Overview
An exomis is a short chiton fastened at the left shoulder alone, or worn with the right shoulder unpinned and slipped down, freeing the arm completely for hard work. Made of coarse wool and belted, it is the plainest form of Greek dress.
How it is worn
It is pinned at one shoulder and belted at the waist, the bare right shoulder and arm left free to swing a hammer, pull an oar, or wield a weapon. It marked the wearer at once as a working man rather than a citizen at leisure in his himation.
History
The exomis was worn throughout Greek antiquity by slaves, artisans, sailors, and the god Hephaestus in his forge. Practical and humble, it is the counterpart to the citizen’s draped himation and appears on vases wherever labour is shown.