Overview

As part of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, Greece belonged to a world of silk and splendid court dress.

Key garments and style

People wore long-sleeved tunics or the dalmatica under a long over-robe, covering the body; at court, silk was worked with gold-thread embroidery and pearls, and the emperor wore splendid regalia such as the loros. Colour marked rank.

Transition

After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Greece passed under the Ottoman Empire and its dress changed.