vestimenta Romana
vestimenta - garments, robes or clothing
Clothing was one of the most important aspects of Roman culture.
Why might this be the case?
Clothing indicated one’s status or position in society. From the lower class tunica to the
official toga praetexta and toga pulla, clothing was as functional in this capacity as it was
something that “looked good.”
How is clothing today used to indicate one’s position in society?
Is this taken seriously in America?
So what kinds of clothing did the Romans wear?
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The ara pacis (Alter of Peace) built to honor the pax Romana of Augustus shows a formal
procession where we see men, women and children all dressed in their nicest togae or
tunicae.
Note the flowing nature of the clothing and the grandeur and elegance of the procession.
Clothing, like today, was just as much a part of the spectacle of formal affairs during Roman
times.
What did Roman men wear?
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toga
The toga was the “national Roman” garment of the time.
The privilege of wearing a toga was reserved to Roman citizens alone. No matter how
wealthy or the position of non-Romans, they were not permitted to wear this garment.
When a Senator was condemned to some form of punishment for a crime committed, it was
said that the worst part of the punishment was the stripping of his toga.
The toga, in early Rome was considered to be a formal garment to be worn only in official
capacities or special affairs. Later it became the daily outfit for those in the Senatorial or
Equestrian orders.
What was it like to wear a toga?
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Togae were very hot garments. They were clumsy and very hard to wear for most who did
not don them regularly.
The material was almost always wool. Colors originally were natural but changed over time
to pure white or even purple (in the case of that worn by the Emperor)
They were extremely hard to put on without the assistance of someone else’s help. For this
reason, servi were trained and became experts in assisting their domini in dressing.
Togae were immense pieces of oval-shaped fabric sometimes reaching up to four yards in
length, which had to be wrapped around the body several times in a very particular style.
This notion alone may have prompted Cicero to utter the words “they wrap themselves in
sails not in togas.”
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toga praetexta
The toga praetexta was the formal garment originally worn by boys and girls until an age
around fourteen to sixteen.
This toga featured a broad purple border that was woven on a loom first, before any other
part of the toga, thus the word praetexta. Its name comes from the way it was actually made.
This toga was usually worn with a bulla - an ornament worn by children around the neck.
This was the way to differentiate between the praetexta for children and its later use.
The toga praetexta later became the standard garment of curile magistrates, those involved in
sacred orders.
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toga virilis
The toga virilis, or toga of manhood, was received by Roman boys around the age of sixteen
after they had shed the toga praetexta when their fathers judged them to be mature.
This was the most standard toga worn by Roman men.
It was off-white in color and made of the typical wool material.
The assumption of the toga virilis was the final act in a very formal ceremony. Naturally, girls
did not take the toga virilis. They wore the toga praetexta until marriage.
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toga picta
The toga picta was worn only by the highest officials, Emperors or those presiding over
games.
A Roman dictator or highly decorated and victorious general, like the one in the model
above, would also have the opportunity to wear the toga picta upon re-entering the city
during a triumphal procession.
This toga was usually purple and embroidered with gold, though at times, especially during
the triumphal procession, it may have been blue or green.
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toga pulla
The toga pulla was worn strictly as a garment of mourning at either a funeral or at a time
when there was certain calamity.
For this reason this toga was dyed to some dark color, usually black or brown but not always
these colors.
One would also wear the toga pulla at such a time as when he/she was a defendant in a
lawsuit.
What did a Roman man wear at home?
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tunica
When indoors, most Romans stripped off their togae and opted for a much cooler and
lighter tunica. Much of the time it was worn under the toga.
The tunica was a garment of Greek origin and was worn by both men and women.
It was a long “shirt” sewn together with holes for the arms and head. Sometimes it was
sleeveless. It was drawn up at the waist and bound with a belt. Without the belt, it would fall
to around the ankles.
A couple of specialized tunicae existed. An eques wore a tunica with a narrow purple stripe
running down its length (angusticlavia). A Senator had a broad purple stripe (laticlavia).
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lacerna
The lacerna was worn by many younger people in Roman times.
This was a large cloak worn over a toga or tunica that flowed from the shoulders to the midshin or ankles.
The lacerna wrapped around its wearer’s neck and was fastened by a fibula (a decorative sort
of “safety” pin).
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sagum
The sagum was also a type of cloak but was cut shorter than the lacerna and featured a
hood.
Saga were sometimes decorative with fringe around the bottom and accented by the fibula
used to fasten it over one shoulder.
The sagum was issued to Roman soldiers upon entrance into the army, though it was also
worn by the general citizenry.
Much of the time it was worn during cooler nights or when it rained.
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feminae Romanae
What did Roman women wear in their daily lives? Some of their clothing
options included the same things men wore but not all things.
We know that Roman women did not wear some of the specialized clothing already
discussed (toga virilis, toga picta, angusticlavia, laticlavia) but why would this be the case?
Women were not allowed to take part in the same sorts of business that men were. They
could not hold a seat in the Senate, nor could they hold any public office, though they could
hold one type of official position as a vestal virgin.
Women did not have a large selection of their own clothing styles from which to choose.
What we do know of the origins of the styles of clothing the women could wear were
Greek.
So what kinds of clothing did Roman women wear besides those we already know of
(tunicae, togae praetextae?)
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stola
Once a young lady was married, she shed her toga praetexta and took up a stola.
The stola was worn over top of an inner tunica.
This article of clothing was more elaborate than the male tunica sometimes having long
sleeves and sometimes being sleeveless.
The stola was not sewn together but held together by a series of fibulae or other types of
pins and clasps (sometimes covered with gems).
How is the stola similar to the tunica?
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palla
Once dressed in her stola, a women then was wrapped in her palla, which is much like a large
shawl.
The palla wrapped around similarly to the toga but was made of numerous types of material
rather than the typical wool used for togae.
Pallae were made in all colors and patterns with embroidery or a solid color. They also came
in many different sizes.
The palla was a part of the “outfit” of womanhood taken up when a woman was married.
With its folds and the flowing nature of the palla it is sometimes easily mistaken for a toga.
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caligae
Caligae were shoes worn by all Romans.
Some types of caligae were open-toed and others had strips of leather that covered the
toes.
Women wore their caligae in lighter colors and sometimes decorated with various gems
studding the leather straps. They also wore their caligae with varying strap styles.
A Roman soldier wore his caligae, in the Winter, with wool socks as the openings between
the leather straps did not offer protection from the cold.
Some styles of caligae used in the northern Empire were equipped with deeply studded
bottoms, which provided traction for the owner.
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