Women's clothing of the ancient Romans. How did the clothes of the ancient Romans differ from the clothes of the ancient Greeks?

How to wear a toga correctly? How did Roman women dress? Do Italians need warm clothes? And finally, did the Romans wear underwear? You will get answers to all these questions by reading this review.

Villagers and slaves

A slave, entering a Roman's house, dressed in the same work clothes, which was worn by an ordinary Italian peasant. The peasant's wardrobe, as a rule, consisted of a tunic - a long shirt with short (to the elbow or above) sleeves and a thick cloak. For the tunic, they took two panels and sewed them together so that there was a hole for the head (the tunic was put on over the head). Sometimes the tunic had only the left sleeve; the right hand remained completely free, and the panels of the tunic were fastened on the right shoulder with a clasp, as the Greeks often dressed.

Columella recommended giving slaves “skins with sleeves” for cold and rainy seasons, that is, casings and “cloak-like hoods” (sagacei cuculli). These hoods (cuculiones) are already mentioned by Cato; These are short capes that covered the shoulders, chest and part of the back, with a pointed cap that was worn on the head.

There were cuculliones of a different cut: a short continuous cape with a single round hole for the face - something like a bag, only tailored to a person’s figure.

Cato believed that slaves should be given one tunic per year and a cloak that would last two years. Since the washing of woolen items was carried out by fulons and was not done at home, and clothes tend to get dirty quickly, in warm time for years slaves walked naked.

As for the peasants, the variety of their wardrobe depended on their wealth. It is clear that wealthy villagers owned more than one tunic.

Craftsmen going about their business are often depicted with their cloaks hanging down to their knees, but they work indoors.

The rural population wore wooden shoes for footwear. Both peasants and slaves preferred, of course, to walk in homemade lightweight sandals made of sparta or rope. Such “sandals” were woven for oxen; it was natural to make such light and cheap shoes for themselves. But shoes were worn infrequently, since they were an extra burden during work.

Military

The soldier's cloak was called Sagum, which was usually contrasted with the civilian toga. This is a quadrangular piece of thick, coarse woolen fabric, which was draped over the back and fastened with a fibula on the right shoulder or in front under the throat. You could wrap yourself entirely in it and you could throw both floors behind your back: it didn’t restrict your movements. During the battle, the cloak was thrown over the free hand or thrown back.

Tunic

Let us note that the tunic was an all-class clothing; it was worn by both slaves and senators. Ancient Roman authors argued that ancient times The Romans did not wear a tunic, and all their clothing was very simple and consisted of a loincloth and a toga. It is not known whether this really happened, or whether this is just an idealized image of the past, but the toga became firmly established as part of Roman clothing.

The tunic was belted and trimmed so that in the front it went down just below the knees, and in the back it reached the bend of the knee; lowering it much lower was “feminine” and not appropriate for a man, but lifting it higher, “carrying it like centurions,” was not at all decent. Slaves wore short tunics and often without a belt; artisans at work and traders behind the counter also happened to take off their belts. At home it was possible not to wear a belt, but going out into the street in this form was considered indecent.

In the cold season they could wear several tunics.

In wealthy circles who did not engage in physical labor, they preferred a white tunic; among peasants, artisans and slaves it was dark, non-staining in color. Senators and equestrians wore tunics with purple vertical stripes(clavi), which ran parallel to one another from the neck to the very bottom of the tunic and in front and behind, on the chest and on the back. For senators, these stripes were wide, which is why their tunics were called laticlavia, and for horsemen, they were narrow - angusticlavia. A special tunic was worn by the triumphant: it was embroidered with golden palm branches, kept in the Temple of Capitoline Jupiter, listed as part of the temple inventory and issued only on the day of the triumph.

Noble Romans

Noble Romans did not go out without a toga, as it was considered indecent. The toga is purely Roman clothing. Unlike the tunic, the toga was bulky and uncomfortable; it was necessary to achieve great skill in order to be able to put it on correctly. During the early republic, a small toga was in use; later it became wider and longer.

