In my desire for compression in my article on ‘The Establishment of the Classical Type in Greek Art,’ I omitted to mention the influence of ‘costume’ in emancipating the Greek type of body from the dominant Eastern or tropical type with the fashion of the narrow or wasp-like waist. In a few words it may be stated: that, in tropical and in most savage life, the ‘loin-cloth’ is the common form of dress. In Oriental and Egyptian art this loin-cloth often takes a long, conventional and triangular form. The girdle, or belt, which fastens and upholds this loin-cloth, must be tightly drawn round the waist, and then marks a division between the upper and lower body. It thus habituates the eye to this subdivision between the upper and lower body, and has of itself the tendency to introduce the taste for the narrow waist.

The Greek shirt or chiton, supplemented or followed by the peplos or outer cloak, hides the waist. But, in most cases where the chiton only is worn, it is drawn over the belt or thong at the waist in graceful folds, and thus hides the waist-line. In athletic exercises and games, however, the figures were nude, and showed no compression or narrowing of the waist. Even when draped, Greek dress did not tend to produce the ‘narrow-waist fashion’ which the loin-cloth favoured. But the really efficient cause for the characteristic Hellenic type of the nude body is—as I stated—to be found in the establishment of Greek athletic games and the Ephebic order.