A peplos is a long fig.2 or it can fall to the fig.4 your own, you fig.6 garment: it can waist or below. can add buttons be a long dress or On the peplos in and button-holes, robe (on its own) the pictures, gold or ribbons like or a cloak (worn braid has been the ones in the over something sewn near the photographs, to else). The Greeks long edges at the join the two sides would have woven bottom of both the together; if you are the fabric to the apoptygma/flap using a sheet that size that they and the main part needs to go back wanted, so that of the peplos. to being a sheet there was no need at the end of the for cutting or sew- The main part day, you can just ing; but they also of the peplos use safety pins. used folding to should be roughly Rich Greeks would change the size. long enough to have used elabo- reach from your rate brooches. First, fold along shoulders to your the length of the ankles, although The next step is to longer edge to you can make it pin the front and make a flap (fig.2); a little shorter if back together at this fold will be the you like. A grow- your other shoul- top of the peplos, ing child could der as well (fig.6).

fig.3 at your shoulders. fig.5 continue wearing fig.7 The peplos will Then fold the the same peplos hang open at the rectangle in half, for years, just side. Greece was folding across the folding a smaller a warm country, first fold, so that and smaller apop- and images in art the flap hangs tygma/flap so that sometimes show down from the top the main part of people with their at both the front the peplos still fell peplos hanging and the back. The to the ankles. open and a second fold will naked body be one side of the Make a sleeve underneath. peplos, and the by attaching the You might also two edges will be front and back of leave the peplos the other (fig.3). the top together, open to show near (but not too off a beautiful The flap is called near) the second underdress; the apoptygma, fold (fig.4). This alternatively which just means makes a hole that you can pull the “the folded-back the arm can go front and back bit”. The apop- through (fig.5). together (fig.7). tygma/flap can be just a short If you are mak- frill at the neck, ing a peplos of Use a belt to hold If your is really long, you can pull it up fig.8 apoptygma the peplos closed through the belt so that it hangs down over it as a MAKING HISTORICAL CLOTHING: THE GREEK (figs. 8/9). You can pouch. The Greeks also did this with the main part of tie the belt over the peplos; they called the pouch a kolpos (which just the apoptygma/ means “lap”!), and would have carried things in this like flap if it is long a pocket; In art you can sometimes see that the main enough (figs.8, 1). part of the peplos has been bunched over the belt, but This makes a little that the apoptygma/flap is still long enough to reach PEPLOS frill over the long almost to the bottom of the kolpos. skirt underneath. Alternatively, you might tie the belt under the apop- tygma/flap (figs.9- 10), especially if your peplos was made of elabo- rately decorated material that you wanted to show off.

fig.9

fig.1

fig.10 A peplos is a very ancient and very simple garment: you can make one at home using a sheet, towel, or any This leaflet produced by the Department of Classics, University of Not- other rectangle of cloth – the only other things you need tingham, 2014. Contact: [email protected]. Text by are two safety pins to hold it together at the shoulders, Lynn Fotheringham. With thanks to our lovely model, Abby (& Amy). and a cord to use as a belt.