Byzantine Dress

Byzantine Dress - History and Facts about Byzantine
Dress
Byzantine dress was very conservative under the influence of the Christian view
that the body was not beautiful but sin. The Byzantines liked color and pattern
and made and exported very richly patterned cloth. One of the most famous
fabrics of that time and place was Byzantine silk which was woven and
embroidered for the upper classes and resist-dyed and printed for the lower.
From the beginning of the Byzantine Empire a Roman toga was still used as a
dress for formal and for official occasions. In Justinian time dress is changed
into the tunica or long chitons, which were worn by both sexes. Upper classes
wore other dalmatica over tunica, which is a heavier and shorter type of tunica.
Tunica came from the ancient Roman tunica talaris, or tunic to the ankles. The
most well known tunic of this type is the Coptic tunic. Tunics were worn as
undergarments by every class. Only difference was in the material used for their
making. Dock workers wore a himation which is very simple type of tunic made
of rectangles pinned at the shoulders and belted at the waist. Superhumeral was
imperial decorative collar which was copied by women of the higher classes and
was one of the most recognizable parts of Byzantine clothing. Superhumeral
was of cloth of gold or similar material which was studded with gems and then
embroidered. A semicircular cloak called chlamys was very popular at the time.
It was asymmetrical and fastened to the right shoulder to give easier access to a
sword which was worn on the left. Its length varied from to the hips to to the
ankles. After the 6th century the cloak was worn symmetrically. Rectangular
cloaks were reserved for lower classes until the 12th century. Leggings and hose
were worn but not by wealthy because they were associated with barbarian.
Stylish and Practical: Fashion in the Byzantine Empire
Richly Decorated Tunic, 660–870 A.D. Egypt, Eshmunein. Tapestry weave in

polychrome and undyed wool on plain-weave ground of undyed wool; applied
borders with pattern and brocading weft in polychrome wool and undyed linen.
The rise of the Byzantine Empire saw a flourish in fashion. The wealthy and
opulent Empire was reflected in the colorful, heavily-detailed clothing of its
people, which continues to inspire designers and enthusiasts today.Byzantine
fashion was inspired by the Orient and Middle East, with whom the Empire
traded. “Traders brought exotic fabrics and colors, patterns, and fabrics of the
East into their costume tradition.”
Some of this inspiration from the East was quite literal. Two Persian monks had
smuggled silkworms out of China, bringing them to the Byzantine Empire. The
Empire thus produced a strong silk fabric called “samite.” In the sixth century, silk
production saw a vast improvement, allowing greater detail to be woven into the
fabric. Wool was also an important fabric in Byzantine fashion. “Tapestry-woven
wool inserts incorporate figural and floral motifs rendered with subtle
colorations to provide shading and detail.” These intricate details added cost to
garments and were often recycled (the design would be cut away when the garment
became too worn and restitched onto another piece).
Via http://www.byzconf.org/people-byzantine-empire-wear/
The use of color, texture, and imagery in Eastern design also found its way onto
the clothes of Byzantine citizens. The garments of the upper classes featured
beautiful iconography and biblical scenes. As color was also important to the
Byzantines, gemstone hues like red, blue, and green were widely used in the
garments of the very wealthy. This is because such dyes were expensive to
produce. Purple, however, was reserved for royalty. Christianity and faith were at
the center of the Byzantine Empire, so it only makes sense that their garments
would reflect this. Byzantines shunned the restrictive, winding Roman toga,
preferring simple, flowing designs (which they wore prior to the reign of Justinian
the Great). Worn close around the neck, extending to the wrist, Byzantine dress
was more modest than Roman. Other than the hands, face, and neck, no flesh was
displayed, to keep with the modesty dictated by their faith. Simple in design, the
tunic was worn by men and children. Women wore a longer, more modest tunica,
simply designed and able to cover a woman’s body even through pregnancy.
Women also covered their hair with head cloths. Wealthy women adorned their
garments with jewelry and accessories like bells.
Via https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/tablion/
Upper class men wore a chlamys, a semi-circular cloak pinned at the shoulder.
Members of the senate . Neither wealthy men nor wealthy women wore any sort
of stocking or legging (both of which were associated with barbarians.only the
very wealthy could afford the exquisite silks and jewelry we normally associate
with Byzantine fashion .Footwear was also an important indicator of class and
status. The upper classes wore shoes and members of the military wore calf- or
knee-high boots. The shoes of the wealthy were often red in color. Lower classes
wore sandals and slippers, which were simple and cheap to produce

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Byzantine Dress - History and Facts about Byzantine

Richly Decorated Tunic, 660–870 A.D. Egypt, Eshmunein. Tapestry weave in

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