Roman Sumptuary Laws ensured that the clothing worn by Roman men immediately provided information about the status of the person wearing them. Clothes did not just indicate the wealth of the person, it also reflected their social standing. For instance, only Roman citizens were allowed, by law, to wear the Toga. The colors and width of the bands, or stripes on tunics and togas were called the clavus. The clavus, together with its style and color, were instantly recognisable as an indication of office or rank and dictated by the Roman Sumptuary Laws.
In typical Roman fashion, the more distinguished the wearer, the more his dress was distinctively marked, while the dress of the lowest classes was often not marked at all.
In the above diagram, for example, we can deduce that the first man on
the left is a Roman citizen (because he wears a toga) but is not an equestrian
or senator (because he has no stripes on his tunic).
The Toga
The toga was a loose outer garment without sleeves which was open from
the waist upwards. The material to make a toga consisted of a single broad
piece of woollen cloth of a shape similar to a semicircle. The toga was draped
gracefully by placing an edge on the left side of the body which extended from the lower legs up over the shoulder, around the
back and beneath the right arm and the loose end of material was thrown over
the left shoulder. It was generally made of undyed white wool, except
the border of the toga which was colored according to the status of the wearer.
The Tunic
The
tunic was usually made of wool. The tunic in its variety of different forms was
worn by people of all classes and those worn by men were with and without sleeves and cut in a variety of
lengths. Tunics were made from many different types of materials. The tunic
was fastened by a girdle or belt about the waist, to keep it tight, which also
served as a purse. Roman senators wore a tunic with broad band or strip called
the tunica laticlavia
The Cloak
The
purpose of Roman Cloaks was primarily to provide protection from the weather,
the cold and rain. Some cloaks had hoods (cucullus) attached to them. The
paenula was a very simple type of Roman cloak consisting of a piece of material
with a central hole allowing the wearer to slip the cloak over the head. The
abolla was the name of a cloak worn by wealthy and aristocratic Patricians and
were made of different types of rich, costly materials.
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