QuoteReplyTopic: History of Clothing Posted: 26-Mar-2012 at 01:47
I used to make doll's clothes that represent clothing in different ancient cultures, so along this I did quite a bot of research on history of clothing. So, I thought it would be a good idea to make a thread about it, it's an area that is a picturesque one to write about.
I'll start with Sumeria. The sumerians made their clothes from flax and wool, and used them according to weather. "...Men were barechested and wore skirt-like
garments that tied at the waist. Women usually wore gowns that
covered them from their shoulders to their ankles. The right
arm and shoulder were left uncovered. Men were either clean shaven
or had long hair and beards. Women wore their hair long, but
they usually braided it and wrapped it around their heads. When
entertaining guests, women would place headdresses in their hair.
Although both rich and poor Sumerians
wore the same style of clothing, the wealthier Sumerians wore
clothing that was made out of expensive and luxurious materials.
Wealthy women and princesses also wore clothing that was colorful
and bright...."
"...The Sumerian civilization was established
before 4000 BC and reached a high level of culture between 2700 and 2350 BC. In
early times both sexes wore
sheepskin skirts with the skin turned inside and the wool combed into
decorative
tufts. These wraparound skirts were pinned in place and extended from the
waist to the knees or, for more important persons, to the ankles. The upper part
of the torso was bare or clothed by another sheepskin cloaking the shoulders.
From about 2500 BC a woven woolen fabric replaced the sheepskin, but the tufted
effect was retained, either by sewing tufts onto the garment or by weaving loops
into the fabric. Named kaunakes by the Greeks, this tufted fabric is
shown in all the sculptures and mosaics of the period, as, for example, in the
art from the excavations at Ur exhibited in the British Museum in London. At
this time, also, long cloaks were worn, and materials for garments and head
coverings included felted wool and leather. Men were generally clean-shaven.
Both sexes seem to have often worn large wigs, as in ancient Egypt. Metalworking
was of a high standard, as may be seen in the elaborate golden jewelry, which
was encrusted with semiprecious stones and worn by both sexes: brooches,
earrings, hair ornaments, and neck chains....."http://history-world.org/sumeria,%20dress.htm
Male clothing, that shows the "tuffs" the article talks about.
Ancient Assyrian and Babylonian clothing: - around 2500 BC: "... These two styles were worn
alone, or in combination and changes were introduced by varying the
proportions of the tunic or shawl. The simple shawl shown right, was
dependant on how the wearer wrapped it and the drapery is circa 2500 B.C.
after the figure of King Gudea at the British Museum.
Many of the styles illustrated here are suitable for costumes to wear in
religious plays and pageants. This first shawl pattern uses a
length of fabric to create Assyrian Style A of King Gudea below right.
The measurements are 56" by 118".
To wrap this style place corner B under the left
armpit and draw edge B to A around the back shoulder under the right
armpit.
Next take the drape across the front of the chest
and around the back again and under the right arm pit yet again.
Now throw edge B to A upwards across the chest and
over the left shoulder so that corner A hangs down the back.
Finally take corner A and tuck it in at the right
side breast. Unless you choose to raise the left arm, it
remains totally covered by the drapery. ..."
- around 1000 BC: "... The main Assyrian clothing was candy – tunic with whole-cut sleeves reaching the elbows or being even longer. The
length of the tunic reached the knees, and a wide belt was tied up on
the hips. The quality of cloth, decorations, the length and the
quantity of dresses wearing at the same time were specified by the
estate. Only the king had the right to wear more than one dress. His
long candy was made of thin, white wool richly decorated with embroidery
of geometrical sornaments, gold chased plates and thick fringe on the
edge. The king wore a long coat over the tunic without pleats, decorated
with fringe and embroidery.
The commonly used colour of coat was purple. Besides their
decorative purpose, gold plates had a symbolic meaning, expressing the
sun, the moon and stars.
The most favorite type of decoration was fringe which was either sewn at
the bottom of the dress or was worn as a separate decoration. The
crossed fringe on the chest was the typical feature in the officer’s
clothes. The clothing of king and elite was made of thin and expensive
wool fabric. The
production of cloth, decorated with coloured needlework, reached the
highest skill and was the main product for foreign trade.
