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Roman
Clothing
citizen, matron, curule magistrate, emperor, general, workman, slave
The Toga

The toga was made from white wool or white Egyptian linen. It was square
or rectangular in shape and was worn draped around the body. Togas were
arranged very carefully, in a stylish way.

The salutatio, speeches, solemnities, big festivities, and visits of
important people were reasons to wear such an uncomfortable toga. In
the daily life the toga wasn't very important because you couldn't move
easily in it.

A Roman could tell how important or wealthy a person was from their
toga. Consuls and senators wore a toga edged with purple. When a Roman
was a candidate for one of the many political functions, he was allowed to
wear a toga candida, an extra white toga. Some emperors' togas were
made entirely from either purple or black cloth. Black togas, though,
were usually only worn in times of mourning.
The Tunic
 The tunic was worn the whole day by proletarians, shopkeepers, building
workers etc., because you could move comfortably in this article of
clothing. Sometimes the tunic was also worn under the toga. The tunic
was a simple long shirt with primitive sleeves. Tunics were made of cool
linen, for summer wear, and warm wool, for winter wear.
 (E1) A long-sleeved tunic was put on first and over it (E2) a shorter tunic
with short sleeves. (E3) The outfit was completed by a cloak fastened
with a buckle on the right shoulder.
 (F) Women's tunics often had sleeves fastened with buckles. The over
garment was often sleeveless and a cloak would be worn over it. All these
garments were dyed in different colors, usually quite bright ones.
Men's Clothing
A man's underwear was a loincloth and it was
made of wool or linen. He wore a tunic over it
which was made from two rectangles
stitched at the side and shoulders and tied
with a belt. Men wore a knee-length tunic,
either sleeveless or short-sleeved. Ordinary
men wore tunics in various colors. A tunic
with a purple stripe running down the front
was a senator's tunic. Roman men wore a toga
over their tunic, which was like a wide shawl
that was draped over the shoulder and
carefully wrapped around the body. A cloak
was worn at night and during winter for
warmth, and as protection against rain and
wind. Outdoors people in rural areas wore
cloaks and trousers.
Senator - White toga, purple bands and boots
Knight - White toga and tunic, purple bands and sandals
Magistrate - White tunic, purple toga, gold embroidery
High Rank - White tunic, purple tunic, gold embroidery
Openings for the arms were left at the top of the garment, creating an effect of short sleeves when the tunic was
belted; since tunics were usually not cut in a T-shape, this left extra material to drape under the arm, as can be
clearly seen in this statue of a first-century CE orator in tunic and toga.
The back of the toga was pulled over the head for religious ceremonies, as in this statue of Augustus as chief priest.
Most ancient statues do not show these stripes, but this wall painting from a lararium in Pompeii depicts both the tunica
laticlavia and toga praetexta.
Sometimes their tunics also left one shoulder uncovered, as depicted in this mosaic of a man named Frucius (whose narrow
stripes indicate equestrian rank) being attended by two slaves, Myro and Victor.
Slaves were not inevitably dressed in poor clothing, however; Junius, the young kitchen slave depicted in this mosaic, wears a
more elegant tunic and a gold neckchain.
Women's Clothing
Women wore a loincloth as underwear and
sometimes for a brassiere or corsets. They wore
a tunica over it, probably of fine wool or linen.
Women wore a tunica which was adapted from
the Greek chiton. The tunica was usually kneelength. Over this the women wore a stola which
was a full length from neck to ankle, highwaisted and fastened at the shoulders with
clasps. The stola was usually either white, brown
or grey, though some were brightly coloured
with vegetable dyes. Richer women had brightly
colored stolas made out of silk or fine Indian
cotton. Many women wore a veil or scarf to
protect their hair when they were outside. A
shawl, called a palla, was worn wrapped around
the shoulders and arm, or could be draped over
her head. Cloaks were worn to keep warm.
Under tunic, stola, palla
Under tunic, stola, palla
Purple stola, gold embroidery
Young woman - Under tunic stola
depiction of a matron whose elegantly draped palla has a fringe
Statues of the first empress Livia prominently display her stola, even in this one whose head has been lost, a close-up clearly
shows the strap of her stola.
We do not know a great deal about Roman underclothes, but there is evidence that women wore a simple, wrapped loincloth
