Roman Hairstyles - Wigs, Dyes and Hair Accessories

Cosmetics and hairstyling required mirrors, which were made of highly polished bronze or silver in rectangular or round shapes. Blonde hair was greatly admired by the Romans. Roman women used a form of hair dye to produce the prized blond hair. Grey hair was also dyed using a form of walnut dye. Wigs were common in Ancient Rome which were combed into elaborate hairstyles. Some country slaves had their heads shaven and their hair was used to produce wigs for wealthy Roman women. It was therefore a severe punishment for a town-slave to be sent into the country. Various accessories were used to create elaborate and striking hairstyles. The accessories used to create the elaborate hairstyles were as follows:

• 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
  

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Roman Hairstyles

Roman Hairstyles for Women
Roman women originally dressed their hair with great simplicity. One of the simplest styles of wearing the hair was allowing it to fall down in tresses behind, and only confining it by a band encircling the head. Another favourite but simple hairstyle was platting the hair, and then fastening it behind with a large pin. Young girls wore their long hair in simple buns tied at the base of the neck or wore their hair in a top knot. Simple hairstyles for married women changed during the reign of the Emperor Augustus when a variety of different and elaborate hairstyles came into fashion. The clothing fashions of Roman women remained relatively simple and unchanging and as women had no special dress that distinguished their status the wealthy women wore luxurious materials, highly elaborate hairstyles, make-up and expensive jewelry. During the rule of the Flavian emperors (69-138 BC) hairstyles were raised to a great height by rows of false curls. This fashion was described by the writer Juvenal as the hairstyles made women appear tall from the front but quite the opposite from the back. The hair of Roman women become elaborately curled. Hairstyles were elaborately arranged in layers. Hairstyles involved hair being twisted, waved and curled. Ringlets were created to create hairstyles which fell to the sides and the backs of the head. Wigs and hair pieces were used to create an illusion of abundant locks. The picture of some hairstyles worn by Roman women are shown below.

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Roman Hairstyles for Men

The Roman Hairstyles for men changed over the years. In early times the Romans wore their hair long but after the introduction of barbers into Italy about B.C. 300, it became the practice to wear their hair short. A full head of hair was prized by Roman men and Julius Caesar went to great pains to hide his thinning hair. It is said that of all the honors decreed to Caesar by the senate he was best pleased with that of always wearing a laurel crown, because it covered his baldness, which was considered a deformity. The leading figure during the period of the Roman Empire was of course the Emperor and if he adopted a new hairstyle then this was quickly adopted by other Roman men. The Emperor Nero (54-68 CE) adopted elaborate hairstyles with curls framing his face. Roman curling tongs were used for this purpose. Nero set another fashion in hairstyles and started to wear sideburns. The Emperor Hadrian (117-138 CE) was the first emperor to wear a short beard which then became quite common among Roman men. In his later years the Emperor Constantine wore false hair of various colors which was carefully arranged and perfumed. Wealthy Roman men followed his lead and dyed their hair in a variety of dark and light shades and the wearing of wigs also became fashionable.

                                          http://dictionary_of_ancient.academic.ru/3353/%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8

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Gladiator Sandals

 History of Gladiator Sandals - Roman Footwear
Many of the gladiators fought barefoot but others wore Gladiator Sandals. Absolutely no Roman citizen would appear in public with bare feet. This would indicate dire poverty. Roman citizens wore sandals (soleae) - footwear without toe coverings indoors and shoes or boots (calcei or calceus), footwear with toe coverings with straps which covered the ankles, the calf, or up to the knee, outdoors. Sandals are believed to be the first rigid shoes crafted. A stiff sole was attached to the foot by leather cords, straps, or braided thongs. Sandals were generally the most worn type of footwear in warm climates such as the countries surrounding the Mediterranean - the Roman Empire.

Roman Sandals
There were many different styles of Roman Sandals and these styles depended on the cost. Only the cheapest materials were used for slaves and laborers in the plainest of colors. Only Romans of a high status such as the Patricians would wear red dyed shoes. Roman soldiers who were expected to march for many miles had to have strong shoes which were called caliga. The sole of the caliga was thickly studded with hobnails.

Different Types of Gladiator Sandals

Gladiator Sandals were worn in the arena. The arenas of Ancient Rome were covered with sand, to soak up the blood. It was not strictly necessary for gladiator sandals to be studded with hobnails. It was, however, traditional for many gladiators to wear the armor, clothes and weapons which came from their ethnic backgrounds and in battle re-enactments which were shown in the arena some gladiators would have played the parts of Roman soldiers - so sandals studded with hobnails would have been worn.

