Fashion of Rome
The outfits that Roman women would wear during Ancient Rome.
One’s clothing was dictated by their social status, occupation, wealth, gender, and age. You could basically look at a person’s clothing and have an idea about who they were. Appearances, especially for the upper classes, were the best way to show off their wealth, status, and power in Rome. The fabric used would mainly be linen, wool, and silk (worn exclusively by the rich).
The main garment worn by females was the stola. It was a long tunic that reached the ground; they could have long sleeves, short sleeves, or no sleeves at all. This garment was normally worn over another long tunic (that somewhat served as an undergarment). The stola was generally shorter than the inner tunic (to show the layers of garment, a show of wealth). Another show of wealth would be a wide ornamental border called an instita.
Women would also wear an over garment called the palla. It was a simple cloak that was draped over one shoulder. It was like the female version of the toga.
All women wore a shawl (aka. a pulla) over their hair when they went out in public; it was a customary action.
The main garments worn by women differed if you were or were not married.
Unmarried women: They wore a tunic that was similar to the Greek chiton. Their tunic had shorter sleeves, a belt, and pins that helped shape the large garment into different styles. The color and kind of fabric depended on the woman’s status.
Married women: They also wore a tunic, but theirs was called a stola, which was a looser type. It was long and sleeveless with straps at the shoulders, and gathered at the waits.
Everyone wore shoes, mainly sandals, but the shoes varied depending on the purpose and activity. There were three different kinds of shoes.
1. Calcei: the standard outdoor footwear, it was a soft leather shoe, a cross between a shoe and sandal
2. Soleae, Crepidae, or Sandalia: sandals were generally indoor footwear. It was improper to be seen in public wearing them. However, it was rude to not wear them as a guest to a banquet (the wealthy would have their slaves carry their sandals, then they would change into them when they got to the venue)
3. Socci: slippers for indoor use
All Romans would wear a loin cloth knotted on each side, but women would also wear a brassiere. It was a band that was tied tightly around the body, either across the bust and under the clothing (referred to as a fascia), or under the bust and over the clothing (known as “strophium, mammillare, and/or cingulum). All undergarments were linen.
Stolla and Palla
Calceus: most common footwear