By Pauline Weston Thomas for Fashion-Era.com

This section looks at the Ancient Greek and Roman costume history.  The purposes of these pages are firstly to provide basic information about early dress from the Greek, Romans, Celts and Saxon.

The second intention of this section is to show you how to create authentic fancy dress costumes for Greek or Roman parties.  Top tip, get the hair and feet right.   There are also free patterns for creating Roman Togas and Ancient Greek Chiton garments.

Greek Costume - The Chiton

Greek Costume - The Chiton

Basic garments such as a Greek chiton.  Typical Greek patterns, hairstyles of Greek women.

 Line drawings of ancient Greece robes.

Added October 2008

Added October 2008

Roman Toga and Tunic Costume

Roman British Costume Toga Details

Simple outline diagrams for Roman toga garments.

Romanised British costume styles to 500AD.

Byzantine dress. Emperor Justinian.

Added October 2008

Greek Battle Dress & Men

Images of typical ancient costumes worn by Greek men.  Greek Battle Dress & Men

Grecian soldiers, captains and their battle war dress uniforms with scroll patterns. This page includes clear Greek helmet pictures with horse tail mane.  Image of Greek shields.

Added October 2008

Roman Hair Styles, Headdresses and Clothes for Roman Women.

Headdresses and hairstyles of Greek women. Many early clothing line drawings of Greek women in ancient Grecian robes.

Roman dress styles for ladies and empresses. The stola, Roman hair styles and ladies headdresses.

Roman Battle Dress & Men

Images of typical ancient costumes worn by Roman men.  Roman Battle Dress & Men

Roman soldiers and their battle war dress uniforms with patterns. This page includes clear Roman pictures of war dress and the costume of dignitaries. Roman chariot driver.

Added October 2008

Early Celtic Dress

Early Clothing

Early clothing made by humans from the Old Stone Age to the early Romans. Use of skins with bone needles, sewing, spinning with a distaff/spindle.

Saxon, Frankish & Anglo Saxon Clothing

Illustrations of simple clothing of the Sixth century to 1066.

Added October 2008

Egyptian Costume Plates Part 1 - Egyptian Tunics with Braces

Land of the Pharaohs Egyptian Costume Plates with authentic historical pattern diagrams. Costume instructions for wrapping fabrics for Egyptian based theatricals, plays, biblical stories and fancy dress. Suitable for men and women.

Egyptian Costume Plates Part 2 - Egyptian Robes

Basic easy shape robes for both men and women. Wrapped and draped styles from simple rectangle shapes. Ideal for religious/biblical stories and fancy dress.

Egyptian Costume Plates - Part 3 - Egyptian Skirts, Capes, Shawls

More pattern guidelines for Egyptian styles of costumes.  Skirt, cape and shawl draped sari styles, perfect for those who wish to dress as Cleopatra for re-enactment or fancy dress.

The secret is in the draping of the fabric.