Fashion in Ancient Times: India, Mesopotamia, Inca Empire, Maya

Fashion

in

Ancient

Times

Clothing was very expensive in the ancient world, because without engine-powered machines it was very hard to make. So most people had very few changes of clothing; many people probably owned only the clothes they were wearing. Many children had no clothes at all, and just went naked. In the Stone Age most clothing was made of leather or fur, or woven grasses. By the Bronze Age people had learned to spin yarn on a spindle and to weave cloth out of the yarn on looms. Although many clothes, especially coats, were still made out of leather or fur, most clothes were made out of wool (from sheep) or linen (from the flax plant) or cotton. Some rich people wore silk.

People wore different kinds of clothes. Clothes helped to show where you were from, and whether you were rich or poor, and whether you were a girl or a boy.

Fashion in Ancient

India

India has a rich culture and tradition which is reflected in the clothing as well. Indian fashion has seen a metamorphosis since the ancient days. Although, the basics of Indian clothing are the same, we can find a lot of western influences and modern designs that have been incorporated into the basic structure of any Indian outfit. So, what was ancient Indian fashion actually like? It was the time when there were no designers displaying their haute couture to pamper a luxurious line of clientele. Ancient India had its own kind of customs and traditions that were to be followed by generations and we can see its presence felt even today. Need to know some facts about ancient Indian fashion and clothing? Read on to know more about the glorious days in ancient India.

Ancient Indian Fashion Facts:
Cotton clothing was predominantly used in India during the olden days. This was as early as the Harappan civilization. During the Aryan period, women started wearing the Sari; this is a long piece of cloth that can be wrapped in different ways over the body. Saris were also made in silk apart from the regular cotton ones. (Wealthy women only wore silk in the ancient days.) Saris were generally having the length of five yards or even nine yards, at times. The sari was worn as a skirt with the upper half thrown above the shoulder and sometimes worn over the head as a kind of a veil. Sometimes, the sari was even tucked between the legs to form a pattern of a pant. Even today, the tradition way of wearing a sari is still followed; sometimes with some modifications as well, which would depend upon the latest trends.

The Indian sari has always been a very elegant piece of garment, which was always worn with a choli or a blouse. The choli is a tight fitting blouse that is worn under the sari. This pattern evolved around the tenth century and some of the first designs covered only the front area, with the back being bare in this case. During the ancient days, such blouses were not stitched at all; in fact this garment was simply fastened at the back with a knot. Today, the basic choli is worn in various styles from halters to tube tops and although such designs are considered modern, the basics of these can be traced in ancient India.

A startling fact about ancient Indian fashion was that the clothes were not stitched together at all. The ancient Indian fashion did not really have garments that were sewed together! This was because most of the clothing was ready-to-wea, as soon as they left the loom. Examples of these would be the dhoti, the sari, the turban and the scarf. Men wear the dhoti even today; though this is definitely not worn by the average working man; it is still visible on the fashion runways and design houses as well. The dhoti covers the legs and has one end of it that is passed between the legs, which is then tucked behind. Dhotis were generally worn short and did not have the part that covered the chest and the shoulder area. Men combined these dhotis with turbans; these were also wrapped around the head in a particular fashion.

Although the saris and the dhotis have never gone out of fashion, with the Persian influences in Indian fashion, women and men wore long tunics that went down to the knees with trousers that were known as churidars. Ancient Indian attire also includes the very popular, versatile, comfortable and stylish salwar-kameez. The salwar is a loose trouser whose basic design has been modified since ancient days. The tunics were worn with churidars or the loose salwars. Ancient Indian fashion facts can never be complete without the mention of the bindi. The basic form was a dot, which was worn on the forehead as a symbol of marriage. Today, even unmarried women in India wear the bindi, which is designed in various forms and shapes, colors as well as textures.

Gold was popular since the ancient days in India. This was always worn on the skin at all times. It was always believed that gold, as a metal, has the power to purify anything that it comes in contact with it. Gold was used since the days of the ancient Mohenjodaro and Harappa civilizations. Apart from such ornamental decorations, one also saw the use of flowers worn in the hair and eye makeup that always included kajal for the eyes. Ancient Indian fashion could never be com plete without these elements.

