Dating / 28.05.2022

How to make sandals with your own hands. DIY gladiator sandals

So, in view of the upcoming festivals and the influx of people interested, we continue to create a manual for “children”)

The first two parts, regarding fabric and color, can be found in this blog, but now let’s take a quick look at the men’s suit. In this part we will not delve into various ancient Greek subtleties, the variety of names, the evolution of costume, etc. Let's focus on the application part and simplicity: so that even a fool can understand what, how and from what to make. Taking into account the experience of the previous story, we simplify, exaggerate and shorten even more, because otherwise people do not understand.

Starting the main part of the report, I would like to draw the reader’s attention to the fact that the very logic of ancient Greek clothing was very different from modern one: the Greeks cut clothes to a minimum; almost all Greek clothing consists, roughly speaking, of rectangles tied, hemmed or pinned on the body in a certain way. To achieve decorative effects, drapery and fabric finishing were used. In this regard, the choice of fabric must be approached very carefully.

Chiton.

This is sleeveless underwear, which, for some reason, we often like to incorrectly call a “tunic.” The tunic could be worn without any other clothing, but more often with a cloak (himatium, chlamys).

Chiton in literature is often divided into two types (in addition to a bunch of others): Dorian and Ionian (the name comes from Dorians and Ionians, respectively). A “simple” short chiton is considered Dorian, and a long one is considered Ionian. Sometimes you can find the definition of Dorian as wool, and Ionian as linen. If you look at the nuances, then confusion ensues. We won’t get into this casuistry here, we just remember that such a division exists, but how it was in men's suit in reality, no one really seems to know. Most likely, the Ionian chiton was, indeed, longer and wider (which determined the choice of thinner fabric), and the Dorian chiton was simple, short “for men.” In reality, where one type ends and another begins is difficult to say, since chitons were quite diverse, and it is difficult to detect any clear boundaries for the use of long/short/wide/woolen/linen chitons. Well, in Sparta, for example, a fluffy linen chiton is definitely not allowed.

Material: linen, wool.

The design of the chiton is extremely simple: it is a rectangular panel wrapped around the left side, sewn along the right side, or simply tied with a belt so that the edges on the right are on top of each other (remember that with the second option, an unpleasant embarrassment for a modern person may occur in the form of unintentional exposure sirloin). On the collarbones (in the picture below from the network - at points A and B), the chiton is either pinned into brooches or sewn together.

This design allows, if necessary, to completely free the right hand, as also shown in the figure below (this was used, for example, by warriors and artisans; for work, the latter even had a special type of working chiton made of coarse fabric, sewn only on the left shoulder - exomis)

We measure the length of the fabric from the top of the collarbone to the middle of the knee (+ reserve for hemming). The width of the fabric for an average person will be approximately 2 meters (i.e., in its finished, “folded” form, the width of the tunic will be 1 m) or more. It should be noted that increasing the width will allow you to create more draperies, and in general it will look better, but it is unnecessary thick fabric may not fit into folds and bulge a little on the sides.

Here you can clearly see what size it is, and how the armholes of the linen chiton formed for the arms “behave” (here the total (! that is, two sides) width of the fabric is about 2.4 meters)

The bottom of the tunic must be hemmed (an unhemmed bottom is a sign of mourning, insanity or slavery).

The chiton could have been longer, right down to the feet. But it seems that its use was mainly associated with sacred rites, the performance of government duties, acting, or the venerable age of the wearer. In general, this is a very “decent” option.

With such a pattern, especially if you sew the sides, the rule applies: the longer the chiton, the wider it should be. For convenience, it could be tied with a cord, as was done by the Delphic charioteer.

A shorter chiton could also be tied in this way. In this case, peculiar “sleeves” are formed.

The same sleeves could be obtained by tightening with a belt another type of chiton, which was sewn according to the more familiar logic of making clothes: approximately like a sleeveless shirt. Perhaps we see just such an option on the Taman relief.

