Ancient Roman Costumes Would Brief You About The Kind Of Garments

Ancient Roman costumes worn by everyday folks in the Roman Empire were mainly loose articles of clothing that draped around the body and were secured by fasteners. For both men and women, undergarments were called tunics. Women wore clothing called the stola over their tunic, a long garment reaching to the ankles consisting of two pieces of fabric, one on the front and the other in the back, held together by pins at the shoulder, which were called fibulae. The Statue of Liberty is actually "wearing" a stola.

It also had two belts, one fitting just below the breasts, the other around the waist. This created a great many luxurious folds, a fashionable trick at that time - the more folds, the richer and more upper class she looked. If a woman went outside, she usually wore an overcoat called a palla, which was basically a long shawl. It usually draped over one shoulder and across the entire body. Extra folds could be used to pull over the head.

The ancient Roman civilization and architecture is one of the most popular in the world. The world has learnt a lot of things from the Romans. There are several interesting facts about the Romans. Right from their lifestyle to food and clothing, everything was advanced and remains a wonder for the rest of the world. Also, some historians believe that ancient Roman clothing was very different and unique from the clothing found during that period.

Romans were known to use different varieties of fibers to create their clothing. Their fabric made to stitch their tunic was made out of wool, hemp and linen. The ancient Romans wore well stitched clothes and they had different types for men and women.

The toga was a popular kind of dress and was standard for Romans. The Romans also wore clothes according to their status in the society. The toga was a long garment which was like a sash and was made out of wool. It was like a tunic for the Romans. The toga was also worn by magistrates and was mostly plain white in color. Even scholars and teachers wore them. Some togas had a purple stripe on them.

The stola was very similar to the toga and was like a blanket that needed to be wrapped around the body. This was usually wrapped around another piece of clothing called tunica. Usually girls and women wore tunic with a stola wrapped around it.

Cloaks were another form of popular clothing and generally were very colorful. They were made out of wool and linen, and were worn when going out.Though the tunic was considered an undergarment, it was often the only thing worn, or two tunics - an inner one and a shorter outer one. Most common Romans and slaves simply slipped on their tunic and went about their days business.

While women wore a stola over their tunics, men wore the toga. Actually, only male Roman citizens could wear a toga in public - it was the stately, official and cumbersome dress, representative of the Roman Republic and into the Empire (it was actually originally used by the Etruscans, the civilization that flourished before Rome - the town of Rome overthrew the Etruscan royalty and began their own conquest of Italy.)

The toga was a large (around 20 feet) length of cloth that was wrapped around the body. Because it was difficult to wear, it was usually only worn on official occasions, much like tuxedos and evening gowns are worn today. In fact, slaves and servants from rich families specialized in toga dressing, making it as fashionable and comfortable for their master as possible!

The way Romans wore their clothing indicated their status symbol. Higher class women would wear more layers of clothing, indicating their wealth. The more folds and layers, the better. The colors of Roman costumes also mattered. Magistrates wore clothing that had a purple border. Generals wore togas with golden hems to signify success in battle. Emperors wore purple robes, as this color was rare and expensive.

Finally, basic sandals that lace up the leg were the standard type of footwear. Both men and women wore these type of sandals, without socks, which were only invented when the Romans conquered more northern territories like Germany and Britain. Unlike the warm Mediterranean climate, sandals by themselves would quickly freeze the skin!

To dress as a Roman for your Halloween costume, a white or red toga is your best choice, as it is the most distinctive. A stola isn't very well known, and few would know the difference anyway! If you wish to look like a high class Roman man, wear a luxurious toga lined with gold trim. As an aristocratic woman or an empress, wear a red costume with a shawl.