What
were the ancient Rome costumes
and
fashion history?
By
Richard Marrison
Ancient
Roman clothing was simple and evolving. The fashion and costumes of
this era mainly consisted of Toga, tunic, and Stola. Togas and Stola
were the forms of official or outdoor costumes, while Tunics were
indoor and informal costumes.
Wool,
linen, silk, cotton, and hemp were the prominent clothing materials
produced in the Roman territory. However, Silk and cotton were
reserved only for the rich and were imported from India and China.
Like
in most of the ancient Empires, clothes in ancient Rome represented
the citizen's class and position in the society. Every individual had
a specific statement attire to define who they were and what
background they came from.
The
most interesting fact about the costume and fashion of Ancient Rome
was the Romans never wore pants as they found pants a ridiculous and
uncivilized form of clothing.
Toga
Toga
consisted of a single length of wool cloth, characteristic loose, cut
in a semicircle, and draped around the wearer's body without any
fastenings. It was worn outermost over a tunic.
A
portrait of a man wearing Roman Toga
The
Toga was a complex form of clothing, and it needed much time and
effort to drape it the right way. It was first pleated and draped
over the left shoulder and passed across the body under the right
arm.
Togas
remained the statement garment for the higher classes throughout the
Roman empire.
Originally both genders wore togas, but gradually the women abandoned
them for the Stola.
The
Toga was the symbol of Roman citizenship; hence, only free male
citizens of Rome could wear it at least sixteen years of age. Slaves
and foreigners were forbidden to wear togas.
Based
on design, coloration, and occasions, Togas were broadly divided into
six types.
Toga
Pura
This
was A plain white toga worn by adult male commoners on formal
occasions. Senators not having a curule magistrate also wore Toga
Pura. This cloth represented adult male citizenship and its attendant
rights, freedom as well as responsibilities.
Toga
trabea
In
ancient Rome, the elite groups of the society wore a toga with a
stripe of purple or saffron called toga trabea. The distinct feature
of all trabeas was their color. Religion specialists who interpreted
the meanings of natural signs wore a toga trabea with saffron or
purple stripes. Purple and white striped Toga was worn by Romulus and
other consuls at essential ceremonies.
Toga
Praetexta
The
Roman magistrate or free-bourbon youth wore a toga with a
reddish-purple border known as Toga Praetexta. Some free-born girls
might have worn these as well. It marked their protection by law from
sexual predation and bad influence. Boys wore this Toga until age
fourteen to sixteen when they assumed the Toga Pura. The girls gave
up the garment around the age of puberty.
Toga
Candida
This
was the bleached version of white Toga worn by senators and
candidates for public office. The bright white color was achieved by
rubbing chalk over the Toga.
Toga
Pulla
Romans
wore this darkened Toga for mourning at elite funerals.
Toga
Picta
The
most striking of all of the togas were the Toga Picta. Dyed all
purple and given gold rim, it was reserved only for generals when
they celebrated a Roman triumph and, in the later imperial period,
emperors.
Stola
Another
formal clothing of Romans was Stola. It was the traditional woolen
garment of Roman women, considered the female counterpart to the
Toga. Stola, the staple of fashion in ancient Rome, was a long
pleated dress that sometimes hung from the shoulder with straps. It
represented marital status and was worn only by married women.
A
statue of Livia with palla and Stola
Another
formal clothing of Romans was Stola. It was the traditional woolen
garment of Roman women, considered the female counterpart to the
Toga. Stola, the staple of fashion in ancient Rome, was a long
pleated dress that sometimes hung from the shoulder with straps. It
represented marital status and was worn only by married women.
The
clothing didn't have many varieties like Toga as ancient Rome was
highly patriarchal, and women didn't have a broad spectrum of
careers. However, Stola was made in different colors, including red,
yellow, and blue.
Necklines
and hem were decorated with more details and embellishments for
higher-class women. For commoners, these would be a simple band of
color or pattern. Wealthier Roman women also used expensive jewelry
and elaborate hairstyles with the stolas to advertise their social
rank and luxury.
Tunic
The
tunic was an essential garment for both genders and all classes in
ancient Rome. However, it was not the official clothing for Romans
and was worn only for indoor purposes.
A
picture of Roman Tunic - 6th Century AD
The
Tunic was designed differently for males and females. Males wore
loose-fitting ones that began at the neck and ended right above the
knee. For women, it could be either loose or fitted, beginning at the
neck and extending over a skirt.
The
male wore a tunic under a toga, whereas it could be worn plain or
belted at the waist. Tunic represented the wearer's class in Roman
society.
Roman
senators wore a tunic with broad purple stripes. Members of the
equestrian class wore it with narrower stripes, whereas soldiers,
slaves, and manual workers generally had tunics to a little above the
knee.
Women
generally wore a long tunic that reached the foot or instep. It was
worn underneath the Stola or could be belted at the waist and very
decorated.
What
kinds of undergarments did the Romans wear?
Under
the Toga or Tunic, ancient roman men and women wore an undergarment
made up of linen. Men wore a loincloth called perizoma. Women had
their version of activewear similar to today's bikini, Strophium
being the top piece and Subligaculum being the bottom one.
What
were the colors of the Roman clothing?
The
prominent colors worn by ancient Roman were white, purple, blue,
scarlet, red, yellow, green, brown, and black. Organic dyes were used
to produce the required colors and their different shades. Wine,
salts, shells, beetroot, sheep urine, lentils, fungus, mosses,
flowers, barley malt, insects, and vinegar were the most used organic
materials for dyes.
Purple
was considered as the royal color as mainly emperors wore it. The
purple dye was expensive, which was obtained by crushing thousands of
shells of Mediterranean murex.
