Roman men and women wore simple tunics as basic garments. Men's tunics were typically made of wool and sleeveless, while women also wore stoles and shawls. Wealthier women incorporated colorful fabrics like linen, cotton and silk. The toga was worn for formal occasions and came in various styles depending on status, including the toga praetexta for boys and officials. Footwear also differed between indoor slippers and outdoor shoes. Hairstyles became more elaborate over time and jewelry was a common accessory for women.

1. Chapter 8
Fashionable Romans

2. Focus
When you finish this presentation you will be able to
identify the basic garment worn by the Romans, the
basic garments worn by women and men. You will
also be able to distinguish the various types of togas.
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3. The Basics
There is some evidence that men wore a wool or linen loincloth as underwear.
 Additionally a woman might wear a soft leather band as if it were a primitive
bra.
However the tunica was the basic garment of the Romans.

4. The Tunic
It was made of white wool and was 2 rectangles sewn together.
It could have short sleeves or could be sleeveless.
Tunics were worn with a belt and which could shorten the length of it
depending on how active the wearer was.
Slaves, working men and children wore it by itself.
Roman male citizens would wear just the tunic while inside their homes.
Most people wore a plain tunic plain tunica
tunica angusticlavia had a narrow purple stripe and was worn by the Equites
(Knights);
tunica laticlavia had a broad purple stripe and was worn by senators.
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plain tunic
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equestrian tunic
VRoma Project
senatorial tunic

5. The Stripes Matter
Purple was an expensive dye and thus
the size the amount of purple used
signified a person’s status.
A broad purple stripe was worn by boys
and those who had become curule
magistrates. (Curule magistrates had
achieved the office of aedile or a higher
rank.)
The broad stripe became a visual
border of protection for those
mentioned above.

6. The Toga
The toga was a formal dress of the Roman citizen.
It was heavy and hindered the movement of the man wearing it, thus it was
only worn when required.
 It was required to be worn at public occasions such as at plays, chariot races,
gladiatorial games, formal dinner parties, when voting or when calling on his
patron.
There were also several types of togas.

7. Toga, Toga, Toga
Toga Praetexta: was worn by boys and curule magistrates; it had
a border consisting of a broad purple stripe
Toga Virilis: the toga of adulthood was off white without a
border. (AKA toga pura)
Toga Candida: was worn by candidates for office and was
whitened so the candidate would stand out
Toga Pulla: a dark toga made of black wool for mourning
Toga Picta: a purple toga with gold thread worn by victorious
generals and sometimes emperors
Toga Purpura: this was an all purple toga that by law could only
be worn by the emperor and may have been worn by the kings
Toga Exigua: an old fashioned short toga

8. The Women
Early on, women also seemed to
have worn togas, but eventually the
only women who wore them were
prostitutes.
Over their tunics, Roman matrons
would wear a stola.
A woman might also wear a palla.
This garment acted as a shawl and
could be worn over the shoulder or
it could be worn in such a way that
it acted as a hood covering the
head.

9. Fabrics
The men may have worn off
white wool, but the women
wanted different colors and
fabrics.
The women wore bight colors
and if they could afford it linen,
cotton and silk. Unfortunately
cotton and silk had to be
imported and were often
literally worth their weight in
gold.

10. It’s all about the Hair
Just as today, hairstyles and
length of beards changed with
the times.
In the earliest of times long
hair and a beard was
fashionable for men, but then a
clean shave and short hair
became the standard until the
emperor Hadrian tried to hide a
facial flaw with a beard.

11. It’s all about the Hair
For women the hairstyles started out simple
but eventually grew to be as elaborate as
they are now.
Apparently they used a form of curling iron,
extensions and wigs.
Some even dyed their hair blonde!
Hair was even imported from India and
taken from captives in Germany to make
wigs.
A wealthy woman would naturally have
need the help of a slave to style her hair.

12. And the shoes
The only distinction in footwear is outdoors vs.
indoors, not male vs. female.
Shoes were made mainly of leather and sometimes
wood
Calceus/Calcei: Outdoor shoes; shoes that encased
the foot; with toga were part of the national costume
Soccus/Socci: Slippers; soft
leather tied over the foot; worn
only at home
Solea/Soleae: Indoor shoes; Open
toed, thong sandals; AKA
sandalium/sandalia; would wear at a
dinner party but not to a dinner party
(a slave would carry them)

13. Oh, Jewelry too!
A common a practical item of jewelry was a brooch that could
fasten the clothing and make a statement. Some fibulae
resembled a modern safety pin and were made of bronze, gold
or silver. Woman wore a variety of necklaces, earrings,
bracelets, armlets and anklets. The could be made of gold or
silver with or without gems. Serpentine bracelets were popular.
Earrings often dangled sometimes all the way to the shoulder.
Garnets, emeralds and cameos were all popular and pearls were
especially treasured.
All pictures on this page are from the VRoma Project.

14. Assessment
For the quiz you will need to know the
various types of togas as well as what the
women wore and that the tunic was the
basic garment.