From loincloths to underwear: 10 unique clothing styles from ancient history | Popgen Tech

Fashion trends have changed dramatically over the past few years, so imagine how much they’ve changed since the beginning of history! Throughout history, there have been different types of clothing worn by the masses. Many of these works were based on local cultures and communities, but some were distributed across regions. Below are some of the most interesting types of clothing worn by people throughout history.

1. Hip bandage

The loincloth is one of the earliest recorded forms of clothing in human history. The origin of the loincloth can be traced back to 3000 BC. in Egypt. Simple but effective, the loincloth is made of a piece of cloth tied around the thighs to cover the genitalia. They brought a sense of dignity to ancient communities and helped protect such delicate parts from injury and infection. The loincloths were also easy to manufacture, so they were easy to obtain.

The loincloth can be dated to at least 3000 BC. in Egypt. This fresco from the tomb of Nebamun (c. 1350 BCE) depicts servants offering hares and other objects (Jan van der Kraaben / CC BY NC SA 4.0 )

2. Chlamydia

Men in ancient Greece sometimes wore chlamys, an outer garment resembling a short cape. These small cloaks were worn around the neck and draped over the shoulders and back. If they didn’t want it to go around their back, they could lift the bottom part around the other shoulder and pin it around the neck to make it shorter. Typically, chlamys were worn by servants, soldiers or messengers to indicate their position in society.

The chlamys was a short cloak worn by men in ancient Greece (ArchaiOptix / CC BY SA 4.0 )

3. Strophions

The ancient Greeks had several different basic types of clothing, and one of them was the strophion. Strophions were essentially early bras made from a simple fabric band that went around the breasts. They were often made of either wool or linen and could be tied at the back between the shoulder blades, similar to the corsets of later years.

A fragment of the “girls in bikini” mosaic found during the archaeological excavations of the ancient Roman Villa del Casale near Piazza Armerino in Sicily. The strophion was a type of early bra worn by women in Greece. (Clemensfranz / CC BY SA 3.0 )

4. Gundik

In the 15th and 16th centuries, gulfs were a common form of fashion among men. Generally, the sleeves that men wore on their legs were open at the crotch, but this was covered by long tunics. As fashion trends changed, tunics became shorter, leaving men… exposed. Note the guffaw, which was essentially a rounded pocket sewn into the hose to cover the men’s crotch. As players became more common, some began making them larger than before so they could be used as pockets for snacks, money, or spare handkerchiefs. It wasn’t exactly sanitary, but it was practical.

It is probably a portrait of Sir Anthony Leger, who died in 1539. What snacks did he pack in his huge bag? (Kevin Gordon / CC BY SA 2.0 )

5. Surko

Surko appeared in the 13th century and was worn by both men and women. This long outer garment came in many different types, but was traditionally seen as a long cloak used to adorn other outfits. Men traditionally wore surduts over their armor, but women often used them for fashion purposes. As they developed, they became more open, so outfits could be more easily seen under frock coats.

Marie de Brabant wore a sideless frock coat for her wedding to King Philip III of France, painted around 1300. Public property )

6. Dressers

No, we don’t mean the toilet! Before its connotation with the toilet, the term commode was used to refer to a one-piece hairpiece worn by women in the 15th and 16th centuries. Dressers were made of wire, ribbons and lace and were often intertwined with women’s hair to create a tower on the head. They were most popular in France, where they were nicknamed “fantange”.

How did women wear their hair so high? Using a wire frame called a commode. 1688 portrait of Queen Mary II of England ( Public property )

7. Corsets

Of all the clothing items on this list, this is probably the one you’re most familiar with! Although they still exist today, corsets were certainly much more commonly used in ancient times. Their history can be traced back to the Bronze Age Minoan civilization, but they only became mainstream in the 15th century.

Corsets were made of fabric and boning and designed to tighten at the back to give women an hourglass shape. In the 18th century, whalebone was preferred for boning because it was strong, but could remain flexible when tightened. Corsets were often considered a necessary garment under dresses, especially for the upper classes. Nowadays, you can find all kinds of corsets for special occasions or cosplay.

Group of five corsets, late 19th – early 20th century. (The Peloponnesian Folklore Association / CC BY SA 4.0 )

8. Poles

You may have seen capes on your favorite medieval TV show. Capes are long strips of cloth attached to an armband worn just above the elbow. These long streamers were most common in the late 14th century, but some upper class people still wore them in the 15th century. Typically, capes were long enough to reach at least the knees, if not the ground, so that they flowed gracefully beside you. It must have been easy for them to get caught in your environment, but they really looked cool!

Polovki, or hanging sleeves, became popular in the Middle Ages for both men and women. Drawing of Eleanor of Woodstock and Reynold II of Guelders kneeling in prayer (British Library / CC BY )

9. Kukardi

People in the 18th century took hats very seriously. So serious, in fact, that they wore accessories called cockades. Cockades were giant ribbon bows that were attached to large hats and worn throughout the day. While at first it was a common fashion trend, it soon became a symbol of recognition for different groups or military units.

Prince Charles Edward Stuart of Scotland wearing a hat with a white (Jacobite) cockade ( Public property )

10. Confusion

Women already had a lot between dresses and corsets, but eventually they also had to use bustles. A bustle was common in the 19th century and was essentially a giant hem that was added under a skirt to give women a defined look. As they evolved, they soon came to be made of wire and netting for a very large bustle, or cloth stuffed with straw or horsehair for a softer, more natural bustle.

The bustles of the 19th century were bulky wire frames that shaped heavy materials and gave a slender appearance. Bustle of the 1870s (Metropolitan Museum / Public property )

Modern dress is easy

While some of them sound interesting enough to bring back, others are better left in the past. The next time you throw on jeans and a t-shirt, be thankful that you don’t have to spend the next hour tying a corset or trying to fit in a fussy t-shirt!

Top Image: Clothing from history helps us learn more about the cultures and people who wore them. Source: Fernando Cortes / Adobe Stock

Written by Lex Lee