Tunics
The standard dress for Ancient Romans was the tunic. The tunic worn by men were to the level of their knees while the tunics worn by women were usually longer and were often long sleeved. The equivalent of tunics for women were called stola. Ancient Romans usually wore undergarments, men wore simple cloths tied on each side while women wore a tight band across the bust. The tunics worn by different classes were very different:
Herdsmen, Slaves and Plebians
Their tunics were usually made from dark colored coarse material, the tunics were the only clothing they wore when they went outdoors.
Patricians
Their tunics were made from white wool or linen.
Centurions
Their tunics were usually shorter than those worn by the civilians.
Equestrian and Magistrates
Their tunics were characterized by the presence of augustus clavus which was a narrow, purple stripe.
Senators
Their tunics were characterized by the presence of latus clavus which was a (sometimes two) broad, purple stripe.
Toga
Togas were only worn by free Roman citizens on top of the tunic. The toga was made of wool and it was like a large blanket draped over the body. The toga was usually white in colour, known as toga pura and the senator’s toga praetexta had a purple stripe along the straight edge. All the Roman citizens were expected to wear the toga in public except during the Festival of the Saturnalia. Boys from wealthy families also wore togas. For Ancient Roman women, the palla was the equivalent of men’s toga. The palla varied in size from a scarf to a large garment draped around the body.
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Children
Boys wore simple white tunics with red borders. When they grew up to be a man, they wore a white tunic. When boys reach their 16th birthday they also wore the white toga of Roman citizens. Girls wore white tunics with a belt at the waist, they usually wore a second tunic down to their feet when they went outside.
Footwear
Ancient Romans wore sandals and shoes. Both men and women wore sandals in their house. When women went outdoors, they wore either white, green or yellow shoes. For men, footwear also signified one's class, for example, Senators wore brown sandals with black straps wrapped around the leg to mid-calf while Centurions wore bulky boots.
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