Speaker in a small toga

For a toga, they took a piece of material in the shape of an ellipse, usually twice or three times larger than required for the figure. This material was taken with both hands by its wide edge, grabbing about a third of the entire piece and, having gathered it into folds, thrown it over the left shoulder so that it was covered. left hand and in front the end hung down almost to the ground (this end was called lacinia). Then the material (about a third of its width) was passed under the right arm (in the old days it was pulled tightly over the back), at hip height it was again gathered into folds and, stretched obliquely across the chest, the end was thrown over the left shoulder: this was a “sling” (balteus or praecinctura); it had to be pulled so that it did not “strangle a person,” but also so that it did not sag (Quint. XI. 3. 140). The rest of the material (after all, only a third of it was captured) was lowered in a semicircle, carefully placing folds in it, just below the knee - this is the sinus, and the end was thrown again over the left shoulder. The rear floor was slightly lifted up and on the chest above the “belt” it was gathered into folds - this is umbo (the word means a bulge in the middle of the shield). The floor should not be allowed to drag along the ground: this is a sign of negligence and pampering. Caesar wore togas in this way, for which they often laughed at him. The sinus was usually pulled over the right shoulder; it could also be thrown over the head, protecting oneself from rain or sun, or wishing to remain unrecognized while praying and making a sacrifice.

Senator in a toga

They threw the cloak over themselves immediately; The toga was put on in several stages, and it was impossible to put on this structure alone, without someone else’s help; this was usually done by slaves.

Toga was white, without any decorations, only boys wore a toga with a wide purple stripe on the edge until adulthood. As an exception, magistrates and priests could wear an embroidered toga. The triumphant wore purple, embroidered with gold (toga picta). The toga was extremely impractical: it was hot in summer, cold in winter, it quickly got dirty, being snow-white, and was very, very expensive.

But the Romans themselves gradually abandoned the toga; they had to appear in it only at the Forum and in the circus.

The usual clothing of a Roman citizen now becomes a cloak, which they put on after finishing their life. official duties. This cloak - pallium - is a simplified Greek himation - a piece soft fabric, which is thrown over the shoulder and wrapped around the waist. The word pallium soon, however, became a generic designation for other cloaks, common feature which was that they were put on themselves, and not wrapped around them like a toga.

They can be appearance and divide the cut into three groups: 1) the already familiar kukul, a short cape with a hood that reached the middle of the back, 2) penula and 3) lacerna.

A penula was a cloak that fastened in the front and was a bit narrow; you could fold it back, but doing so was both difficult and inconvenient. Sometimes it was worn over the head.

Lacerna - originally a military cloak, it became already at the beginning of the empire ordinary clothes civilian population. This wide cloak was fastened under the throat or at the shoulder; its hem could be thrown over one shoulder or crosswise over the back (the right hem over the left shoulder, the left hem over the right); you could pull them down and wrap yourself up completely.

The Romans did not have trousers: they were considered barbaric clothing; emperors of the 4th century They were forbidden to wear them in Rome. But during hostilities in the north, in particular in Germany, they had to be worn. On Trajan's Column, soldiers are depicted wearing short trousers that hug the leg and go down just below the knee. They also wear peculiar neckerchiefs(focale), tied under the throat.

Women's clothing

Women's clothing consisted of a tunic, stola and palla. It was not very different from the men's, but it was longer. Stola was worn only by venerable married women. A stola is essentially a woman's toga. It was a long robe that dragged along the ground, with many folds and short sleeves, tied at the waist with a belt. A narrow frill was sewn along the bottom, all in folds, the so-called instita. The tables, as a rule, were of soft colors.

When leaving the house, the woman threw a pallu over herself - a long, wide shawl in which she could completely wrap herself up.

Women from the working class wore long straight dress with sleeves to the wrist.

Vestals

The Vestals wore a veil on their heads, entwined with woolen roll-like bandages (infulae), that fell to their shoulders; a round medallion (bulla) was worn on the chest, white tunic was tied at the waist with a rope.

The Roman crowd for the most part was not amazed by either the colorful variety of clothes or the variety of their cut. Predominated dark colors workers' tunics and Greek cloaks; Against this background, the snow-white togas of magistrates and senators stood out sharply, sometimes the golden-red penules of slaves running with stretchers, and the defiantly bright clothes of corrupt women flashed.

Most of the clothing was made from wool; flax was used for household needs; it became widespread as a material for clothing only during the late empire. The Romans also knew wild silk, in the 1st century. AD real Chinese silk also appeared.

Did the Romans wear underwear?

Yes, they wore it, but, of course, it did not look like the modern one. We are talking here about a linen loincloth called subligar, which was wrapped around the waist and intimate places. Women also covered their breasts with a soft strip of fabric, sometimes leather, called strophium.