Fashion in Ancient

Mesopotamia

The Sumerians made their clothing by using the natural resources that were available to them. Clothing was made from wool or flax which Sumerians could raise and harvest. (Flax is a plant with blue flowers. The stems of these plants are used to make the clothing.) How thick or how coarse the clothing was meant the season in which the clothes would be worn. Like us, heavier clothing would be worn in the winter and lighter clothing would be worn in the summer.

Men were barechested and wore skirt-like garments that tied at the waist. Women usually wore gowns that covered them from their shoulders to their ankles. The right arm and shoulder were left uncovered. Men were either clean shaven or had long hair and beards. Women wore their hair long, but they usually braided it and wrapped it around their heads. When entertaining guests, women would place headdresses in their hair.

Although both rich and poor Sumerians wore the same style of clothing, the wealthier Sumerians wore clothing that was made out of expensive and luxurious materials. Wealthy women and princesses also wore clothing that was colorful and bright.

Both men and women wore earrings and necklaces. During celebrations, even more jewelry was worn. The wealthier Sumerians often wore beautiful gold and silver bracelets and earrings. Necklaces were also worn and were set with bright, precious stones. Some of these stones were the lapis lazuli and the carnelian.

Fashion in Inca

Empire

Inca officials wore stylized tunics that indicated their status. The tunic displayed here is the highest status tunic known to exist today. It contains an amalgamation of motifs used in the tunics of particular officeholders. For instance, the black and white checkerboard pattern topped with a red triangle is believed to have been worn by soldiers of the Inca army. Some of the motifs make reference to earlier cultures, such as the stepped diamonds of the Huari and the three step stairstep motif of the Moche.

Cloth was divided into three classes. Awaska was used for household use, having an approximate threadcount of about 120 threads per inch, and usually made from llama wool. Finer cloth, qunpi, was divided into two classes: The first, woven by male qunpikamayuq (keepers of fine cloth) from alpaca wool, was collected as tribute from throughout the country and was used for trade, to adorn rulers and to be given as gifts to political allies and subjects to cement loyalty. The other class of qunpi ranked highest. It was woven in the Acllawasi (acllahuasi) by aclla (female virgins of the sun god temple) from vicua wool and used solely for royal and religious use. These had threadcounts of 600 or more per inch, unsurpassed anywhere in the world, until the Industrial Revolution of the 19^th century.

Aside from the tunic, a person of importance wore a llawtu, a series of cords wrapped around the head. To establish his importance, the Inca Atahualpa commissioned a llawtu woven from vampire bat hair. The leader of each ayllu, or extended family, had its own headdress.

In conquered regions, traditional clothing continued to be worn, but the finest weavers, such as those of Chan Chan, were transferred to Cusco and kept there to weave qunpi.

Hairstyles

Discoveries have been made about the Incan hairstyles through studying their ancient mummies. It is believed that women of this culture had very long hair that they would most typically braid. Men on the other hand, would still have relatively long hair, yet would occasionally cut it with a certain type of knife. It has been thought that certain hairstyles may distinguish one class from another.

The Incan government controlled all clothing of their society. One would receive two outfits of clothing, one formal and one casual pair, and they would then proceed to wear those same outfits until they could literally be worn no longer. Since the government was in such strict control on their clothing, the Incans could not alter their clothing without the permission of the government.

Fashion in Maya

Empire

Maya nobles spent a great deal of time on their personal appearance. They pierced their ears. They covered their bodies with tattoos. They painted their bodies. They loved fancy colorful embroidery added to their clothing. They loved straight black hair and high cheekbones. They loved jewelry. Hats were important. The Mayas believed that the bigger the hat, the more important the wearer. Some of the headdresses worn by nobles were taller than they were. As in most ancient cultures, their life was one of leisure. They had the time to spend on what they believed made them look beautiful.