Perhaps this design was used when using denser fabric.

Belt.

The chiton was girded with a belt. The belt was woven. On a machine, reed or planks. With or without brushes.

Usually, attention is not focused on him in a suit. Often it is covered with a chiton; even a braided cord or, for example, a sling will do.

Fur/leather “tunic”

Images of similar clothing, clearly made from leather or skins, have reached us. Considering that our climate is very different from warm Greece, such finds are extremely important for us.

Chlamys

Mainly travel and military raincoat. It could be worn either with a tunic or as the only clothing.

Material - wool. Judging by the descriptions and logic, it can be quite dense, including fleece. Homer's “shaggy cloaks” refer precisely to chlamys-like clothing.

The design is also much simpler. On average, this is a rectangle of 2 by 1.5 meters. It may be a little larger or a little smaller, depending on the build of the chlamydia.

It is worn as in the picture, fastened with a fibula on the right shoulder. The right hand remains free.

Pay attention to the pictures: if you look closely, you will see small weights on the hanging corners of the cloak. They could be either bronze (copper, gold) or lead. The latter were most likely sewn into peculiar woven “bags”. The weight of such a weight is quite small. In terms of dimensions, it is approximately the size of an early medieval button, maybe larger. Its purpose is to make the edge a little heavier so that the clothes drape better. There is no need to make it too healthy. Of course, with a raincoat with heavy weights it will be possible to effectively retrieve phones in the gateway, but when worn (especially when running), such a mantle hits its owner quite hard.

There were also other ways to wear these cloaks.

Again, see the Taman relief in the section on chitons. There is a cloak, most likely a mantle, wrapped like a roll-up and tied with a belt on top.

It should also be noted that cloaks of this type were also made from other materials: Aristophanes mentions a leather cloak in the comedy “The Birds” (alas, the author does not speak Greek and is not familiar with the original source, but perhaps this cloak was like a chlamys. Or perhaps it is correct another translation, where all this is translated as “breastplate” (possibly a tunic).

In addition, sometimes the images show the use of skins in a manner similar to the robe (a striking example is Hercules with his lion skin, which he often wears in fine art as a cloak), as well as fur cloaks, as in the chthonic image below. Such products, presumably, had a purely utilitarian meaning and were used mainly by the dense rural population or in some extraordinary cases when protection from rain or cold was necessary. By the way, note that the fleeing shepherd’s cloak is simply tied in a knot.

Himation.

This is, as they say, a decent cloak for a decent Greek. In this form, you need to be, for example, in a national assembly, recline at a symposium, make sacrifices to the gods, or simply walk in honor around your native city.

Material - wool. Special attention should be paid to the choice of wool here. It should be soft and textured enough to drape well and not slip when wrapped. The hard fabric will bulge, but the “slippery” one will prevent you from getting wrapped up - a couple of movements, and the himation will end up on the ground.

Wool that is too thick, stiff or frayed is unlikely to be suitable for a himation. When purchasing, hold the fabric to your shoulder and see how it drapes, whether it slips or not.

In shape it is the same rectangle with approximate dimensions of 1.5-2 by 3.5-4 meters. BUT! Before making your himation, I would recommend experimenting with a piece of some cheap fabric, such as calico, to see how it all looks in the end. The dimensions of the himation are quite individual, and given the amount of tissue spent on it, it would be very disappointing to make a mistake in the calculations. Take calico with a reserve, try wrapping yourself in it, both in the images and in other ways, and see what happens.

They usually wore it “to the right”: they left the end hanging from the left shoulder, passed it along the back, under the right arm, and brought it either back to the left shoulder, or left hand, as in the picture.

However, the good thing about Greek clothing is that it can be draped in different ways.

