Fashion in the Minoan civilization

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

Minoan Crete's dress, unlike later Greece, was fitted and sewn: women wore tiered flounced skirts with open, tight bodices and men a loincloth, vividly recorded in the frescoes of Knossos.

Fashion in the Minoan civilization — Author: Minoan fresco, Knossos (‘Ladies in Blue’) Public domain Source

Overview

The dress of the Aegean maritime civilisation of Minoan Crete, known from frescoes and figurines, was colourful and refined.

Key garments and style

Women wore tiered, flounced skirts with a fitted bodice open at the breast, emphasising a narrow waist; men wore a loincloth. Both were rich in woven pattern and dye.

Transition

Bronze Age Mycenaean Greece carried on this Minoan-derived style.

History of this period

Minoan civilization c. 3000–c. 1450 BC