(subligar or subligaculum, meaning “little binding underneath”) at least some of the time. Women also sometimes wore a band
of cloth or leather to support the breasts (strophium or mamillare). Both these undergarments can be seen on the women
from this fourth-century CE mosaic.
Accessories
Footwear
 (G-H) The most common form of footwear was the sandal laced across
the instep. (I) Boots like this called a cothurnus or buskin were regarded
as divine garments and were supposed to be worn by the gods. Some
emperors wore them too. In the theatre they were associated with
tragedy in contrast to the flat soccus worn by comic actors. Some people
particularly soldiers and wagoners wore short ankle-length boots
(peronis). (J) Philosophers and people who believed in the simple life wore
light sandals, often made of papyrus, (K) the cartabina, also laced across
the top, was worn by peasants.
Sandal, Buskin, Soft Leather Shoe, Sandal
woman's leather thong-style sandal with a gold ornament, simple workman's shoe
ancient leather shoes on top and modern reconstructions below
Men’s Hairstyles
Hadrian
 Men’s hairstyles and beards varied with the times. In early Roman times,
men wore long hair and full beards. For a while, they were clean-shaven
with short hair. About 1cAD, they had started to style their hair, and
wear beards again. Wigs were worn by men as a disguise and to hide
baldness.
Women's Hairstyles
Women's hairstyles varied from period to period and were often
very elaborate. Sometimes the hair wasn't thick enough for the
current style and then wigs would be worn. (A) This complicated
structure of plaits piled on top of the head was worn by young
girls on their wedding day. (B) and (C) The "bird's nest" or
"diadem" style appeared under the Flavians and lasted a long time
with variations. (D) An early hairstyle. Until the middle of the
first century, styles remained fairly simple.
various hairstyles
the unusual hairstyle worn by Julia Domna during the latter half of the second century CE
bust of Sabina, wife of emperor Hadrian
side view of Flavian hairstyle
rear view of Flavian hairstyle
somewhat less elegant Flavian ladies
Jewelry
Cameo portraits were worn, as in this pendant depicting a married couple.
 Most early Roman jewelry resembled Greek and Etruscan jewelry, but
Roman styles eventually developed. The Romans were fond of colored
stones such as topaz, emeralds, rubies and sapphires. Pearls were
favorites. Pendants, especially cameos in gold frames, were popular.
 Rings were the only jewelry worn by Roman citizen men, and good manners
dictated only one ring. Of course, some men did not follow "good taste",
and wore as many as sixteen rings.
 The ancient Roman women loved ornate necklaces, pins, earrings,
bracelets and friendship rings.
A representative collection of jewelry from the first to the third centuries
CE includes earrings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets and rings of gold, gems
(garnets were especially popular), and cameos.
Gold coins (aurei) were often made into jewelry: a pendant with a coin of the empress Julia Domna, a pendant with garnets
and a coin of the emperor Caracalla (son of Julia Domna and Septimius Severus).
Silver was used less frequently, as in this medallion with chain or this bracelet with a portrait of a child.
an armband with coins of Caracalla and his wife Plautilla
The portrait of this woman is one of many so-called “mummy portraits” dating from Egypt after it became a Roman province; these portraits,
usually depicting only the face and shoulders, present us with strikingly individualized faces of varying ethnicities, Greco-Roman clothing,
adornment, and hairstyles, combined with the quintessentially Egyptian custom of mummification. We know that this woman was named
Isidora, since her name is painted in Greek on the wooden sarcophagus, and her hairstyle dates to the period of the emperor Trajan, the
beginning of the second century CE.
Bibliography
Akiko G. Kayoko S. and Seung Yeob L. Ancient Rome. March 25, 2001.
http://www.internet-at-work.com/hos_mcgrane/rome/eg_rome_menu1.html
Lin and Don Donn. Daily Life in Ancient Rome. March 25, 2001.
http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/Romelife.html#HAIR
McManus, Barbara. Roman Clothing. April 4, 2001. http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/clothing.html
Roma, History and Civilization of the Eternal City. March 26, 2001.
http://cyberfair.gsn.org/citrag/roma/eng_home.htm
Roman Life. March 25, 2001.
http://www.dl.ket.org/latin1/things/romanlife/index.htm
The daily life in Rome. March 26, 2001.
http://library.thinkquest.org/22866/English/Romday/RomDag.html
The Romans Page. March 25, 2001. http://ireland.iol.ie/~coolmine/typ/romans/intro.html