Without forgetting, however, about the rules of decency. In general, the Greeks paid attention to the decency of clothing increased attention. Proper wearing of clothes, the ability to drape them properly was considered a sign, among other things, of education, civilization, nobility and in general. This especially applied to the himation, as a “ceremonial-weekend” attire. Let's make a very simplified, imprecise and rough, but, I hope, understandable analogy. A hoodie with the inscription “enemy of man” can be worn on a T-shirt or on a white body, even with jeans, even with shorts, even with ankle boots, even with sneakers, even with conceptual flip-flops. But if we wear a three-piece suit with green shoes, then 99% that it will not be very good.

There were many peculiarities of wearing a himation. So, it was bad form to “grow out your left hand”; only the right was open. Only closer to Hellenism did some figures like Aeschines, speaking to audiences, discover it. Decency also concerned the size and type of himation: a cloak that was too short was a sign of a hillbilly who was used to walking on guanoterra, and, for example, his ill-wishers tried to mock Alcibiades for his excessively long and fluffy cloak that dragged along the ground...

Such nuances “die” first. A hundred years from now, our descendants are unlikely to understand why and by what unknown signs their contemporaries guessed in people wearing seemingly identical jackets from the beginning of the 21st century: a participant in the congress of agronomists, a homosexual director, a brother, or a museum worker.

To sum up, we will probably never know all the features of decent behavior and wearing clothes.

And this is not the main thing, you need not only to know, but also to be able to do it. You won’t be able to wrap yourself in a himation just like the respected people depicted above on your first try.

In general, most likely, the ancient Greek, if he saw our modern attempts to dress decently in ancient Greek, would have decided that this was an action from the unfamiliar genre of tragicomedy. But so that he doesn’t feel bad at all, before wearing clothes, especially formal ones, it would be nice to learn in detail, study and try out in practice at least what is known to modern humanity. And, of course, focus on images.

Headwear.

Pylos - most likely a full-felt felt cap.

A helmet of identical shape has the same name. One can assume that such a thick cap is used by “homeless people” instead of a helmet.

Petas - the hat is probably most often also made of felt, but it seems possible to admit the existence of straw options. Used for travel and also by horseback riders. The shape of the petas was quite varied, from a clearly defined hat-like design to a strange design where the central “extruded” part was clearly smaller than the diameter of the head.

Often the hat has a kind of “pip” at the top. It is also worth noting the presence of straps with which the petas was tied on the chin and held in place in the event of being thrown back from the head.

Kine (kühne) described as a felt or leather cap for sailors/craftsmen

Canonically, it is presented in the form of a kind of cameo (for some reason I can’t find a suitable illustration, when I find it, I’ll be sure to add to the article).

It seems that this definition could include a fairly large group of headdresses, which were also knitted and possibly sewn from pieces of woven material/leather.

Pay attention to the resemblance to a pompom and the circular stripe at the top of the hat.

probably a knitted hat with a cap.

It should also be noted other hats . First of all, this is a peculiar, probably fur hat, present in images of rural people.

The headdress, which in appearance resembles a pilos, but has small folded brims, thanks to which it is somewhat vaguely similar to a “Tirolean”, is also, most likely, solid felted. It is also likely that this was one of the ways of wearing a pilos.

Here we also mention balaclava :

Sticking out from under helmets

Wreaths and ribbons

Here you need to take into account that these are quite specific headdresses, often used on special occasions (for example, at symposiums) and having different meanings. For example, ribbons (woven, embroidered) that were tied around the head were often a reward for athletes for winning competitions and at the same time evidence of this.

They played a large role in the life of the ancient Greeks and were distinguished by rare diversity. Wreaths were awarded to athletes who won competitions, the wreath was used as a state award, and finally, the wreath was an integral part of the celebration.

Most famous to modern man - laurel wreath, an integral symbol of winners and triumphs of all stripes.