Typical Assyrian Dye Colours included purple of different shades (red,
violet, blue, paler blue) and yellow (orange, brown). The secret of
fabrics colouring was being kept in Assyria for a long time. There were
almost no female images in culture due to deprivation of women’s rights
in the society. We can see the clothing of empress and slaves on the
bas-relief pictured the king Ashurbanipal with his wife in the garden.
Both of them wore similar dresses...." "...Design decisions
of Assyrian clothing included principles of primitive cut which lay in
the base of all types of eastern clothing of later period. It was a
combination of laid on and draped clothing of two types: long and short
dresses consisted of one or two parts. In the first case, all the body
was wrapped with a rectangular cloth, the neck was wrapped with the
upper part of fringed dress placing the cut in the middle and a wide
belt was put above the dress.
In the second case the body, from the knee to the waist, was wrapped
with the lower part of the dress, the upper part of the dress a
rectangular piece of cloth with figured contours and with a space for
the neck. The waist was tied with a belt. Both upper part and lower part
were decorated with the fringe.
FOOT-WEAR, HEADGEARS, ORNAMENTS, HAIRSTYLE
Shoes were frequently used in Assyrian than in Egypt. The king, elite and solders wore shoes.
Leather sandals were made with a closed back and sometime had a small
heel. Later high boots replaced sandals which were mostly used by
solders.
Assyrian headgears were not big in size, had a round form, with a forehead band or had a form of truncated cone. They
were made of thick felt. The king wore a white felt tiara, decorated
with metal plates. The gold forehead band with enamel, jewels, fringe at
the bottom was tied up over the tiara.
Decoration was lavish in Assyrian costume. Spiral bracelets on
shoulders, wrists and ankles, earrings, rings had decorative and
symbolic meaning.
According to Assyrian aesthetics, hair was an important part of human
beauty, for this reason their headgears struck by their luxuriance.
Moustaches, whiskers and long beards were generally frizzed, hair was
braided by rows and ends of the braids were frizzed again. Wigs were
widely used...."http://www.melina-design.com/assir_babylon_2_en.html
The most common material for
clothing was wool, although linen
had been known from an early period
and was often used for
better-quality garments. Cotton did
not become available until
Sennacherib introduced it into
Assyria in about 700 BC, from which
time it was used for the making of
cloth. Other materials sometimes
used were leather and papyrus. The
skins and furs of animals and metal
were also in use, but chiefly for
military and hunting costume.
DATES
The earliest type of costume here
is a rather elaborate shawl drapery
worn without any tunic underneath.
Later comes the tunic with
various-fringed shawl draperies worn
in addition, and some of the latest
types have the tunic worn alone
without the shawl draperies. The
dates given for the costumes
illustrated in this style have been
verified at the British Museum. It
should be remembered, as in the case
of ancient Egyptians costume, that
the dresses changed very slowly
indeed, and most styles of this era
were worn literally for hundreds of
years.
THE DIFFERENCE IN MEN AND
WOMEN CLOTHING
The representations of costume
which Assyrian art has left us are
almost entirely those of men’s
dress. Two examples of women’s
dresses are shown here. The first
wears a plain ungirded tunic and a
simply draped shawl covering the
figure partially. The second is a
dress of a Queen, and has the tunic
almost entirely covered with a
voluminous shawl. The wide belt with
narrow belt over it seems to be
confined to the men’s costume, as
also the tighter and scantier shawl
draperies, which exist in singular
variety.
COLORING IN CLOTHING
Though we do not possess the
actual specimens of these costumes,
still we can infer from the lavish
ornament and, from references in the
Old Testament writings that rich
coloring prevailed. The dyes were
probably similar to those of ancient
Egypt, and this table will suggest
the particular hue of each color:
Blue: Usually rather dark
indigo, sometimes paler.
Red: Much like the color
known as Indian red.
Yellow: Similar to yellow
ochre.
Green: Much like the paint
known as green bice, but rather
more dull.
Purple: Dark, and quite a
brownish hue of purple.
All these colors could be used as
embroideries on a white or natural
colored ground of linen, the
embroideries being of wool. In other
cases the whole garment might be
colored throughout...."
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