Greeks could buy cloth and clothes in the agora, the marketplace, but that was expensive.

Most families made their own clothes, which were simple tunics and warm cloaks, made of linen or

wool, dyed a bright color, or bleached white. They were often decorated to represent the city-state in

which they lived.

The poor greks and the sclaves were, usually, bare-footed. The have-ones were wearing sandals (the

women sandals came in many shapes, the men sandals were simplier). Outside the city the greeks wore a

kind of boots. All of them were bare-footed at home.

They might wear hairpins, rings, and earrings, but only the rich could afford much jewelry. Both

men and women in ancient Athens, and in most of the other city-states, used perfume, made by boiling

flowers and herbs. The first real hat, the broad-brimmed petasos, was invented by the ancient Greeks. It

was worn only for traveling. A chin strap held it on, so when it was not needed, as protection from the

weather, it could hang down ones back.

Both men and women enjoyed using bronze and silver mirrors and hairbrushes. Hair was curled

arranged in interesting and carefully designed styles, and held in place with scented waxes and lotions.

Women kept their hair long, in braids, arranged on top of their head, or wore their hair in ponytails.Headbands, made of ribbon or metal, were very popular.

Image 3- Haircut styles in Ancient Greece

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Blond hair was rare. Greek admired the blonde look and many tried bleaching their hair. Men cut

their hair short . Young elegant people wore long hair, like the spartans style, with the oval shape for the

beard (for the aethenians was of a shorter dimension than the spartans). At the end of the IV-th century

BC the beard has completely disappeared in the greek culture.

The athletes and the sclaves were shaving their heads and faces during the classic period of the greek

culture.

III. THE ROMANS

In the same historical age, an other civilization exists to be one of the most representative in history.

The Latin Civilization.

No historical considerations will be made except those concerning fashion. Roman men generally

wore two garments, the tunica and the toga. The tunica was a short woolen under garment with short

sleeves.

Image 4- Dressing tunic

By contrast, to wear a long tunic with long sleeves was considered effeminate and was generally

avoided by society as a whole. It was originally worn mainly by the working class plebes, freedmen and

slaves, though its function as an undergarment for any class of people is attested.

Image 5- Roman Tunica and Toga

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As the toga was specifically meant as a public display garment, the tunica was also worn by any

people within the comforts of their own homes. The tunic worn by patrician men was made from white

wool or expensive linen, while the poor would wear whatever fabric was readily available. Similar to the

toga, distinct tunics were worn to signify one's title. Magistrates wore the tunic augusticlavia, and

senators wore a tunic with broad strip called the tunica laticlavia. In addition, a belt would be worn

around the waist of the tunica to hold the waist of the garment snug, giving the impression of a two

piece garment.

The classic toga was a distinct Roman garment that only actual citizens were allowed to wear. Its

distinct purpose was to indicate peaceful endeavors, as opposed to the sagum cloak, worn during times

of war. The toga was a large cumbersome robe like garment of white wool and used up to 9 yards of

material. Being such a bulky and uncomfortable article of clothing, it became customary in later times to

wear it only on state occasions.

Image 6-Two statues of Roman Emperor Augustus wearing Toga

During the time of Augustus, however, he implemented a strict moral code requiring the toga to be

worn in all facets of public life. As time passed and Roman societal tradition shifted and absorbed new

cultures, these rules were relaxed.

Roman women also wore tunica in much the same fashion as the men. There were two types, both

adapted from Greek fashion.

One, the peplos was made from two rectangular pieces of cloth partially sewn together on both sides

with the open sections at the top folded down in the front and back. It was pulled over the head and

fastened with two large pins, forming a sleeveless dress. A belt was then tied over or under the folds

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Image 7- Roman woman wearing peplos

The more comfortable tunic, covered by a cloak called the lacerna, became commonplace in all

facets of society. Married women were required to wear the loose, toga equivelant, stola. This long

sleeveless tunic was strapped at the shoulder, gathered in and girdled at the waist with the garment

extending to the feet. In addition, the pulla was a sort of shawl to throw over the whole figure, and to be

worn out of doors. Fashion of the various times also indicated how much make-up, jewelry and perfume

would be worn. Suffice to say that such adornments were as popular in the ancient world as in any time.

Foot-gear was mainly of two kinds, but was worn in many styles and customs. The rules for shoes

weren't as strict as those for regular clothing. The calceus was a sandal like shoe strapped to the foot,

mainly for internal wear.