It was also a reward at the Pythian Games, famous in Ancient Greece. Other games had their own type of wreath - at the Olympic Games - olive, at the Nemean - from celery, at the Isthmian - from pine branches. Each type of such wreath had its own special meaning. Thus, the laurel is a symbol of Apollo, in whose honor the Pythian Games were held; the wedding with a wreath of wild olive was explained by the fact that Hercules, who founded the Olympic Games, established this. In addition, the plants also carried a certain semantic meaning. For example, celery was very closely associated with mourning, funerals and the like.

In addition to the four above-mentioned pan-Hellenic games - agons, there were also many large and local sports competitions (in fact, the ancient Greeks organized competitions, which were also a kind of way of honoring the gods, with or without reason: Patroclus died - they organized games, went out to sea - they organized games) at which certain type the wreath could also serve as a prize.

Award wreaths could also be made of metals. In the surviving written sources about the life of the Black Sea policies there are descriptions of rewarding for special merits with a golden wreath (in this case, as a rule, the weight of the wreath is indicated). Such wreaths are also found in burials. Moreover, you should pay attention to the fact that some of them are clearly votive, i.e. in this case, made directly for the funeral rite - they are very thin, fragile and clearly not intended for wear. Others were worn during the owner’s lifetime; the structure is more massive, and sometimes there are traces of repairs.

Wreaths were also used during sacred ceremonies. During various holidays dedicated to Dionysus, wreaths made of grapevine or ivy were worn.

In addition to award wreaths, as already mentioned, there were also household ones used at holidays (weddings, symposiums, religious celebrations, etc.). Such wreaths, in addition to those established by tradition for certain celebrations, could be very different: they were selected according to color scheme, even in aroma. For example, the case of Alcibiades coming to a symposium wearing a wreath of violets is described. There was even a type of wreath traders who sold ready-made products, woven from the most different colors. Well, Xenophon’s soldiers, having settled down for a rest in an unknown barn in an unknown hole on the edge of the world, for lack of anything better, crowned themselves with wreaths of hay and straw.

In short, it is not forbidden to feast beautifully and crown yourself with wreaths.

Decorations

Here we have two contradictory points. On the one hand, the Greeks considered the use of any jewelry unworthy of a man. On the other hand, it is clear that the fashion of decorating oneself, being pampered and falling into insignificance has always haunted humanity.

But still, we can say quite confidently that the abundance of dartsupags, especially the presence of such things as hryvnias, earrings, rings, bracelets, is a sign of a modern Vikingos with an effeminate husband, a barbarian, and in general - something obscene and not worthy of respect. Such objects can be found among a Thracian, a Persian, or a woman, but not among a Hellene.

However, this does not mean a complete absence of jewelry.

Fibulae

Brooches were often used to fasten cloaks and pin the chiton on the shoulders. I won't talk about them. Because the ideal that the article unsuccessfully strives for is simplicity, pragmatism and minimalism. Besides, I don’t understand them at all.

Well, an example for drooling.

Rings

Another type of trinket accessible to men were rings. They were different and, as a rule, with a seal.

Some amulets could also have been used, especially in Hellenistic times.

Shoes.

To be honest, I don’t really want to delve into shoe topics in detail. This is, at least, for a very long time. So in short.

Ancient Greek footwear is far from being limited to the well-known sandals. There were a huge variety of types and options for shoes. Here we will touch on some aspects of manufacturing and interesting, from the point of view of the Russian people and our climate, options.

We remember that the modern centimeter or so saddle cloth was absent in those distant times. The maximum thickness of the skin could be 3-4 mm, well 5 =). At the same time, the workmanship was quite varied, and the skill of the shoemakers was extremely high.

Shoes could be decorated with various ornaments and could be painted.

They could do everything on the soles with nails, including inscriptions like “follow me” or something like that of one hetaera.

Very few shoes of the ancient Greeks have survived. Personally, I (although this doesn’t say anything) know only “sneakers” from the 3rd century BC. from Hellenistic Egypt.

