Artistic License: Fashion Inspired by Greek Goddesses
The Birth of Venus, c. 1486, Botticelli
I’ve loved Greek mythology ever since I was a little girl. All those handsome men and beautiful women, embroiled in drama after drama of love, passion, and vengeance, from heaven to Earth to hell and back — what’s not to love?
This week, I thought it’d be fun to put together some outfits inspired by three of the classic Greek goddesses of Mount Olympus. As you’ll see, each outfit reflects the goddesses’ different personalities and stories, with one common thread: they’ll all make you look like you walked straight out of heaven.
Inspired by Aphrodite
Dress – ASOS, Shoes – Old Navy, Necklace – Debenhams, Bracelets – Nordstrom, Eyeshadow – Chanel, Nail Polish – Essie, Lip Gloss – Bobbi Brown
Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty. She’s known for being drop-dead gorgeous and a little self-centered, so I thought a regal maxi dress with a plunging neckline and killer front slit (watch the catwalk video for the full effect) would be perfect. Meanwhile, the turquoise accents in this outfit represent the legend that Aphrodite was born from the sea.
The flower necklace and gold bangles convey both romance and confidence (Aphrodite did not let people push her around), while natural eye and lip colors with a little bit of luster will give you a dewy, sun-kissed look, like you just got back from a romantic walk on the beach.
Inspired by Athena
Shirt – Miss Selfridge, Shorts – Monsoon, Shoes – Debenhams, Headband – Westfield, Necklace – Modcloth, Eyeshadow – Stila, Eyeliner – Lancome
Athena is your no-nonsense goddess; she resides over the realms of wisdom, culture, civilization, and military strategy. This outfit is simple but elegant, with a silhouette that is both tailored and casual. The white button-down and gray silk shorts keep the look down-to-earth and practical, allowing us more flexibility with the accessories.
Lace-up gladiator sandals convey strength, while an elastic headband (try wearing it across the top of your head, boho-style) adds another goddess-y detail. I chose the owl necklace because Athena is frequently portrayed with an owl — a symbol of wisdom — in paintings and statues. Finish off the tough-girl vibe with liquid eyeliner and smoky shadow.
Inspired by Artemis
Romper – Urban Outfitters, Belt – Warehouse, Shoes – Steve Madden, Earrings – Dorothy Perkins, Turband – Gold Saturn, Eyeshadow – Smashbox, Nail Polish – Chanel (No. 505 Particuliere)
Artemis is primarily known as the goddess of the moon and the hunt — the black and brown tones in this outfit represent each domain, respectively. Lay the foundation for the classic goddess look with a ruffled, one-shoulder romper, then throw in hippie-chic accessories like the belt and sandals to show that you’re in touch with nature.
Meanwhile, feathered earrings and a leopard-print turband reflect Artemis’s frequent association with the animals of the forest. For this look, you’ll want to keep your makeup and nails in neutral, matte colors to complete the outfit’s earthy vibe.
Which goddess are you?
If you wanted to feel especially regal and majestic, which goddess look would you pick? Did my interpretations make sense to you? If you were to create your own goddess look, what would you change? Maybe you would even take your inspiration from a different goddess — like Hera, Zeus’ wife and the queen of Mount Olympus? Let us know by leaving a comment!
(By the way, if you this post made you curious about Greek mythology, check out this informative Wikipedia page about the twelve Olympian gods and goddesses.)
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Posted on on June 1, 2010 / Filed Under: Inspiration / Tags: Artistic License, Fashion Inspiration, Fashion Inspired by Art, Featured, Gladiator Sandals, Inspired by, Romper, Summer 2010, turban
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Sari
I absolutely love this post! It’s my favorite in awhile. My favorite outfit is Athena’s. I love the Greek goddess (and their Roman counterparts). Great ideas!
Anna
This is such an original idea that you made into a fantastic post!! I think you should do a follow-up on this article with other goddesses, such as Hera, Demeter, Persephone, and maybe even Hestia. There are a lot of interesting possibilities that go with this concept, and you could even do a post on outfits inspired by male gods, like Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades! This is such an awesome concept, so you should run with it.
