Fashion history of Greece

Published: July 28, 2026 · Updated: July 28, 2026

Greek dress centres on the uncut rectangle of cloth wrapped and pinned on the body — the chiton, peplos and himation. This draped ideal shaped the Western classical idea of dress and later gave way to Byzantine silks, Ottoman-era folk costume and the modern fustanella.

Fashion history of Greece — Author: Ancient Greek figurine, Louvre (photo: Shonagon, CC0) CC0 Source

Overview

Minoan Crete was the exception, with fitted, sewn garments; after it, Greek dress kept as its ideal the draped garment, uncut and held by pins and a belt.

The story of dress

The idealised drapery of Classical sculpture became a norm for Western dress. Through Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman rule, and after independence, the fustanella — a man’s pleated skirt — became a symbol of Greek national dress.

Periods

Fashion in the Minoan civilization c. 3000–c. 1450 BC
Fashion in Mycenaean Greece c. 1600–c. 1100 BC
Fashion in the Greek Dark Ages c. 1100–c. 800 BC
Fashion in Archaic Greece c. 800–480 BC
Fashion in Classical Greece 480–323 BC
Fashion in Hellenistic Greece 323–146 BC
Fashion in Roman Greece 146 BC–AD 330
Fashion in Byzantine Greece 330–1453
Fashion in Ottoman Greece 1453–1821
Fashion in Modern Greece 1821–present