Clothing and Fashion of Ancient Rome

Clothing and Fashion of Ancient Rome

Clothing and Fashion of Ancient Rome

What materials did they use?

Wool was used to make the majority of the garments in ancient Rome. Wool was produced both for domestic use and commercially throughout most of the Roman Empire, including Italy. Rare materials like silk from China, cotton from India, and linen from Egypt were occasionally used to make clothing.

Did they use bright colors?

Typically, men dress in white or off-white hues. Certain hues or patterns indicated a man’s social standing. Until marriage, women only wore white clothes. After they were married, they started dressing colorfully.

Men’s Clothing

Tunic 

The tunic was the most popular item of apparel for men. The tunic resembled an extended shirt. Its length ranged from ankles to little above the knees. To hold it snug around the waist, a belt was worn.

Toga

Men of the upper class wore togas outside the house or for formal events. The toga measured roughly eighteen feet in length and six feet in width. The person had it draped and wrapped around them in the newest fashion. The togas were incredibly cumbersome and painful.

Cloaks 

Roman males used a diverse range of cloaks to keep warm during inclement weather. Cloaks are exemplified by the lacerna, paenula, birrus, and pallium.
Roman men also wore undergarments, such as a light undertunic or loincloth.

Women’s Clothing

Tunic

The tunic was the most popular article of apparel for ladies. Peasants and single ladies wore it as their main article of clothing. Generally speaking, the women’s tunic was longer than the men’s.

Stola 

Roman married ladies traditionally wore the stola as their article of apparel. The stola was a long gown with pleats that belts secured. It could be embellished with colorful ribbons.

Cloaks 

In cold or inclement weather, ladies wore cloaks over their garments, much like men did. Over the stola, the palla was a traditional cloak attached with broaches.

Underclothes

A woman’s underwear was usually a light tunic that fit her closely.

Shoes

The majority of Romans wore leather sandals that were exposed. Additional shoe varieties included crepida, which are open shoes that resemble sandals, and calcei, which are closed boots.

Hairstyles

Throughout Ancient Rome’s history, hairstyles evolved. Artwork from the middle to late eras of the Roman Republic typically depicts males with clean-shaven faces and relatively short hair. During the Roman Empire, when beards and wavy hair were fashionable, this considerably changed.

The hairstyles of women differed greatly. Rich ladies had their hair styled into a bun, plaited in the back, curled, or fastened in place. The height of the Roman Empire saw a significant increase in the complexity of hairstyles.

Jewelry

Facts About the Clothing of Ancient Rome

• The exomis was a type of tunic used by working men that only went over one shoulder.
• Children often wore an amulet called a bulla to protect them from evil spirits.
• Ancient Romans also wore makeup to enhance their eyes and cheeks, and to cover skin blemishes.
• The “toga praetexta” had a wide purple border. It was only worn by senators and magistrates. The width of the stripes indicated the status of the official.
• Dark clothing was worn during times of mourning.
• Candidates running for political office wore a special kind of pure white toga called a “toga candida.”

Read also: Food and Drink in Ancient Rome