Image 8- Roman Sandals

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The soleae was a full shoe completely enclosing the foot, much more similar to the modern shoe.

Shoes and sandals were made in varying materials and colors, again depending on social status. Leather

was by far the most common material and could be easily dyed to reflect position such as red shoes for

patricians.

IV. THE WESTERNS

In the same time, but into a different space(the West of Europe), existed the western culture,

dominated from a certain moment by the Latin Culture, as the westerners were being occupied, for a

long time by the romans.

There are very little direct evidence of the clothing of the early 'Anglo-Saxons', as the surviving

textiles are only fragmentary and there is little or no pictorial or literary evidence. There, still, exist

historical records of the continental Germanic peoples, both from surviving garments and late Roman

pictorial and literary representations.

A short cloak or cape, made of skin or fur (usually sheepskin), was an important feature of Germanic

men's costume. They seem to have been worn fur side inwards, skin side outwards and were secured by

lacing, sewing, tying, or by securing wooden or leather toggles through loops of leather. Cloth cloaks,

short or knee length, were also common. These cloaks were not tailored, but consisted of a square or

rectangle of cloth which was clasped at one shoulder, usually on the right.

Image 9- Celtic peasant and celtic chief

A different type of cloak in use by the Germanic peoples was a poncho type garment with a central

hole for the head. There are no representations of a man's poncho in Anglo-Saxon art (although some

women in late Anglo-Saxon England seem to have worn a poncho like garment), it is certainly a type of

garment that might be known.

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Another type of outer garment possibly worn by the early Germanic settlers is the hooded robe,

known to modern scholars as the 'Gallic coat'. It seems likely that cloaks could be made from skin or

textile and could vary in size from small capes to large voluminous cloaks.

Most men also wore a tunic, girdled at the waist and usually with long sleeves. These tunics are

usually mid-thigh to knee length. Some of these tunics also have the last few inches of the side seam left

unjoined, to allow for easier movement. The neck openings on these early tunics were just slits or oval

openings. Tunics were often decorated with tablet woven borders, but the ornate decoration of tunics

like those of the late Roman type appears not to have been used.

Image 10

The Germanic settlers wore trousers - the wearing of trousers had long distinguished the 'barbarians'

from the Greeks and Romans (although the Romans eventually adopted the wearing of trousers too!).

They were sometimes worn beneath a tunic and sometimes worn only with a cloak, and were fastened

around the waist with a belt. Pictorial representations often show them to be rather loose; the slack

material was gathered round the waist and it hung in folds around the legs.

Trousers were bound to the legs by leggings or garters.

It also seems that some men, possibly only the rich, wore a linen undershirt (at this time most linenwas probably imported from mainland Europe and/or Ireland).

Belts were worn both to hold up the trousers and to girdle the tunic. Most belts were of leather and

were fastened by buckles; they were utilitarian items and were often used to hang items of equipment.

A few elaborate belts of the late Roman military type were still used, although most were plain, narrow

leather belts.

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Headgear is almost unknown in this country at this time, although there are rare examples on the

continent. Probably hooded cloaks, or the versatile rectangular cloak pulled over the head, provided

protection against bad weather

Women's costume in this period are having several regional variations. The basic item of clothing

was a 'peplos' dress. This is usually a tubular garment (although it can be just a rectangle of cloth)

clasped at the shoulders by a pair of brooches, leaving the arms uncovered. This type of garment has

been worn by women in countless cultures from the earliest times and was clearly a feature of Germanic

costume for many centuries.

There are numerous ways of wearing a peplos dress, involving anything from one to three brooches,

although two is definitely the most common number. It seems the early Germanic settlers were fond of a

symmetrical look and most of the pairs of brooches are identical, or at least very similar.

Image 11-The women gown

The girdle is usually worn around the waist or hips, although at least one source shows the women

wearing the gown pulled in just below the breasts, then hanging loose, an arrangement which may have

been comfortable during early pregnancy.In warm weather the peplos gown would have been worn on its own, but in cold weather, or on

special occasions, an underdress would have been worn. The sleeves also seem to have varied in length

from almost non-existent to full length. Another type would be a full length sleeveless, or short sleeved,

underdress, similar to the man's tunic and reaching to somewhere between the knee and ankle. This

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garment seems to be more typical of the Saxon woman, although it may have been worn under, and in

addition to, the bodice mentioned above.