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The ancient Roman state arose in the 8th century. BC. Initially, it was a city-state that occupied only a small part of the Apennine Peninsula (the territory of modern Rome), far from the mouth of the Tiber River. The ancestors of the ancient Romans - the Latins, who lived in Latium, located in the Tiber region, were distinguished by courage, endurance and severity.
The entire history of the Roman people, all stages of its development were reflected in the clothing of the ancient Romans. In the distant past, the Romans were distinguished by their simplicity of morals, and their simple clothes served them only to protect them from heat or cold. It was made from animal skins and wool, and later from flax. Men and women wore shirts and cloaks, sandals and shoes with straps.
There are two periods in the history of the Roman state: republican and imperial. The life of the Romans during the Republican period remained quite strict. The Roman costume was similar to the Greek one, it was also draped, but the aesthetic ideal of the ancient Romans was not beautiful human body, but stern, courageous warriors and majestic women. Therefore, the complex Roman costume, which was initially made of wool, and later of linen, gave the figure static, majestic, and a certain theatricality. During the imperial period, clothes became richer and more magnificent. Imported silk fabrics appeared.
During the heyday of the Roman state, its borders expanded greatly, including the territory of modern England, France, Spain, Holland and other countries. Rome became a huge world power, waging endless wars and extensive trade. The looted wealth and the many slaves who did all the work led to luxury even in everyday life. All this was reflected in the character of the ancient Roman costume.
The Romans dressed in bright colors: red, purple, violet, yellow, brown. A white suit was considered a ceremonial suit; it was worn for ceremonial appearances.
The Romans made clothes by women. Before the times of the empire, the Romans wore clothes homemade. Even Emperor Augustus (1st century BC) was proud that his tunic and toga were made by the hands of his mother and wife. Unlike the Greeks, who wove their clothes in one piece on a loom, Roman clothes were sewn together.

Men's costume in ancient Rome

The basis of the Roman costume was the “tunic,” which was considered lower, home clothing. It was indecent for a Roman citizen to appear in it on the street without outer clothing. The tunic had much in common with the Greek chiton, but, unlike it, it was an overhead garment: it was sewn on the shoulders and put on over the head. The length of the tunic could vary, but generally it reached the middle of the calves. There were several types of tunics: “colobium”, “talaris” and “dalmatica”. Colobium had short sleeves, and he girded himself. Talaris was worn by nobility; this tunic had long narrow sleeves. The Dalmatica was longer, with wide sleeves that, when unfolded, resembled a cross. Therefore, Christian Romans wore dalmatics.
The tunics of representatives of various social classes depended on their nobility and wealth. In ancient Rome, the color purple was a symbol of power. Persons holding high public positions wore tunics with sewn purple stripes. Thus, a wide vertical purple stripe (“clavus”) was sewn on the senator’s tunic, and two narrow purple stripes were sewn on the horsemen’s tunic. Triumphant commanders wore tunics purple, embroidered with golden palm branches.
Sometimes (especially in the cold season) the Romans wore several tunics at once. It is known that Emperor Augustus wore four tunics at the same time.
The most important outerwear of the ancient Romans was the “toga” - a cloak made of a large rectangular or elliptical piece of woolen fabric. The size of the toga was approximately 6 meters by 1 meter 80 centimeters, and slaves usually draped their master into it. For the Romans, the toga was theirs hallmark, and they called themselves "gens togata" - "dressed in toga." The toga was a symbol of the civil dignity of the Roman. If he committed a crime, then by law he was deprived of the right to wear these clothes. Slaves, foreigners and exiles also had no right to wear a toga. The triumphant commander appeared in a purple toga woven with gold - a pict. Later it was replaced by a purple cloak - the “paludamentum”, the ancestor of the robes of European kings.
There were other types of cloaks. Roman emperors and the highest nobility wore a “paludamentum”, which was draped over the back and left shoulder, and pinned with a buckle on the right. It could also be worn wrapped several times as a scarf around the left arm.
The ceremonial cloak was also a “lacerna” - a rectangular piece of fabric that covered the back and both shoulders and was cleaved in front. Lazerna was made from very expensive fabric woven with gold and silver, and it reached to the knees.
The poor wore "penula" - woolen or leather coat in the form of a semicircle, often with a sewn hood. Penula was the clothing of shepherds and travelers. It was often made from thick woolen fabric with a “combed” texture. Roman dandies wore penula made of precious fabrics.
Pants came into use among the Romans in the 3rd century. AD - this detail of the costume was also borrowed by them from the barbarians (they did not wear them before the war with the Gauls). But only soldiers wore them constantly.