Julie
I love Athena, also Persephone (the queen of the underworld). I would use them as inspirationf for the colour palettes (my wardrobe is ful off black/white/gray).
Awesome post!
Elizabeth - University of Missouri
Tiffany, can I just say that I freaking LOVE this series! You’re so creative and you definitely incorporated all of the elements of these goddesses perfectly in your outfits.
I love ‘em!
Shanice
I absolutely love all these looks! Especially #2 & #3. I probably would have never chosen those shoes to go with the Athena outfit, but it works & I could definitely see those together. I love how you all don’t just include the outfits but also the makeup as well. Great post. <3
Brittanie
I love outfit #3 inspired by Artemis. This is a really creative piece and it works cus it incorporates the greek history and culture with some really cute outfits for summer. I especially love out u mixed the brown with the black. I know they are 2 neutrals and neutrals go with anything but sometimes i dont like the way people mix brown with black but this one is really cute. I’d love more posts inspired by more greek goddesses or other strong women from history.
Maya
Oh I adore this article! It such a fun read, love the subject and the outfits are absolutely perfect! Totally wearable, seriously cute and I love your interpretations of the goddesses into them.
I’m definitely also throwing my vote in here for more goddess-inspired outfits!
Carolanne
oh wow, really good post! great idea, first of all, and then great outfits to follow those ideas! i personally can’t pick which outfit is my favorite… they are all so fitting , and of course so super cute! =]
Sharon
wowww. i love this post SO much!!
i’m absolutely in love with the Athena look, and i think it’s so creative that you incorporate the owl necklace as her symbol!
LOVE IT LOVE IT :)
you’re so amazing :)
Rebecca
Neat concept! I’d love to see more posts like this : )
Melanie
Cute idea!
Vie
Love the Aphrodite :) i totally enjoyed this post, thanks for writing it :)
Alyssa
Great post! And amazingly funny timing, I just finished the odyssey for a summer course haha
I love Athena, she’s just amazing, and the outfit you made inspired by her is too cute :)
I think you should do gods as well, I personally love Apolo, and I’m sure quite a few college girls would love some Dionysus-esque outfits haha
Eimear
Awesome post! I was wondering if you could do a post on Greek hairstyles? My debs (Irish version of Senior prom) is coming up and I’m going with a Greek dress but don’t know what way to do my hair. Any info would help!
Julie
Having been a loyal CF reader for a long time, I have to say this is one of the most well-written and creative articles I have ever seen. You truly have a talent and that is evident to everyone who read this post.
Just wow.
my favorite outfit is artemis :)
BreaD
I have loved Greek mythology since I was a wee one too!!! I was super excited to see this.
love Love LOVE all three outfits. I think that the one for Athena best conveyed her personality. Sensational job!
Next can we see Egyptian mythology or the Greek Nine Muses? I would love to see a fashion forward approach made to another really cool historical and artistic inspiration.
Coco
This might be my favorite post! The outfits look very goddess-y, but my favorite part is that you added symbolic aspects to the outfits. Love the turquoise nail polish to represent the sea! Anyway, great job, you are so creative!
JillAnn
This is one of my favorite College Fashion posts EVER! I hope you do another. May I suggest Hestia, Eros, and Persephone?
Paige
Favorite post on this site!
Ana
Wow! I absolutely love this post – I can see myself wearing these things, and totally gave me inspiration! I love posts that can do that – thank you!
Shanauld
I LOVE this post…..I think it was very well thought out….and I think everything worked. I think you should make this a series and do more Greek Gods and Goddesses and even do other cultures like Egyptian and Hindu…etc.
S
Yes, I agree with everyone else, this was an awesome post =) Please do more like it and feel free to expand to other cultures as well!
Erin
Love, love, love this post!!!! I have loved the stories of the Greek gods and goddesses. I would love to see outfits inspired by Hades and Poseidon. Also, I like how wearable these outfits are. I often find that the outfits are not a viable option for me. But these are more realistic. This series is fantastic– keep up the good work.
