Alexander used to dress up in sacred costumes at banquets. Sometimes he wore Ammon's purple robe, slippers, and a pair of horns like the god; sometimes he dressed up in the garb of Artemis (which he often wore on his chariot), with a Persian robe and a bow and quiver hanging from his shoulders. On occasion he put on the costume of Hermes: his daily clothing was a purple cloak, an off-white tunic and a Macedonian hat with a royal diadem, but at parties he used to wear sandals, a traveller's hat, and carried a herald's staff in his hand; he also often sported a lion-skin and a club like Heracles.

There was in fact much of the tragic actor about Demetrius. He not only wore the most extravagant clothing and head-gear, Macedonian hats with double diadems and purple robes with golden decoration, but also slippers of rich purple felt with gold embroidery. He also had an amazing cloak, long in the making, with the universe and stars woven into it; this was left half-finished when he suffered his reversal of fortune, and none of the later kings of Macedon dared to use it, although they were hardly modest in their own lifestyles.