Women's costume in ancient Rome

The women's costume of the ancient Romans is in many ways similar to the men's. It was supposed to give monumentality and majesty to the figure of the Roman matron, emphasizing the leisurely smooth gait. It was first made from woolen fabrics, and later, during the imperial period, from light silk multi-colored fabrics - sometimes translucent, woven with gold and silver, which from the 2nd century. BC. began to be imported in large numbers from other countries.
Roman women were distinguished by a special passion for rich outfits and jewelry. To limit this passion for ostentation, Rome even passed a strict law prohibiting excessive luxury. However, this did not lead to anything: after the wars with Asia Minor, even more oriental goods and jewelry began to arrive in Rome, and the desire for luxury only intensified. If more early times Roman matrons dressed in white clothes, decorated only with a narrow purple border, but later they began to sew clothes from multi-colored, checkered or bright plain (lilac, purple, green, yellow, red) fabrics. And despite any prohibitions, Roman women dressed in translucent, gold and precious purple fabrics.
Roman women wore a long and rather wide tunic as an under or home clothes. Usually it was woolen and had a belt. Tunics were made both without sleeves and with long sleeves; the sleeves could also be split, with fasteners along the entire length of the arm.
Noble women wore a “stolu” over their tunic - an outer garment similar to a tunic. It was long, with or without sleeves, and belted under the bust. beautiful belt. A wide pleated frill (“insista”), embroidered with gold sequins and pearls or decorated with purple trim, was sewn at the bottom. The collar and armholes were also decorated with a wide border. A table with sleeves was worn on a sleeveless tunic (and vice versa). Stola was considered the clothing of married women. It was mandatory to wear it when appearing in in public places. Slaves were prohibited from wearing stola.
The outerwear also served as a cloak - “palla”, similar to the Greek himation. He was draped different ways, with a slouch at the waist, and top edge sometimes they covered their heads. The palla was fastened on the shoulders with clasps (“agrafs”).
Ancient Roman women gave their figure a slim look by wearing a piece of clothing under their tunic. thick fabric or thin skin around the waist and supporting the chest with it (which anticipated future women's corsets).

Clothes of Roman patricians:

The man is wearing an embroidered tunic, toga, and calceus shoes.

The woman is wearing stola and peplum. Hairstyle with backcomb and false curls.

Roman warrior costume

The conquests of Rome led to the fact that the clothing of soldiers became more comfortable and did not interfere with their movement.
IN early period During the Roman Republic, warriors wore a short woolen tunic without sleeves, and over it they put on a “loric” - a leather armor covered with metal plates. The outerwear was a thick woolen cloak - “trabeya”. In the era of the Empire, the outerwear of ordinary warriors became the “sagum” - a short cloak made of woolen fabric, borrowed by the Romans from the Gauls. It was so typical clothes Roman warrior that the expression “put on a sagum” meant: “start a war.” Leather or linen shells were covered with thin metal or bone plates in the form of scales or feathers. Roman military leaders wore scaly armor.
The warriors wore sandals or boots and metal or leather greaves on their feet. Later they began to wear woolen trousers below the knees, tightly fitting the legs. Legs up to the ankles and above were protected by boots (“kaligs”), which were held in place by strong straps.
Metal or leather helmets of Roman soldiers came in a wide variety of shapes. In imperial times, the helmets of centurions were decorated with a silver-plated crest and a plume made of feathers or horsehair. The helmets of generals and emperors were particularly skillful. And the helmets of the standard bearers were covered with animal skin.

Roman warrior in lorica:

The man is wearing a warrior's costume: leather armor, a cassique helmet with a horsehair comb.

The woman is wearing a stola and a peplum draped over her head, and sandals.