Materials used to make Gladiator Sandals - Leather

The materials used to make Gladiator Sandals was predominantly leather. The Ancient Romans were expert in the process of tanning and produced both supple leather which was ideal for making gladiator sandals and tough leather which was used to make protective armor. The Romans used the hide of animals such as a deer or cattle. The thickest and most durable types of leather were used for making the soles of gladiator sandals and remaining weaker leather was used for making the straps.

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Gladiators Clothing

History, Facts and Information about Gladiators Clothing
Gladiators in general wore minimal amounts of clothing and almost all of the different types of gladiators fought with bare chests, which the Romans viewed as a symbol of masculine virility. For the sake of modesty they wore a canvas loin cloth, called a subligaculum, which was worn in a variety of colors. Gladiators clothing was finished with sandals although many fought barefoot.

Gladiators Clothing - Expensive Clothing

There were occasions when Gladiators Clothing was more stylish and expensive. It must be remembered that gladiators were paid each time they fought and they were allowed to keep any rewards and purses of money. The most successful gladiators were also treated like modern day 'Pop Idols' with fan worship, fame and glory. Successful gladiators could therefore buy better clothes than was supplied by the Gladiator schools.

http://odejda-chel.ucoz.com/blog/odezhda_drevnego_rima/2011-07-13-75

Roman Emperor Clothing

Public display of status was an extremely important feature of Roman society. The Romans required that their status and rank was immediately recognized, in order to be meaningful, and the the clothing worn by the Roman Emperor, especially on state occasions had to be the most expensive, made from the rarest and finest materials. The material, style and color of the clothing worn by a Roman Emperor was the very best and the Emperor was instantly recognised by what he wore. Although the colors, decorations and materials used in the manufacture of a Roman Emperors clothing he wore the basic garments of the Romans: The tunic, the toga and the cloak:
 The Toga was the standard loose flowing outer garment which was elaborately draped around the body
 The tunic (tunica) was worn below the toga. The original tunic designs reached to the knees and had short sleeves. In the second century AD the style changed and long sleeves were acceptable in the tunic design
 The cloak called a paludamentum which was fastened at the shoulder with a clasp, called a fibula.

Roman Emperor Clothing - The Color Purple and the 'Trabea' Toga

The most associated color with Roman Emperor Clothing is the color purple. Only a Roman Emperor was allowed to wear the 'trabea' which was a toga entirely colored in purple and worn on ceremonial occasions. Statues of gods were also dressed in the purple trabea toga, emphasising the importance of the color and of course associating the Emperor with the Roman gods. The purple toga was also referred to as the Toga purpurea. Lesser mortals such as kings, senators, young sons of senators, augurs and some other important priests were allowed to have purple stripes on their togas. The width of the stripe varied accordance to their status.

Roman Emperor Clothing - Toga picta

The Toga picta was another piece of Roman Emperor Clothing, which was also worn on special occasions such as the opening of gladiatorial games. Unlike all other types of toga, the material was not just dyed purple but was also richly embroidered and decorated with gold.

http://xhorni.com/patricians-ancient-rome.html

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Roman Weddings - the Wedding Dress and 'Tying the Knot'

The bride's attire, like that of today, was special and worn only once. On the wedding day the bride was dressed in a simple robe of pure white (a tunica recta) which was bound with a woollen belt. The ritual and complicated marriage knot of the bride's belt was called the Nodus Herculaneus which symbolized the virility of Hercules, who fathered seventy children, which her husband alone was to unloose. This is the derivation of the saying 'Tying the Knot'. Wearing her wedding dress the bride waited for the arrival of the bridegroom. Traditionally the bridegroom, accompanied by a party of friends, carried her off with an appearance of violence, from the arms of her parents, to denote the reluctance the bride was supposed to feel at leaving her paternal roof.

http://www.myshared.ru/slide/227166/

Roman Weddings - the Hairstyle of the Bride

The bride's hairstyle was unique to brides and was called tutulus. The hair was divided into sex crines, six locks, and was fastened with vittae, fillets, on the top of her head in a meta, cone. Her hair was parted with a hasta recurva or hasta caelibaris, bent iron spearhead and crowned with flowers. It is not really known why this ritual was practiced, except that the ancient Romans may have believed that this would drive out the evil spirits thought to be living in the hair.

http://www.tribunesandtriumphs.org/roman-clothing/roman-wedding-clothing.htm