Ancient Roman clothing started out as homespun wool garments, but over time, garments were produced by craftspeople and wool was supplemented with linen, cotton and silk. Romans wore shoes or walked barefoot. Articles of apparel were for more than just keeping warm in the Mediterranean climate. They identified social status. Accessories were important, too, some of them were functional, and even magical -- like the protective amulet known as the bulla which boys gave up when they reached manhood, others decorative.
5 Facts About Greek and Roman Clothing
British Museum's "Guide to the Exhibition Illustrating Greek and Roman Life," (1908).
Roman clothing was essentially similar to Greek clothing, although Romans adopted or scorned Greek clothing with a purpose. Find out more about the basics underlying Roman, as well as Greek, clothing.
Roman Sandals and Other Footwear
Red leather shoes? Must be an aristocrat. Black leather with moon shape decoration? Probably a senator. Hobnails on the sole? A soldier. Barefoot? Could be almost anyone, but a good guess would be a slave.
A Quick Look at Clothing for Women
While Roman women once wore togas, during the Republic the mark of the respectable matron was the stola and when outside, the palla. A prostitute wasn't allowed to wear the stola. The stola was a very successful garment, lasting for many centuries.
Roman Underwear
CC Photo Flickr User liketearsintherain
Underwear wasn't mandatory, but if your privates were likely to be exposed, Roman modesty dictated covering.
Roman Cloaks and Outerwear
Romans spent a lot of me outdoors, so they needed apparel that protected them from the elements. To this end, they wore a variety of capes, cloaks, and ponchos. It is hard to determine which is which from a monochrome relief sculpture or even from a colorful mosaic, since they were so similar.
Fullo
CC Argenberg at Flickr.com
Where would one be without the fuller? He cleaned the clothing, made the rough wool wearable against bare skin, chalked the candidate's robe so he could stand out from the crowd and paid a tax on urine for the needy Emperor Vespasian.
Tunica
The tunica or tunic was the basic garment, to be worn under more official garments and by the poor without topping. It could be belted and short or extend to the feet.
Palla
PD "A Companion to Latin Studies," edited by Sir John Edwin Sandys
The palla was a woman's garment; the male version was the pallium, which was considered Greek. The palla covered the respectable matron when she went outside. It is often described as a cloak.