On a woman: lined foam cape, tunic with border

On the man: leather armor with shoulder pads, sagum cloak, calceus boots

Shoes in Ancient Rome

The Romans did not have the habit of walking barefoot.
Free Romans wore sandals in everyday life - “solea”. They were tied crosswise to the leg with two belts. Wearing a solea in public was considered indecent. The Romans also wore ankle boots and boots, shoes with belts, etc. When going to public meetings, the Romans wore high leather ankle boots (that covered the foot to the ankles) together with the toga - “calceus”. Unlike the Greek crepides, they completely covered the leg. Higher officials(as well as the emperor during the Empire) wore a calceus made of red leather, on high heels, With silver jewelry; senator - black, with belts crossed in front. Expensive men's footwear made of leather different colors and was decorated with gold and silver plaques. The poor and slaves wore simple wooden shoes. The Romans had shoes necessary part toilet, removing it was considered indecent even in home environment. The triumphant commanders had purple shoes.
Peasants wore shoes made of wood or rough leather.
Women wore sandals and shoes made of soft colored leather. The shoes worn by noble Roman women were mostly made of light, thin leather, embroidered with pearls and gold, and fitted the foot very tightly. Sometimes Roman women wore soft ankle boots.

Hairstyles and headdresses in Ancient Rome

The ancient Romans initially (until the end of the 3rd century BC) wore long hair and beards, but then it became fashionable to cut their hair and shave closely or wear small curly beards. The first barbers arrived in Rome from Sicily in 290 BC.
The hairstyles of the Romans were very different: with bangs above the forehead, with smoothly combed or curled hair. In imperial times, dandies not only curled their hair or wore wigs, but also anointed them with expensive oils and sprinkled them with gold dust.
The Romans, like the Greeks, did not have the custom of covering their heads. Only judges and priests wore hats. During bad weather, the Romans protected their heads with a hood and could throw part of a toga over their heads. But sometimes they wore caps and hats similar to Greek ones (for example, petas). The common people wore straw hats or leather caps.
The hairstyles of noble Roman patrician women were complex and very varied, and sometimes even bizarre. They wore "Greek" hairstyles, combing their hair smoothly and tying it in a knot at the back of the head. The hair was parted in the middle and braided into braids that were wrapped around the head. Curled long curls, framing the face with them, or fluffed up the curled hair in front, combing the rest smoothly back.
A typical Roman women's hairstyle was updo made of curls mounted on a frame, shaped like a Russian kokoshnik. Some of the curls were strengthened in rows on a frame, and the rest of the hair was braided and placed at the back of the head or descended in the form of braids along the temples and at the back of the head.
The most fashionable were blond and Brown hair, and the Romans used by various means for lightening hair. They also wore wigs and false hair, using the braids of fair-haired Germanic women.
The headdresses of Roman women were the same as those of Greek women: headbands, round caps covered with gold or silver mesh. Noble patrician women attached a thin veil-like cover to their headdress that hung down to their shoulders.

Roman women's hairstyles:

Jewelry in Ancient Rome

The ancient Romans wore wreaths of fresh flowers. During feasts, they placed wreaths of ivy, myrtle, roses and violets on their heads. Wreaths were used to decorate the heads of generals, orators, priests, winners of sports competitions, and participants in sacrifices. Famous poets crowned with a laurel wreath (the word “laureate” comes from the Latin name for laurel - “laurea”). The commander who managed to save the army from dangerous situation, the soldiers brought a wreath of grass they had woven themselves. The triumphant was crowned with a laurel wreath, which later began to be made of gold, and then turned into a jagged wreath called the “crown of radiata.”
Roman women wove headbands into their hair, decorated with pearls, gold, and precious stones, and wore gold woven nets, attaching them to their hair. beautiful stilettos made of ivory.
Men's jewelry were “bullas” - round medallions-amulets that protected childhood, which young men wore until they came of age (before the age of 17). The Romans wore rings on the ring finger of their left hand - at first they were iron, later gold. Some dandies decorated their hands with several rings at once. Buckles could also serve as decoration.
Noble Roman women were distinguished by a special, extreme passion for jewelry. Most of them they adopted from Greek women and decorated themselves jewelry fine workmanship of gold, Indian pearls, precious stones. They wore neck chains and necklaces, rings and bracelets in the shape of a coiled snake, head hoops and tiaras, and beautiful buckles. Hair was decorated with strings of pearls. Gold and silver earrings, which were worn by Roman women, had a wide variety of shapes. Pearl ones, shaped like drops, were considered the most beautiful and most expensive. Particularly popular were the amber and crystal balls that Roman matrons held in their hands: they were believed to refresh their hands.
The costume of a noble Roman woman was complemented by a very expensive fan made of peacock feathers or an umbrella, which served as protection from the sun or rain.
Ancient Roman women were skilled in the use of cosmetics. They borrowed it from the Greeks and Egyptians. Roman women used powder, fragrant oils, ointments, blush and rubs, and special products to lighten hair and rejuvenate the skin. They learned the art of makeup, used various lotions and lipsticks to rejuvenate their facial skin, used lead white, and pumice tooth powder.
The Romans also used mirrors, which were initially made from a mixture of tin and copper, and later very expensive ones appeared, made of pure silver, with gilding on them. back side. In addition to hand mirrors, the Romans also had large wall mirrors.
Roman women kept toiletries in toiletries: silver quadrangular mirrors, like Etruscan ones, decorated on the reverse side; ivory combs; hair curling iron; gold and silver hairpins and pins; scissors; jars of blush, lipstick, whitewash, bottles of perfume, ribbons, etc.

