Greek Key Costume Trim: Stylish Simplicity

What are Common Colors for Greek Key Designs?

Greek Keys consist of two solid colors: one color for the line, and another for background. Any and all colors can and have been used. One color scheme element, however, remains consistent throughout almost all designs: a relatively brightly-colored line against a neutral-colored background. This, obviously, is to make the line design stand out.

What Do Greek Key Design Symbolize?

Greek Key designs are most commonly associated with Greece, particularly Ancient Greece. Modern day Greek restaurants, for example, use Greek Key trim decorating the walls, the menus, the plates, and so on.

After Greece, Rome is the most common association of Greek Keys. The Romans adopted the Greek Key fairly quickly, and used it to decorate their art, architecture, and, yes, used Greek Key trim for clothing.

Item #2016 Purple Silver Greek Key Trim

Historians suspect that Greek Key trim had a religious connotation, given how frequently it appears in temple architecture and religious art. Unfortunately, not is 100% positive what it represents. The best guess is that Greek Keys symbolize infinity, unity, and the cycle of life—one with so many twists and turns that it is not easily recognized as a circle.

Greek key designs are a simple, useful, and popular choice for costume trim. The design is simple enough to be seen from a distance (such as in an audience), yet just complex enough to still be stylish and decorative. This article will describe the different uses for Greek Key costume trim, including a more detailed definition, its history (when it was used, and by who), common color schemes, and possible symbolism.

What Is a Greek Key Design?

A Greek Key design is a type of line art. In a Greek Key, a single line turns back on itself (usually in a series of square 90-degree right-angle turns) into a repeating geometric motif. It is called “Greek Key” because the square pieces sticking out from the pattern look like an old-fashioned key.

Item #2011 Gold White Greek Key Trim

This design is also known as a Greek Line, a Greek Fret, or a Meander. The term “meander” comes from the Maeander River in southwest Turkey, a river that twists and turns constantly, but still flows more or less in one direction. Greek Key designs, true to its imitation of a river, features a single line (not multiple) which, although it may twist and turn in each motif, ultimately returns to the same path heading the same direction to repeat the motif again further “downstream”.

There are three elements that separate Greek Key line art as unique from other types of line art. First, it consists of a single line, not several. Second, it almost always features angles (usually right angles), not curves. Finally, like the river it is named after, the single line in a Greek Key or Meander design never crosses over itself. In Celtic Knotwork line art of the Irish or the Islamic line art of the Middle East, for example, there are usually multiple lines, many curves, and they frequently cross over or under other lines to create a very complex design.

Item #3041 Gold Black Greek Key Trim

Greek Keys have also been used to symbolize mazes, perhaps recalling the Greek legend of Theses slaying the Minotaur in an underground maze. Greek Keys have also been used to symbolize the waves of the ocean, especially when using a white line against a blue background.

How Should Greek Key Trim Be Used in Costuming?

Greek Key trim is extremely useful for stage costuming. Any play taking place during the Greek or Roman eras (a time spanning almost 2000 years) can make use of Greek Key costume trim. Historically, Greek Key trim, being simple and easy to embroider, continued on into the Roman-influenced Dark Ages of Europe.

In a pinch, costumer could put Greek Key trim on any costume up to about 900 AD.Greek Key designs almost make good costume trim for the stage because it is simple enough to be seen from the audience at a distance, especially if a wide costume trim with a bright line color is used.
 

 Item #2010 Red White Greek Key Trim

To see some of our other trim designs click below:

Celtic Trim Celtic Knot Trim Celtic Griffin Trim Celtic Cross Trim Celtic Running Dog Trim Celtic Beastie Trim Celtic Saxon Knot Trim Greek Key Trim Fleur de Lis Trim Renaissance Trim Medieval Trim Vestment Trim Floral Trim Scroll Trim Geometric Trim Embroidered Trim Sewing Trim Jacquard Trim