There are also quite a few finds of late Roman shoes and Roman caligas - soldier's sandals. There is reason to believe that the design features of the tap-making schools were similar: this is a sole to which something like this is nailed

Then we put/glue/sew another leather insole on top.

In some cases, the upper could be sewn to the sole, as on modern boots. We can see the difference - we will have a multi-layer sole, reinforced with studs, rather than a thin sole sewn with a reverse seam to the top, as in early medieval or medieval shoes.

However, there were exceptions. First of all, it is worth noting the so-called. Scythians, that is, borrowed Scythian shoes that could be worn by residents of the Northern Black Sea region (naturally, not in a pretentious setting). In order not to explain for a long time, let us give as an example an excellent reconstruction performed by Yakov Vnukov.

A local version of the pistons, apparently called “carbatides,” was widespread.

Sandals with hard soles could have a similar top shape.

In addition, it should be noted that there were various boots, most likely of Eastern or Thracian origin.

Thracian “boots” were distinguished by characteristic scallops.

Let's note some more interesting types of shoes.

Socks and windings.

Upon closer examination, all this was found in abundance.

The windings were most likely woven entirely, the socks were knitted with a needle and, possibly, with a crochet hook.

Hercules has windings with a pattern (apparently woven)

As an option, perhaps as a way to pull the owl onto the globe version, use fabric/felt socks and gaiters from our northern neighbors

Bags

Handbags and wallets hanging on the belt, in which all the goods are stored, this, alas, is not about the Greeks. In general, you need to remember that a free and wealthy citizen, going to a national assembly or somewhere else to shout and drink, had a specially trained slave to carry his things, which is much more convenient than any wallets. Well, he, as well as a person who was going somewhere for a long time, already took more serious bags.

However, there were bags and wallets, although any kind of clinging to the belt was not noticed anywhere. Such wallets are usually recorded (which gives an idea that shekels were placed there) when buying a girl

Or a boy

Notice the grid in the last picture. They are quite common.

There are also all kinds of bags, which are usually called “shepherd’s” and “slinger’s bags”, although their purpose is clearly not limited to this

Gloves

There are references to them. In particular, the Persians were mocked for using gloves not to protect them from the cold, but to prevent anything from happening to their delicate skin. But, alas, I don’t know any images.

Staff

I almost forgot about one important thing. The costume of a free man was often complemented by a staff. It could have been just a sanded wooden stick

So is a carved staff with a carved knob, sometimes painted or covered with patterns.

Bosporan men's costume

Well, finally we come to the most interesting part. As we see, the Greeks were quite insulated. We have already seen fur tunics, warm raincoats, socks and closed shoes. But for you and me, with our climate, this is clearly not enough.

As it was for the colonists in the Northern Black Sea region. Who thinks it's there all year round dry and warm, here are some consequences of Bora, not that far from the Kerch Strait

It is believed that by the 5th-4th century the so-called. The Bosporan costume is already fully formed. In short, this is a kind of tunic with sleeves, most likely worn under a tunic, as well as rather narrow trousers worn with closed shoes. The basis of such a costume is believed to be the borrowing of local (Scythian) elements of costume by the colonists due to climatic conditions and a certain mutual influence. However, one can argue with this, since the trousers of the Greek colonists, unlike the Scythian ones, are quite narrow in the images that have come down to us. And if this can be attributed to the characteristics of the iso-sources, then the clothing is clearly not open - a “tunic” with long sleeves, worn under a chiton, is completely uncharacteristic of a Scythian costume. Moreover, both female and male.

I cannot say with sufficient evidence, but it seems that these could be elements of the costume that the Milesians (Miletus is a city in Asia Minor), who brought out all the Bosporan colonies, borrowed in more early period among the Persians (Persian trousers - anaxarids, probably were narrower than the Scythian “harem pants”, they also had an open shirt), or some kind of Greek development, sometimes recorded in Nespopor images, again, eastern, i.e. . presumably Persian clothing, which occasionally penetrated into the Greek costume (tight pants, sleeves, etc.)

compare.