Source - "History in costumes. From pharaoh to dandy." Author - Anna Blaze, artist - Daria Chaltykyan

The history of the ancient Roman costume began with a simple and unassuming form, and ended with extraordinary pomp! The Romans loved to surprise everyone with their in an original way and clothes. For example, no one was surprised that a young man could dress in a woman’s tunic with different sleeves. And even more so, no one paid attention to the Roman philosophers, unkempt and raggedly dressed. Let's look at what the clothes of the ancient Romans were called, the contradictions of which many historians still argue about.

Outerwear of the ancient Romans

The toga is the traditional clothing of a Roman citizen. Underage boys wore togas with wide red stripes, and priests could also wear this color. Everyday togas were made of white wool, without patterns or decoration. Gray and black were worn by mourning women and men. The triumphants wore purple togas decorated with gold embroidery.

Paludamentum is a long military cloak; high-quality red fabric was used for tailoring.

Palla is a piece of cloth wrapped around the waist and thrown over the shoulder. The most common color was purple, but yellow, white and black were also popular.

Penula is a narrow, sleeveless cape that fastens at the front. Made from coarse linen or wool. It could be worn over a toga.

Ancient Roman clothing

Women's clothing of the ancient Romans should not have been colorful and bright - it was believed that only corrupt women could wear colorful colors.

Stola is a long and loose dress of the ancient Romans with short sleeves. It was tied at the waist with a belt, and a purple frill was sewn at the bottom. The stola was worn only by women from high society. Slaves were forbidden to wear it and lung women behavior.

The Romans used to make clothing various materials: leather, wool, silk, Amorgos fabric and linen.

As for Roman shoes, there were many varieties: sandals with straps, high leather boots predominantly red or black, as well as richly decorated shoes.

Women loved to wear jewelry. Earrings, rings, and necklaces were all made from precious metals and stones.

The strict and simple clothing of the ancient Romans was formed under the influence of a militarized character and a slave system. Culture and fashion were influenced by the wealth and luxury of some and the poverty and lack of rights of others.

"The rulers of the world are a people dressed in togas"
Virgil "Aeneid"

Ancient Rome chose the culture it conquered as the foundation for its own culture Ancient Greece. The Romans adopted religion from the Greeks, only by renaming the gods. So, Aphrodite became Venus, and Zeus became Jupiter. From the Greeks, the Romans learned to build temples with columns and make sculptures from marble.

The main difference between the Romans and the Greeks was belligerence. Even during the Roman Republic, the Romans were famous for their warriors, and the Roman Empire included both the territories of North Africa and the British Isles.

Statue of Emperor Augustus
Clothes - tunic, armor and toga on top

As for clothing, basically traditional clothes the Romans lay, transformed into a tunic, and the Greek cloak-himatium, which became the Roman toga.

The main fabrics from which the clothes of the ancient Romans were made were wool and linen; the Romans were also more familiar with silk, which was brought from another empire - the Chinese.

Still from the film "Caesar and Cleopatra" 1945
Caesar is dressed in a tunic (white) and toga

The Romans sewed clothes at home; there were almost no artisans involved in tailoring in the Roman Empire. Thus, Emperor Augustus, who lived in the 1st century BC, was proud that his tunics and togas were sewn first by his mother and then by his wife.

Tunic – rectangular cut clothing
from fine wool or linen,
worn under a toga as underwear
or used as a house dress.

All men of the Roman Empire wore tunics. The tunic was sewn at the shoulders and worn over the head. There were different kinds tunic Eg, tunic colobium had short sleeves and was always belted.

