Overview
A himation is a broad oblong of wool with no fastenings, arranged over the body by draping alone. It could be wrapped over both shoulders or slung over the left with the right arm free, and could be pulled up over the head as a hood.
How it is worn
It is thrown over the left shoulder, drawn across the back and under or over the right arm, and held in place by its own weight and the wearer’s arm — no pins or buttons. Wearing it well, with even folds and a composed carriage, was a social skill.
History
The himation was worn throughout Greek antiquity by men and, in a lighter form, by women over the chiton. Draped alone it clothed philosophers as a badge of thought, and it passed into Roman use as the pallium.