---
node: garment_chiton
type: garment
slug: chiton
title: "Chiton"
lead: "The chiton is the basic tunic of ancient Greece, a rectangle of cloth pinned at the shoulders and belted to fall in draped folds. Worn by men and women, it was the everyday foundation of Greek dress."
published: 2026-08-10
updated: 2026-08-10
image_file: chiton.jpg
image_source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Femme_type_grande_Herculanaise_Praxit%C3%A8le_archmus_Heraklion.jpg"
image_author: "Jebulon"
image_license: "CC0"
---

## Overview

A chiton is made from one or two panels of linen or wool, fastened along the shoulders and open or sewn down one side, then gathered at the waist. The lighter Ionic chiton was long and full with pinned sleeves; the plainer Doric form was heavier wool.

## How it is worn

It is pinned or sewn at the shoulders, belted once or twice, and bloused over the girdle so the length can be adjusted, worn alone at home or under a cloak outside. The number and placement of pins, and the fineness of the linen, marked wealth and taste.

## History

The chiton was worn from the Archaic period onward and, in its full Ionic form, became the standard dress of Classical Greece for both sexes. Draped rather than tailored, it is the garment beneath most of the figures on Greek vases and statues.