Tunic Talaris had long narrow sleeves and was worn by people of noble origin. Dalmatic tunic was longer with wide sleeves that, when unfolded, resembled a cross. The first Christians who lived in the Roman Empire often wore this type tunic

Toga – outerwear citizens of Rome,
which is a piece of white woolen cloth
three times the height of a person and
draping intricately around the body.

Cloaks were worn over the tunic. One of which was the toga. However, only men and those of Roman origin could wear the toga. No wonder the Romans themselves called themselves a people dressed in togas.

A toga is a cloak made of a large piece of woolen fabric (6 by 1.8 meters), rectangular, and a little later elliptical in shape. The toga was wrapped around the figure and folded into folds. Slaves helped their master put on and drape the toga.

Caesar reproaches Cornelius Cinna for treason.
Those depicted in the painting are dressed in tunics and togas

Color played a big role in Roman costume. The colors of clothes could be very different, but most often the clothes were plain. The color of clothing in Rome was also given a certain meaning. Thus, purple was considered the color of power. Only emperors and triumphant commanders could wear purple clothes (triumphant commanders, for example, wore a toga called pictet - purple and embroidered with gold).

Purple stripes could appear on senators' clothing. Later, the color purple, as a symbol of power, was preserved in the robes of European kings and the vestments of cardinals catholic church.

The association of the color purple in clothing with power may have been due to the high cost of the clothing itself, dyed purple. The inhabitants of Phenicia, a people who lived on the Mediterranean coast, were able to obtain purple dye. They caught and crushed certain shellfish into powder, thus producing purple fabric dye. Fabric of this color was very expensive.

In addition to purple, white also had a certain meaning. White clothes was considered festive clothing. As for cloaks, in addition to the toga, the Romans also wore paludamentum, lacerna and penula.

Paludamentum- Emperor's cloak and high nobility, it was thrown over the back and left shoulder, and pinned with a buckle on the right. The paludament could also be worn as a scarf - wrapped several times around the left hand.

Lacerna- This is a cloak in the form of a rectangular piece of fabric that covers the back and both shoulders, and is secured with a clasp at the front.

Penula- a leather or woolen cloak, in the shape of a semicircle, a hood could be sewn to it. This cloak was often worn by travelers and shepherds.

Sculpture of the Empress of Libya

As for women, the lower clothing of the Romans was also a tunic, always long, unlike the men's. Over the tunic, married women wore stola - long clothes with or without sleeves, belted under the chest with a belt (high waistline). The bottom of the table was decorated with a wide pleated frill, as well as a border along the collar and armholes. Slaves could not wear stola.

The cloak worn by Roman women was called palla. The palla looked like a Greek himation, draped different ways, with an overlap at the waist, and sometimes covered the head with the upper edge. By the way, unlike Greek women, Roman women could easily go out onto the streets of cities with. The palla cloak was fastened at the shoulders with clasps called agraphs.

Statue of praying Libya
Dressed in a pallu cloak

The Romans were also known for swimsuits - these were thin strips of fabric that were tied on the chest and hips. Roman women also wore strophies - the prototype of modern bras. Strophies (leather strips) were worn under tunics and their purpose was to support the chest from below.

Ancient Roman mosaic
Bathing suit

However, the costume of the ancient Romans was divided not only into women's and men's. It was also divided into civil and military. Roman legionary soldiers had reliable armor.

The expression “to put on a sagum” among the Romans meant “to start a war”

Still from the film Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar, 2000

Thus, in the era of the Empire, soldiers wore a sagum - a short cloak made of woolen fabric. Required element there was armor. Military leaders wore scaly armor. Leather or metal greaves were attached to the legs. Also, after the wars with the Gaul tribes, Roman soldiers will begin to wear woolen trousers below the knees - mainly to protect their legs.

Footwear of legionnaires - kaligi - boots that were held on the feet with strong straps. The soldiers could not do without helmets. The Romans wore both leather and metal helmets in a wide variety of shapes. The helmets of centurions (commanders of military units) were decorated with a silver-plated crest, as well as a plume made of horsehair and feathers. The helmets of the standard bearers were covered with animal skin.

Recent research by German and British archaeologists has shown that the clothing worn by the inhabitants Ancient Rome, contrary to established stereotypes, was very diverse. Apparently, bespoke tailoring was practiced in the empire from the first century AD. In addition, already in those days there was such a thing as a “brand”.

