Final answer:
Changes to the Kore in the Classical period include more naturalistic body shapes with defined hips and less exaggerated waists, while still maintaining a focus on elaborate clothing and accessories. These sculptures retained generic facial features but showed a transition towards a more realistic form within the stylized constraints of their dress.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Classical period, significant changes occurred in the style and features of kore sculptures. Compared to earlier Archaic counterparts, korai of the Classical period began showing more naturalistic body shapes, such as defined hips, rather than dramatic belted waistlines. Clothing and accessories continued to play a major role in the figures, as they were finely draped in garments like the chiton, himation, and mantle. Jewelry and the iconic 'Archaic smile' persisted, maintaining a generic facial expression that upheld the idealized Greek female image, both fully clothed and demure.
It is notable that while these figures became increasingly realistic in form, they still functioned as votive offerings, often found within the sanctuary of the Acropolis in Athens after being ritually buried following desecration by the Persians. The evolution in kore representation can be seen in the gradual shift from more rigid and stylized forms to those which suggest a sense of naturalism within the constraints of the ensemble, reflecting broader movements in Greek sculpture that were occurring during the same period.