Download Ancient Roman Clothing

Clothing in Ancient
Rome
Before we
begin…
Think about all the different types of
clothing we wear.
1.Are there brands of clothing that
serve as a “status symbol”?
2.What types of clothing distinguish
those in different occupations?
Class differences
• Roman dress differed from one class to another.
• Plebians (common people) wore tunics made from a
coarse dark material.
• Patricians (upper class) wore tunics made of fine wool or
linen.
• Magistrates wore the tunic augusticlavia
• Senators wore the tunic laticlavia
• Military tunics were shorter than those worn by civilians
Roman Men
Wigs were worn by men as a disguise
and to hide baldness.
Long hair and beards went in and out
of style.
Men’s Jewelry
• Rings were the only thing
worn by Ancient Roman
men
• Many rings worn was
considered “tacky”
Fabric
Material
Color
• Silk
• Red
• Cotton
• Purple
• Wool
• Indigo
• Yellow
• Worn by married women
and Vestal Virgins
dyeing
Leather
We all know that the Italians are
known for their leather…
Leather provided warmth during the
cold seasons
Primary use was for belts and sandals
Toga praetexta
• A toga with a purple border
• Worn by priests and
magistrates
• Worn by Roman boys until
they were 16
Toga Virilis
• Off white toga worn by
adult males
Toga picta
• Purple with a gold border,
worn by victorious generals
Toga Candida
• Bright white toga worn by
men running for office
• Hence our word for
“candidate”
Tunics
A short-sleeved woolen shirt reaching
to the knees. It was the usual garment
for indoor wear.
Tunics
Footwear
• Footwear defined a person's position in society.
• Women wore closed shoes that were either white, green
or yellow.
• Men wore sandals.
• Patricians wore red sandals with an ornament at the
back.
• Senators wore brown footwear with black straps which
wound round the leg to mid-calf, where the straps were
tied.
• Consuls wore white shoes, and soldiers, heavy boots.
Footwear in Ancient
Rome
Roman
Military
Most Roman armor probably didn’t
shine. They used a lot of chain mail,
scale armor, and leather.
Women’s Clothing
• Over a tunic, women wore
the
• Stola: a long, full garment
extending to the feet and
fastened by a girdle at the
waste. It was worn indoors.
• Palla: a woolen, shawl-like
wrap for use outdoors.
Jewelry
The ancient Roman women loved ornate necklaces, pins, earrings, bracelets
and friendship rings. Pearls were favorites. Women often dyed their hair,
usually golden-red.
Women’s Hair
Hairpieces made women’s hair thicker or longer often made from the hair of
slave girls.
Sometimes they wore it down, curled in ringlets.
MakeUp
Yes, Ancient Roman women used
makeup too…
Children’s Clothing
Girls
Boys
• Girls wore a simple tunic
with a belt at the waist.
• Boys wore a tunic down to
their knees.
• When they went outside,
they wore a second tunic
that reached their feet.
• It was white, with a crimson
border.
The Bulla
Children wore a special locket around their neck, given to them at birth,
called a bulla. It contained an amulet as a protection against evil and was
worn on a chain, cord, or strap.
Washing the Clothes
• Well, if there weren’t
washers and dryers…
• Clothing was washed by
hand and dried on racks.
Making
Connections
The dress code of the day was
complex and had to reflect one's
position accurately in the social order,
one's gender, and one's language.
Do you think these ideas about
clothing still exist today?