When it Came to Ancient Undergarments Less Was Often More

Undergarments are an essential part of today’s society. They can be readily purchased from departmental stores, come in all shapes and sizes, and serve a variety of functions. In the ancient world, however, the situation was very different.

Loincloths: Underwear or Outerwear?

To begin with, undergarments were not exactly a standard type of clothing. The loincloth is perhaps the most basic type of undergarment available, and remnants of leather loincloths that are 7000 years old have been found. In colder climates, the loincloth would be covered by outer garments, thus making it an undergarment. In warmer climates, however, the loincloth was worn alone, and was perhaps, technically speaking, not an undergarment.

Apart from leather, loincloths were also made using plant fibers. Undergarments were probably more often made using these materials, though they are less likely to survive in the archaeological record. Therefore, our knowledge of such articles of clothing is dependent on the available pictorial representations or written sources in many places.