Many of us know from school that the clothes of the ancient Romans were not very diverse. We usually remember that noble Romans wore togas, which were a kind of long piece of linen, which sometimes reached a length of up to six meters. Moreover, the unfortunate Roman rich were forced to wrap it around themselves several times, which without outside help it was, of course, impossible to do.

And ordinary citizens of the empire wore bag-like robes with cutouts for the arms and head, which did not emphasize at all, but, on the contrary, hid their figure. The only difference was that women wore a girdle directly under the bust, and men - on the hips. In addition, for some reason, many believe that these robes were mostly white or light gray. This misconception was probably created by numerous illustrators of history textbooks.

However, recent discoveries by archaeologists suggest that everything was not so. In fact, the clothing of the ancient Romans was very diverse. And what is most interesting, apparently, already in those days there was so-called individual tailoring.

As we know, clothes were mainly made from woolen fabrics in the Roman Empire. Materials from cotton, flax and nettle were also used, although much less frequently, and silk was completely exotic, since it was not produced locally, but was brought from distant China. The peak of the textile industry in Ancient Rome occurred at the beginning of our era, when, having captured Egypt, the Romans became acquainted with the local version of the loom. And soon the conquerors built up the entire country with clothing factories, that is, most of Europe and Asia Minor. This was genuine mass production, which, after the fall of the empire, returned to Europe only a thousand years later, during the High Middle Ages.

German historian Sylvia Mitschke from the Romano-Germanic Central Museum Mainzat (Germany) recently made an interesting discovery. While researching a local collection of Roman underwear, she discovered gussets, which are triangular panels along the seams to strengthen and expand the garment. Until now, it was believed that the size and shape of Roman clothing were determined solely by the size of the machine and the clothes were not adjusted to the figure in any way. This discovery, however, suggests that the Romans still knew a lot about fashion design.

It was also recently established that in the empire, apparently, there was such a thing as a “brand”. For example, in the Columba Museum in Cologne there is a tunic in the upper part of which the letter “kappa” is embroidered with red thread. Until recently, it was believed that this was a monogram of the owner’s name. However, now historians are inclined to assume that this is still the designer’s logo, since things with the same embroidery were recently found during excavations at the Roman fortress of Vindoland in the north of England. The time of manufacture of these garments varies, and they are unlikely to have belonged to the same person. And it is very doubtful that a Roman, who, as a rule, had several names, signed his clothes with just one letter.

In addition, excavations of this fortress refuted the myth that all legionnaires of the empire wore the same uniform. Judging by the finds, not only underwear, but also the shells of the ancient Romans were made to order. There are simply no two identical items of clothing and uniform among the discovered items.

By the way, the myth that the soldiers of Ancient Rome sported red cloaks was also finally dispelled. Findings indicate that the favorite color of this clothing was light gray, that is, the color of the earth. It was not only cheap (red dye, extracted from sea mollusks living in the Mediterranean Sea, then cost crazy money), but also practical - it was easier for a legionnaire dressed in a similar cloak to disguise himself. The officers' cloaks were dark brown, and not crimson at all.

And, judging by scientists, red clothes in the empire were worn mainly by women. There is evidence that rich ladies dressed in exorbitant expensive dresses(and the most different styles, sometimes even with sleeves) and cloaks painted in all shades of red. It is interesting that when it rained, these fashionable women urgently had to seek shelter, because when wet, the charming attire began to smell terribly like fish - after all, the dye, as we have already said, was extracted from the bodies of mollusks.

However, dresses and raincoats were far from the only women's clothing. Judging by a mosaic discovered on the floor of Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily, dating back to the late Roman era, ladies sometimes wore... bikinis! On the bodies of the women depicted there, there is something like beach panties and a bra, and this suit, as befits a real bikini, is separate. Most likely, scientists suggest, it was not a classic swimsuit, but simply two pieces of fabric, one of which was wrapped around the hips, and the other around the chest. It is noteworthy that in the image of women in these costumes they are not bathing at all, but are engaged in gymnastic exercises (or, perhaps, participating in some kind of mystery).

As for the classic toga, it, of course, was present in the wardrobe of noble Romans, but, apparently, it was not casual clothes. It was worn only on special occasions special occasions(perhaps this is why all the samples that have come down to us are very well preserved). And such even in Rome did not happen every day, so, apparently, most of the time togas were not used.