One of the oldest and most functional pieces of clothing are the ancient Roman’s idea of functional and fashionable clothing. When you picture Roman clothing you most likely picture a man with a white sheet draped around their body with some sort of broach to hold it all together. While this is a simplistic explanation, it is not the only type of clothing that the Romans wore on a daily basis.
The traditional toga was actually a very cumbersome and heavy wrap, many yards long, that wrapped around the body in various ways. Aristocrats would actually have slaves whose sole function was to properly dress his master in his toga! Only Roman citizens, men and the upper class could wear the toga. It was mainly used for ceremonial purposes or special occassions.
The simplest piece but also the most versatile, worn by peasants to the elite is the tunic. This is very indicative of our modern day T-shirt in many ways, from its common place in society to its loose, unrestrictive flowing design; this as well was worn by all manner of society. Most people would wear what was basically a shirt that reached to the knees, which would be the undergarment. Another, shorter tunic would be worn over top, or a toga.
There were other aspects of the Roman fashion scene as well. The Stola was mainly worn by women of this period and was always worn over a tunic, like a toga. Unmarried women would wear a tunic, not only for style but as a statement to society that they were not yet married and were looking for a husband. When they married, they then wore the stola.
The cloak was another major part of many Roman wardrobes. Many men would wear a cloak, from the farmer who used a heavy cloak in winter or in rain to the soldier who used a cloak often made from the tough hide of an animal as part of the armour that was worn. If you were to create a Roman armor costume for authentic reenactments, a cloak would likely be worn as part of the outfit.
Cloaks were also used as fashion statements, where they were purely for show of status and wealth. They were beautifully decorated with different colour patters and often with elegant embroidery. The elite of the Roman society would often have more than one cloak for such a purpose. A cloak would be a great addition to a Roman soldier costume, as soldiers would wear them in colder climates where tunics would be too light for the weather. Today we do not often use cloaks, as they fell out of fashion some time ago, though there are some people who still do wear them throughout the world, and you will find them on many costumes.
The basics of Roman footwear are the sandal. This is not so much a fashion statement as it is a functional piece of their attire. This leather sandal was secure to the foot with a leather sole, and leather straps around the toes, and often lased up the leg. This allowed the feet to breath in the arid clime that Rome was located at the time, while offering the basic foot protection from rough terrain and long bouts on their feet. Today sandals are still a major part of our summer footwear and have evolved from just function to a fashion piece as well.
Another staple for the Roman fashion scene was jewellery, mostly worn only by women, these were a status symbol and a statement of wealth more than anything. Today Jewellery, of course, is still used as a fashion statement by women and men across the world over.
