Roman Clothing and Costume of the Imperial Era The basics of dressing an empire

Tunica The tunica was the basic garment of the ancient world. It is the base for any Roman costume, male or female. Its construction is basically two rectangles sewn together, with holes for the arms and head. Made of wool or linen A note on Clavi: two basic widths, Equestrian and Senatorial. Equestrian: 1 ½” wide Senatorial: 3” wide White tunic w/ purple clavi is reserved for senators.

Bracae Roman riding pants. Made of wool or leather Could be either knee length or full length (see Thorsburg trousers) Originally considered effeminate, but became more popular as the Romans moved into colder climates. Fit loosely around the waist with a draw string Close fitting around the knees and lower legs.

Fascia Ventralis Waist sash, originally worn by the Roman military. Became more common as a way to blouse the tunica. Made of either wool or linen

Udones Wool socks Lots of argument about knitting vs. nålbinding. Best option is to use a sewn sock as seen in the picture. This would have been sewn wool. Roughly in the shape of a boot.

Cloaks Paenula (pictured) Sagum Paludementum Half circle cloak with a hood. Sagum Essentially a long rectangular piece of wool that can double as a blanket (traditionally associated with the military Paludementum An officers cloak, worn suspended from the left shoulder and draped around the left arm. More fashion than form. Cloaks would have been made of wool, or leather is a few cases.

Subligaculum Men’s underwear…

The Toga Extremely formal garment Could be 5-15 yards of undyed white wool Traditionally around 6 yards Draped around the body without using any pins Held in place by immobilizing the left arm.

Subarmalis Padded garment worn under armor. Quality and style was determined by wealth and rank Could be fabric or leather Pterugies are predominantly for decoration, some protection offered from layered linen.

Shoes Carbatina Caligae Calcei

Ladies Under Garments Several samples similar to a bikini bottom were found in a well in London. They were made of leather. According to several male authors, women wore breast bands made of fabric.

Women’s Under Tunic Similar to a man’s tunic, except that it is longer. Would be made of wool, linen or silk, or blend of silk woven into linen or cotton Dyed in any available natural color

Stola Outer dress worn over under tunic. Wealth of the wearer was demonstrated by the type of material the garment was made out of. Would be made of wool, linen or silk, or blend or silk woven into linen or cotton Dyed in any available natural color

Palla Long shawl like garment, worn to cover the head and shoulders. Could also be worn as a veil Would be made of wool, linen or silk, or blend or silk woven into linen or cotton Dyed in any available natural color

Peplos Greek style of dress popular throughout the empire Gathered below the bust line using a cord or fabric tie. Would be made of wool, linen or silk, or blend of silk woven into linen or cotton Dyed in any available natural color

Ladies Shoes

Jewelry Men and women wore necklaces, bracelets and torques. Men of rank often possessed signet rings. Romans were fond of semi-precious stones. Pearls were hugely popular. Native Etruscans and Egyptians were highly skilled in gold workers.

Dying methods and materials The most common fabric was wool followed by linen and cotton. Silk was a luxury fabric imported from Serica (China). A variety of natural dyes were used such as lichen, flowers, tree bark and certain minerals. Dyes were set using tannic acid, salt and uric acid found in… urine! This ingredient was also a key in bleaching and cleaning fabric.

Life expectancy of a garment The life of a garment would largely depend on the type of wear on the garment and what the garment was made of. A soldiers wool tunic might wear faster than a farmers wool tunic because of the wear the armor places on the material But a wool tunic would probably outlive a linen tunic as well as hold dyes better than linen.