Chiton and Greece

   It is amazing how much a simple camisole tunic or chemise can tell about its ancient past. Once invented in the ancient Greece, a birthplace of the European art, literature, politics, culture, and, certainly fashion, to this day it surprises modern designers with elegance of form and simplicity. Ancient Greeks called camisole tunic chiton, a long rectangular-shape linen or wool shirt, fastened with fibula or brooch at shoulders and belt at the waist. Wool was originally used to make ancient chemises and only later linen replaced it as the main fabric. Wool and linen like cotton and silk are natural materials with capabilities of water absorbency, warmness, and durability. Chiton was worn by both men and women: short chitons were worn by common people, soldiers, and teenagers, and long chitons were worn by women, elderly, and aristocrats. Himation, an outer rectangular coat, was usually put over the chiton for more warmness during colder seasons. Ancient Greeks were very particular about the color of their chemises. Camisole tunics of the white color could only be worn by rich people. Black, blue, dark-green, and grey chitons expressed sorrow and were primarily worn by common citizens and poor. Floral camisole tunic is a pure invention of the present era because in the past people could dye their clothes only in solid colors. Gold jewelry and embroidery relieved the conservative design of the ancient camisole tunics. Ancient Romans took much from Greek fashion: they decorated chiton with ornaments and started to call it tunic. Roman legionnaires were first to wear tunics underneath their main garment or armor, inventing the first classical lingerie. Tunic protected their bodies and clothes form sweat, dirt, cold or hot weather. Eighteenth's century French fashion designers reinvented the idea of the undergarment Roman tunic and created the camisole, a form of present day chemise.