ROMAN PERIOD

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ROMAN PERIOD
 ANCIENT ROME
Rome was the most
powerful empire the
world had ever seen.
Its architecture was
Hellenistic and its road
system was as
impressive
 TEXTILES
•Status was evidently all-important in Rome.
•Soft wool, silk and fine linen were commonly used

•Most Roman clothes were made from wool, which

was spun and woven by hand at home or in a
workshop.
•Sometimes the Romans had clothes made from
linen, which came from Egypt. The wealthiest wore
clothes made of cotton from India and silk from
China.
ROMAN COSTUME FOR MEN
Men of Ancient Rome dressed depending on their
class or rank. For example, a slave dressed
differently than an emperor.

Citizen matron magistrate emperor generalworkman slave

THE TOGA
•The toga was an item that was only allowed to
be worn by Roman citizens.
•The toga can be described as a large, white
robe.
•All togas weren’t the same.
•Only free citizens could wear togas
• Foreigners and exiled citizens could not wear a
toga.
•At first, the toga was worn directly over the
naked body, then later, a simple tunic was
added underneath.
 COLOURS
•With fine texture colour was also considered important
• Purple and gold was reserved for the royal birth
• Among professionls: blue – philosophy, black – theology, and green -
medicine
• Soothsayer – white with no ornaments
• Lower class sober hue
• Peasantary – one colour
• Officers – two colours
• Commanders – three colours
• Royal households – seven colours
 TYPES OF TOGAS & CLOTHING
Praetexta - worn by magistrates and children. It was considered sacred.
Pura, Virilis, Libera - Worn by adults because of its name Virilis or Libera
(free).
Pulla, Sordida - These were black and generally worn in occasions such as
mourning of the dead
Undulata, Sericulata, Rasa, Paverata, Phryxiana, Scutulata and so on. All on
account of the fabric's weave, design etc.
Picta, Palmata - Decorated with palmettes around the border
Purpurea - the purple robe of kings and emperors borrowed from Etruscan
tradition.
Trabea and Chlamys - Similar to the Picta and Purpurea but possibly worn more
often by military officers or soldiers as a coat.
 THE TUNIC
The tunic was the most basic garment worn by the Romans.
It was the standard dress in Ancient Rome, although it was
sometimes used as an undergarment, for most Romans and slaves
that was the only thing they would put on before going outside.

Basic tunic Equestrian Senatorial tunic

tunic
THE TUNIC
• The tunic was a short, woolen
undergarment.
• Patrician men’s tunics were made
from white wool or expensive
linen.
• The poor people’s tunics would be
made from whatever fabric was
readily available.
• The tunic would be worn with a
belt around the waist to make it
look like a two piece garment.
Cloaks and capes
LOWER CLASS

The dress of male Ancient

Roman citizens and slaves
was very simple. They
usually wore the plain white
tunic, and if they were a bit
wealthier they wore the toga
over that.
UPPER CLASS

• Higher class men wore a Picta or

Palmata
• A higher class man wore a purple
or red stripe in his toga to classify
his rank
• Emperors wore a type of
toga/robe called a Purpurea
ROMAN COSTUME FOR WOMEN
•Toga was worn both by men and
women, later it was laid aside.
•The only women who wore togas were
known as common prostitutes.
• women adopted palla
• Women didn’t go out doors without
wearing a sort of cloak of shawl called
the Palla
•Palla was worn over long tunic or
stola
 Several layers of tunics were worn
 They also wore veil called palliolum.
 Belt or girdle was an indispensable article of dress.
Stolla and palla
ROMAN COSTUME FOR CHILDREN
 CHILREN’S CLOTHING
• Children wore a type of
clothing called the Bulla
• Young men wore a toga
called Toga Paetexta
• Girls wore a similar type of
clothing to the Toga
Praetexta
• When girls got older, they
wore a Palla
ROMAN MILITARY COSTUMES

•The Roman Army

•In the early republic, Rome did not have a
professional army, because in times of war, all
male citizens were expected to fight.
•The men had to provide their own weapons
and equipment and then return home when the
fighting was over.
•By the time of the empire, however, the
Roman army had become an extremely
efficient fighting force.
•Soldiers were well-paid professionals who wore
regulation armor and weapons.
 ROMAN FOOTWEAR

•Sandals and shoes of roman had a great

variety
•Baxea
• vegetable sandals made of palm leaves
• Worn by peasant class , philosopher and
priest
•Solea and crepida:
• Worn indoors
• This was a sandal that was strapped to
the foot.
 Soccus:
 Intermediate covering for foot
 Resembles modern day slipper
 Corthurnus:
 High boots reaching above calf/ leg or knee
 Laced very closely in the front

 These shoes were made with materials & colors that, once again, depended on the person’s
social status.
 Red yellow white or green were reserved for female.
 Leather was the most common material used in making these shoes because it could easily
be dyed to reflect position such as red shoes for patricians.
 BEAUTY AND GROOMING
• Cosmetics, perfume and skin care
products were used by men and women
in Ancient Rome.
• Roman women would put metal
compounds on their faces in order to
enhance their color.
• Tin-Oxide or Lead-Oxide was used as a
paling agent, Arsenic (Though they knew
it was poisonous) as a rouge or blush,
and charcoal was used as eyeliner.
• Romans also were the first to use a
pocket mirror.
• Other ingredients the Romans used for beautifying
themselves were olive oil, beeswax, saffron and
rosewater.
Make-up tools
 HAIRSTYLES AND HEADDRESS
Women
•Gave much attention to the hair
•Perfume was applied to provide pleasant smelling hair
•Curling tongs were used to create hairstyles
•A variety of different combs and hairbrushes were
used
•Hairnets were worn made of finely woven gold wires
•Wire supports were used to create hairstyles
•Hair pins were used to create hairstyles
•Ribbons were used to enhance hairstyles
•Garlands of flowers
•Precious jewels were thread into the hair and jewels
were featured in tiaras and head dresses
•Gold and pearls were also popular as hair accessories
and to create intricate hairstyles
This young woman wears
simple gold earrings in her
ears, while her carefully
curled hair is held in place
by a delicate lattice-work
cap.
 Men
•During the middle and late Republic and into the
early Empire, Roman men wore their hair short
and were clean shaven,
•Philosophers were permitted grow their hair and
beard.
•Emperors, however, became style setters.
Hadrian (117-138 CE) was the first emperor to
adopt a short beard, and many men, no doubt
grateful to escape the ordeal of shaving, followed
his example.
•After his reign, in fact, beards became quite
common among Roman men.
•Twocommon head coverings were
•Petasus: hat
•Pilesus: closely woven cap
ROMAN JEWELLERY
Roman Rings
•Roman men and women wore a
lot of rings.
•Rich people had rings made
from gold and silver and set with
precious stones such as
emeralds, pearls, or amber.
•Less wealthy people wore rings
made from bronze.
•Often a ring held a gemstone
engraved with a pattern that
could be used as a seal.