Two below. Here we see a shirt like a Persian one, worn without any tunic.

Somewhere around the 3rd century, the depiction of such a costume was already widespread in pictorial sources.

It is likely that the Greeks, until that time, in some sense shunned these elements of “barbarian” clothing, since wearing a Greek costume emphasized their (as well as the Hellenized representatives of the local population) belonging to the Hellenic civilization. Purely Greek clothing was most likely used in special occasions, as well as what is called “decent society.” The clothing of the device described above could be used during operation and everyday life, as well as on hikes and travels. Gradually, presumably, it became more and more common until it finally replaced the classic Greek costume (perhaps by the turn of the era). Along with it, a truly local (in our case, Scythian) costume was also used, either completely or in the form of separate elements. It is logical to think that it was used, first of all, by the local population who settled in the Bosporan cities and villages, and, of course, by the Greeks themselves.

Most likely, the material used for this type of clothing is wool, which is determined both by its purpose and by the traditions of Iranian costume.

But this is just a theory.

As for reconstruction, no one knows the exact cut of this clothing. Everything has come to us in the form of images. Moreover, we will not see pants above the middle of the thigh anywhere; the cut of the tunic is also difficult to recognize.

When cutting pants, free interpretations are allowed in the pattern itself, taking into account, however, the simplicity of such an archaic cutting. Here you can also focus on the neighboring steppe samples, which had a fairly simple cut of slightly tapered rectangular trouser legs and a diamond-shaped gusset. Most likely, there was no internal extinguisher. A cord used to tie a belt right over the fabric. However, since Bosporan trousers are not worn just like that, using a cord inserted inside will not be a great sin;)

You can try to make such obscenity as on these Pazyryk pants.

Clothing with long sleeves, as mentioned above, is also found in Greek images proper, but it is usually hidden under a chiton.

Sometimes such sleeves are decorated in an “oriental” style - with printed material or a multi-colored herringbone texture. Perhaps this emphasizes the non-Greek origin and perception of such clothing.

The cut, as already mentioned, can probably be correlated with the supposed cut (no surviving shirts have survived, so this is also fortune-telling on coffee grounds) of Persian open-loop clothing. Or with the later cut of Byzantine tunics.

With a flat neckline, narrow sleeves and no gussets.

Something like that. About finishing (embroidery, textiles, printed material - sometime later).

Summer has arrived and we've started pairing sandals with our outfits. They are comfortable, beautiful and versatile. Many of us have several pairs at once and continue to add to our collection every season. How do you feel about having personalized sandals? Not like everyone else? Agree, it sounds good. You can make them yourself. You will simultaneously save money on buying new ones and get a unique pair of shoes. Any fashionista can make them without having special skills for this. We offer you steps that will explain to you how to get this or that result. Choose the option that suits you and get creative!

Any dark shoe will look smart if you add gold metallic material to the heel and a leather strap and cut out a zigzag pattern using scissors.

In recommended stores you will also find metallic stickers that can be easily applied to leather shoes, completely changing their appearance.

You can create real gladiator sandals. To do this, you will need the simplest leather sandals and leather bands that match their texture. The length of the ribbons depends entirely on how high you want to tie them on your shins. There is another option for how to decorate a pair of sandals in a gladiator style. For this method, prepare skeins with colored threads and create any patterns with your own hands, braiding straps with threads.

Buy large stones of various shapes and metal frames for them in the store. Using pliers, secure the latter to the stones, and then, using glue, decorate the sandals with stones. Also stick multi-colored beads onto your shoes, creating patterns from them, or make tassels from multi-colored strips of leather. You can decorate your sandals by stringing beads or coral-shaped decorations onto a fishing line and attaching them to the sides of the sandals, decorating the leather strip.

Sandals that have a simple thin stripe and a stripe that secures the shoe at the ankle can be decorated with a decorative contrasting insert.