Audrey - Ohio State University
This is brilliant! I can’t wait to see what you come up with for each post, they are all so creative.
Shannon
Absolutely amazing post. I really enjoy outfits with a lot of thought behind them. I would love to see more from you. Keep up the good work!
amber
I love the whole idea for this post! It’s fresh and original (: And I love the outfits too, since they can really translate to everyday wear
Lena
I am so in love with this post, one of my favorite in a while. And I agree with other comments that you should make this a little series!
aish
love the post
great ideas!!!!1
Milana
Love Artemis!! Great outfits for this season!
m
great job! – this has a lot of possibilities since practically every culture has a mythological pantheon – egypt, norway, india, etc. it would be fun to see what you can come up with. i’ll be looking forward to it!
Ashley
I adore this. I’ve been super into Greek mythology since I was a youngster, too. I’ve always felt a special connection to Athena. She’s my girl. These outfits are amazing. I just really love what you do with the series. It’s my favorite one.
Maria
Love the outfits! Especially since you include what make ups that go with them! I totally agree that you take outfit ideas from all those mythological believes! There are so many of them, the possibilities would be endless! *so hoping that you’d make this into a series* x)
Elle Sees
I loooveeee the Inspired By series! Keep ‘em coming!
Mici
Beautiful post! Really inspiring, and I LOVE the greek mythology (always have). I think I would most likely put on Athena’s outfit, but I do identify myself mostly with Aphrodite ;)
Laura
I would identify most with Artemis :)
But I love ALL the looks, and like everyone else has been saying, this is definitely one of my fave CF posts ever! So creative and inspiring!!! Keep up the great writing, and great outfits and ideas!!!
Kristi
I love the Aphrodite outfit.. she is without competition my favorite godess. But one way that I would interpret it is with some red since Aphrodite was notorious for her jealous streak. I would also see the dress to be short and flowing since she was a huge flirt and showed off her body.
Paula
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this series!!!! Please write for CF forever :D
Tamsin
Awesome post! I’m often inspired by old mythology and folk tale illustrations, as well as native dress from around the world, so nice to see a post directly rooted in this sort of thing! Got to love a themed outfit.
Hera- Black maxi dress with a peacock headpiece (Hera was supposed to have created a monster called Argus who had 100 eyes, represented in the peacocks tail) and gold-tinted dramatic makeup (Queen of the Gods!)
Cathy
I agree with everyone; this is an amazing post, one of the best. This is creative and your outfits are wonderful. You did a beautiful job of drawing inspiration from Greek mythology. I love this series and find the series to be inspiring in itself because it seeks to draw fashion inspiration from interesting places. We always see celebrities and fashion magazines but we don’t think about things like literature as fashion-related. You proved to us that even Greek mythology (which I always found a little boring, honestly) can provide us with some great ideas!! Way to think outside the box, really! :)
Gracey
I love love LOVE this post! I am seriously tempted to go shopping for some of these things so I can look like a Greek goddess! I like that you included the owl necklace with the Athena outfit. We did Greek goddess projects in eighth grade where we had to memorize a speech and dress up as whatever goddess we were assigned. I was Athena, I definitely should have done an outfit like this and thrown my lit teacher off a bit haha :) but anyway great post! loved it!
Elizabeth
Hey,
Just wanted to throw my two cents in here…the accessories in this post, such as Athena’s owl watch and Artemis’ earrings, are particularly creative! I also would like to see future posts drawing inspiration from the Muses, more goddesses from Greek and other cultures, etc. This is one of my favorite CF posts ever…the art/history/mythology series has been so much fun to follow, and I look forward to seeing more of them!
Brianna
I really love Artemis and Athena’s looks. Aphrodite’s is pretty but I think the dress should have been short and flirty but that’s just my opinion.
nastasia
i just cannot get enough of those turban headbands!! who makes them? love the artemis look
JoAnne
I really love this, these are all so cute!! But for the Athena look, I’m not a shorts gal, so is there something you’d recommend me to use instead?
erica
i love it
Sarita
Yeah! I would love to see Hera and Persephone!
Katy
Great post. I love that you kept Athena “grey-eyed”.