Crimson(extracted
from the dried bodies of female insect
Kermes ilicis),
indigo (extracted from indigo plant), and saffron yellow( extracted
from the bright red stigmas of the Saffron crocus) were the expensive
dyes. The most common and cheap dyes were yellow( extracted from a
European plant called weld), green( extracted from lichens), and
black(produced by burning the crushed remains of grapes).
What
kind of shoes did ancient Romans wear?
As
with clothing, footwear too indicated the wearer's social class,
rank, and power. Senators wore a unique sandal with four black
thongs, whereas the emperors wore the same style but with red thongs.
The poor and the slaves wore low-quality footwear, and the prisoners
had to wear wooden slippers.
Romans
primarily wore sandals indoors with socks. While venturing outside,
they preferred shoes that entirely covered feet. Roman-style footwear
for both genders was similar. Boots were typically made of leather,
designed to cover the feet correctly, and fastened in front with
thongs.
Roman
soldiers wore durable boots called Caligae, which were open-toed
boots made with hobnails that gave extra traction.
Accessories
of the Ancient Rome
Ancient
Roman necklace made up of carnelian stone and gold
The
commonly used accessories in Ancient Rome were jewelry, beads, hair
accessories, breast chains, and makeup.
Jewelry
Roman
jewelry was renowned for its complex design made from colorful gems
and glass beads. Diamonds., Sapphires and emeralds were the expensive
gems used by the higher ranks alongside gold and bronze. The other
materials used were pearl, bone, fossilized wood, and glass.
For
wealthy men, wearing a single or several rings was remarkable enough.
However, they also wore bracelets, collars with pendants, torcs, and
brooch pins to secure their cloaks.
In
contrast, women had more collections of jewelry as it was the
expression of power and luxury. Necklaces, amulets, rings, earrings,
anklets, and armlets were the classic pieces of jewelry worn by
women. Brooch and fibula, a kind of cloth fastener, were also very
popular among women.
Hairstyling
and hair accessories
Romans
gave hairstyling significant importance in Ancient Rome.
Men
kept their hair long in early times, but it gradually changed over
time. Elaborate curls that frame the face. Sideburns were famous
among Roman men. Wearing wigs and dying varieties of dark and light
shades became a significant fashion fad among men.
For
women, the simpler the hairstyles, the better it was. They allowed
their hairs to fall freely, confining only with bands or pins. Buns
were also in practice among young women. Wigs were additionally a
part of hairstyling fashion to enhance the beauty of women.
Makeup,
Cosmetics, and Beauty Care
People
in ancient Rome were highly conscious of their looks and beauty. They
were highly influenced by the beauty trends of the Greeks and
Egyptians.
Cosmetics
were only concerned for women and applied in private rooms where men
did not enter. Wealthy women had easy access to quality cosmetics,
whereas working classes were limited to knock-off products.
Christian
women avoided cosmetics as they believed in being happy with how God
created them. The cosmetic products were made from a rational blend
of chemicals and excrement.
Kohl,
the critical ingredient for eye makeup, was made up of ashes or soot
and antimony. Roman women used colored eyeshadows to enhance the eye.
To
whiten the face, women opted for chalk and white lead pigment.
Red
lips were achieved either using bromine or beetle juice. For blushes,
women used pretty rose petals, preferably darker red ones.
Roman
women also loved to smell excellent and desirable. To overcome the
strong smell of the chemicals used in cosmetics, deodorant made from
alum, iris, and rose petals were common.
Costumes
and fashion in ancient Rome were more than a basic need. It was the
expression of liberty, a symbol of luxury, advertisement of social
rank, and validation of power.
Conclusion
Ancient
Rome was the epitome of progressing modern language, religion, law,
art, and architecture. And most importantly, the costumes and fashion
of this beautiful era were some of the fascinating aspects of this
civilization.
In
conclusion, their clothing and fashion were simple, elegant, and
practical for the era. Based on the social hierarchy and status,
people had to dress appropriately. Clothing was not just a basic
survival need, but also the identification of one's gender, status,
rank, and social class. Ancient Roman fashion reflects a lot about
the social construct and ideology of the people in the era.
Roman
Clothing and Fashion
There is
plenty of information about military dress in Roman Britain and the
rest of the Roman Empire, but the evidence for civilian dress has not
been comprehensively looked at since the 1930s. In this richly
illustrated survey, Alexandra Croom describes the range and style of
clothing worn throughout the Western Empire and shows how fashions
changed between the first and the sixth centuries. After a short
introduction to the evidence (from archaeology, art and literature),
and to the manufacture of clothing and its use in status display, she
systematically treats male and female dress, looking at the tunic,
toga (for men), mantle (for women) and cloaks; underwear, footwear
and specialist wear; hats, hairstyles and jewellery. The book
concentrates on the clothing work in the Mediterranean region, but
includes a section on provincial fashions. A fine and varied corpus
of illustrations (including colour plates) helps to bring the
everyday world of the Roman Empire to life.
The Toga
and Roman Identity
This book
traces the togas history from its origins in the Etruscan garment
known as the tebenna,
through its use as an everyday garment in the Republican period to
its increasingly exclusive role as a symbol of privilege in the
Principate and its decline in use in late antiquity. It aims to shift
the scholarly view of the toga from one dominated by its role as a
feature of Roman art to one in which it is seen as an everyday object
and a highly charged symbol that in its various forms was central to
the definition and negotiation of important gender, age and status
boundaries, as well as political stances and ideologies. It discusses
the togas significance not just in Rome itself, but also in the
provinces, where it reveals ideas about cultural identity, status and
the role of the Roman state. The Toga and
Roman Identity shows that, by looking in
detail at the history of Romes national garment, we can gain a better
understanding of the complexities of Roman identity for different
groups in society, as well as what it meant, at any given time, to be
Roman.
Links
