It's time to get dressed. What do the Romans wear? We are used to seeing them in films and performances wrapped in multi-colored togas that look like long sheets. But is this always the case? In fact, at first glance, these clothes are completely uncomfortable and constrain movement, making it difficult to run, climb stairs or even sit down without clinging to anything. In reality, they are quite practical. Not only that, in our time they still dress like this: go to India or other countries of Asia and the Arab world, and you will see that the traditional clothes there are essentially not too different from the ones worn by the Romans - long robes, tunics, sarees and sandals ... So this is just a matter of habit.
Underwear
Let's start with the underwear. Did the Romans wear cowards? The answer is yes. This, however, is not about cowards in our understanding, but rather about a kind of loincloth made of linen fabric called subligar, wrapped around the waist and intimate parts of the body.
You will be surprised when you learn that this is not the first thing that is worn in the mornings ... Indeed, it is very common to not undress at bedtime, but go to bed half-dressed. They remove the cloak, throwing it on a chair (or take cover instead of a coverlet), and remain in a loincloth and tunic. So they go to bed: the tunic worn during the day will serve instead of pajamas at night. Such a custom may seem unhygienic to us, but our rural residents did the same until the beginning of the 19th century. With the only difference: the Romans were much cleaner, because they went to the baths every day. So before going to bed, they thoroughly washed themselves. The only problem was that the clothes remained dirty.
Tunic
The main item of clothing in the Roman style is the famous tunic. To understand how practical it is, imagine that you put on a knee-length T-shirt (say, XXL size and then grabbed it around the waist with a belt. So, with some assumptions, the tunic is something like that. Amazing: we, in fact , we continue to use (especially in summer) a solution found in the ancient era, just call it another name: T-shirt or T-shirt.
Of course, the materials have changed. We use cotton, the Romans usually used linen or unpainted wool in various shades of beige. This color is well suited so that spots and dust are not so striking.
Flax is also interesting: they are produced mainly in Egypt, from where it is exported throughout the empire. Thus, the Romans, like us, wear clothes made in distant lands. These are the results of the first great globalization in the history of mankind that occurred in the Mediterranean thanks to Rome. We will be able to study this topic more deeply when we visit the markets of the capital of the empire.
The tunic is suitable for any occasion: it is used as a nightdress, put on under the back, and the poor wears it as the only clothes. The poor man pulls on his tunic, puts on his sandals and leaves the house like that. The rich man - no: on top of the tunic he must put on the most important value of the Roman citizens: toga.
Toga
You can say that this is a “suit with a tie? of that time - that is, clothes for appearing in public, especially in important situations. It has been used since ancient times, and we can say that by the time of our narration it had experienced a very real evolution. At first, its size was small, but gradually it became more and more: if it is laid out on the ground, the toga is a semicircle of woolen or linen fabric six meters in diameter!
It is not surprising, therefore, that often, to put on a toga, they resort to the help of a slave. So does our "dominus." This will allow us to understand how it is worn.
The gentleman stands motionless, looking into the distance.
The slave puts a toga on his shoulders like a cloak, however, not strictly symmetrical, but leaving one end much longer so that he descends to the ground. Then he carefully picks up this end and passes it under his arm, wrapping it on his chest to the neck, like a band. Then he wraps it like a scarf around his neck and fastens it with a pin at the height of the clavicle. But this is not all: the end is so long that you need another revolution around the body, under the previous turns. Finally, the slave steps aside to look at his work. He is pleased. His master is so elegant, especially thanks to the flowing folds that give him a noble appearance. One hand is free, and the other is half covered with drapery, and the “dominus” must always keep it slightly bent so that the toga does not get dirty on the ground. It's a little uncomfortable, but you get used to it quickly.
Toga is a true symbol of the culture and civilization of Ancient Rome. It can only be worn by Roman citizens, and this is forbidden to foreigners, slaves and freedmen (slaves released). A toga, like a uniform, carries a certain “dress code”: depending on who it is worn on and what it is for, it carries different names. For example, a white toga bordered by purple, toga rgaetehta - as it were, “protective”. It is worn by senators and boys up to fourteen to sixteen years old. At this age, the ceremony of removing the toga-pretexts is performed, accompanied by a solemn ceremony, it symbolizes the end of the adolescence period. From this moment, the young man is officially considered an adult, that is, able to carry weapons and participate in public life.
Pants
What about the pants? They are not so common. Indeed, this garment is alien to Roman and Mediterranean culture. In the era of Trajan, they are worn only by legionnaires, they are short and tight-fitting, ending just below the knee. In fact, pants already exist, but they are only worn by the enemies of Rome, the barbarians who “invented” them: the Celts and Germans in the north and the Parthians in the east, on the territory of modern Iran. But this will not always be. For one hundred and fifty years, thanks to its convenience, pants will “conquer” Rome, becoming an integral part of Roman fashion.
Footwear
Now the master is sitting, and the slave puts shoes on his feet. Curious: the Romans don’t wear socks (only in the north, where the severity of the climate requires additional protection of the legs), so if you remove your shoes, your legs remain bare.
There are many types of shoes: closed, like boots, open, like sandals, from several strips of leather, with small “heels”, real nails on the sole for more tenacity (the famous caligae worn by the legionnaires) and so on.
To move around the city, wealthy Romans prefer to wear calcei, closed like moccasins, and rarely wear them at home. Do you know why? According to the rules of good form, when entering the house, you need to take off your street shoes and change your shoes to your home: you go around the house in simple sandals with leather or cork soles. And if they are going to visit friends, then they take them with them, because this rule applies in all houses.