The costume of Anglo-Saxon women in ancient times was certainly girdled or belted. Women's belts

seem to have been fastened by many different ways including buckles, tie-belts, knotting, or perhaps,

toggles.

Image 12- Anglo-saxon buckle brooch and cloak pin

Many items hung from the belt including knives, shears, keys, toilet implements, cosmetic tools,amulets, spindles, pouches, etc.

There is no evidence that in ancient times women habitually covered their heads like the later

Anglo-Saxon women, but a number of types of headgear are known. A cloak or shawl could easily be

drawn up over the head, to form a hood, and rectangular scarves.

Shoes would generally be round-toed, flat soled and reach to the ankle or just below. Probably the

sandals of the Iron Age and late Roman type were still being used, although enclosed shoes of one piece

construction seem to make their first appearance in this period

Image 13- Western shoes

Shoes were stitched or laced together with leather thongs, not nailed as with some Roman examples.

Shoes would be of leather or rawhide.

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It seems that men's hairstyles, at least amongst the warriors, varied from tribe to tribe. Tacitus tells

us that warriors of the Chatti, a western tribe, allowed their hair and beard to grow until they killed an

enemy. The Swabians tied their hair up in a knot at the side of the head.

It is not easy to find relliable refferencies on clothing matters and much less, to find pictures in

support for those refferencies.

V. MODERN FASHION AND OLD INFLUENCIES

What I have tried, till now, was to show a brief resume of the fashion in antiquity; a well

documented thesis should have covered many pages than there are destined for this work. But I am

trying now to show that, even though two millennia have passed, todays fashion still resemble, in some

of its parts with the antique fashion. For the Western Culture, the initial fashion trends were the incipient

stages for what, today, we call Western Fashion.

Modern fashion changes from year to year and some would say from day to day. Our clothing, not

only in style, but in fabrics too, are vastly different from the ancient. Unless he's going to a costume

party, you don't see a man walking down the street in a tunic and sandals. Women, on the other hand,

have a very loose inspiration from the ancients.

A few years ago the tunic top was popular and that could be remotely inspired by the Romans.

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Even toga still exists and, as in ancient times is still worn for occasions. But, on contrary than the old

times, today women wear the toga.

Sometimes women wear wraps or capes that could be, again, remotely inspired by the Romans.

The short cloak or cape, made of skin or fur which was an important feature of Germanic men's

costume we can find today in women clothing.

The poncho the germanic people wore is better known from the Amerindiens Culture; a poncho is a

garment designed to keep the body warm, or if made from a watertight material, to keep dry during rain.

It is a common belief that the poncho was created by the ancient peoples of Peru and the name comes

from the South America. Even though nor Europeans or Amerindiens have the preeminence over the

others, the poncho is being worn even today by the Modern Andines Populations. And the modernpeople adopted that garment as a modern clothing.

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Saddly, all these ancient-modern garments are mostly worn by women; men dont have all-day

garments ressembling with the ancient garments. Women have a wider range of garments which they

can choose of, fashion being, in-fact, seeming to be created for women. By men.

The same situation is about foot wear, girdles, buckles, tie-belts, and so on. They all seem to be

made for women.

The single piece of clothing, in our modern times, even though today are worn by women too, but

which seem to be made for men, especially, are the trousers. They are the single piece from ancient

clothing which, for men, resisted in fashion. The men garments, from today, are mostly developed in

later moments of the history. All the others, the sandals, tunics, togas, ponchos too, are todays women

fashion property.

VI. CONCLUSION

I have shown, in my work, how some of the garments were used, and how, some of them are still

kept. The ancients were trying to bring a new image on an indispensable functionallity. For the moderns,

the fashion is a continuous search of a new image on a vague functional purpose.

Many stylists, today, often look back to the intial models. Most of todays fashion useless stylistic

innovations came out of sight after a few seasons. The same old creations are being rediscovered by

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designers that dont have original own ideas, whichs new creations, in the end, are made to look like the

old models.

This make me think that a garment is as modern as it came closer to the practical simplicity.

There are pieces of garments which seem not to ever came old-fashioned and, in this work, I have

presented those from the ancient european age.

More wearable means simple, and simplicity brings elegance. Elegance is good-taste. And the

good-taste is timeless.

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