A Quick Guide to Byzantine Dress (8th to 12th century)

[TheFlax]

Disclaimer: I thought this could be useful for those who wish to discribe their character's clothing, yet like me, have no clue as to what was worn in the court at Constantinople in the period we are playing. This is by no mean an extensive guide but it is meant more as a tool to include some byzantine clothing into stories. If there is a demand, I can do something similar for imperial men and women, women of the court, the borderland elite and the non-elite. I can also research about military dress, arms and armor.

Courtly Dress

Cloaks

Chlamys: A cloak derived from military dress. Often worn open over the shoulder, leaving the arm free to brandish a sword, even when used for a nonmilitary ceremony. The chlamys could either be full- or knee-length. The garment tended to be longer for ceremonial purposes, and shorter when worn as a military garment.

Sagion: Cloak akin to the chlamys. It was the most often used alternative to the chlamys.

Tunics

Divetesion: Long silk tunic worn by the most important courtiers and the emperor.

Chiton: Tunic worn by mid-ranking courtiers. It could also be worn outside of court.

Himation and Sticharion: General word used for tunic. Sticharion is also a term used for an ecclesiastical long tunic worn by deacons and that sometimes had stripes. The himation and sticharion could also be worn outside of court.

Kondomanikion or Kontomanikion: Short-sleeved tunic worn during dancing.

Kolobion: Sleeveless tunic. Sometimes used as an over-tunic. It could also be worn outside of court.

Insignia

Blattia: Pieces of purple fabric.

Tablia: Embroidered trapezoids of fabric.

Fibulae: Brooches used to secure garments at the shoulder.

Baltadin: Belts of precious stones.

Headgear

Most members of the court wore hats, possibly trapezoidal hats, conical hats and bulbous caps.

[_Tristan_]

If there is a demand, I can do something similar for imperial men and women, women of the court, the borderland elite and the non-elite. I can also research about military dress, arms and armor.

Please do

Very nice guide

Could you provide some illustrations ?

[TheFlax]

Please do

Very nice guide

Could you provide some illustrations ?

Anything I should get to first?

As for illustrations, I think I can scan a few. Should I place them in spoilers for those who don't want to load the whole thing?

[Privateerkev]

Very nice guide.

And yes, pictures in spoilers is very kind. I basicly had to skip the KotR battle report thead because my computer would actually crash when I tried to load it.

As for what to concentrate on now, I imagine military dress. Pretty much everyone is playing minor nobility that are also military commanders.

[TinCow]

For the record, spoilers don't prevent your computer from loading the images. They are still loaded when the thread is opened, but hidden from view until the spoiler is opened. That's why the Battle Reports thread can get sluggish even with spoilers. AFAIK, there is no forum code that prevents image loading until a spoiler of some kind is opened.

[Ferret]

You could always upload them at image shack and post the thumbnail in the thread.

[casino]

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