Toga Roman clothing. Men's and women's clothing of ancient Rome
The history of the ancient Roman costume began with a simple and unpretentious form, and ended with extraordinary pomposity! The Romans loved to surprise everyone with their original way and clothes. For example, no one was surprised that a young man could dress in a women's tunic with different sleeves. And even more so, no one paid attention to the Roman philosophers, slovenly and raggedly dressed. Let's look at the name of the clothes of the ancient Romans, the contradictions of which many historians still argue about.
Outerwear of the ancient Romans
Toga - traditional clothing Roman citizen. Underage youths wore togas with wide red stripes, and priests could also wear this color. Everyday togas were made of white wool, without patterns and decoration. Gray and black were worn by mourning women and men. The victors wore purple togas adorned with gold embroidery.
Paludamentum is a long military cloak, high-quality red fabric was used for tailoring.
A palla is a piece of cloth wrapped around the waist and thrown over the shoulder. The most common color is purple, but yellow, white and black tones were also relevant.
Penula - a narrow cape without sleeves, which was fastened in front. Made from coarse linen or wool. It could be worn over a toga.
Ancient Roman clothes
Women's clothing of the ancient Romans should not have been colorful and bright - it was believed that only corrupt women could wear colorful colors.
Stola is long and free dress ancient romans with short sleeves. It was tied with a belt at the waist, and a purple frill was sewn at the bottom. The table was worn by women only from high society. She was forbidden to dress slaves and lung women behavior.
The Romans used to make clothes. various materials: leather, wool, silk, amorgos and linen.
As for Roman shoes, there were many varieties: sandals with straps, high leather boots predominantly red or black, as well as richly decorated slippers.
Women love to wear jewelry. Earrings, rings, and necklaces were all made from precious metals and stones.
Strict and simple clothes The ancient Romans were formed under the influence of a militarized nature and a slave-owning system. Culture and fashion were influenced by the wealth and luxury of some and the poor and lack of rights of others.
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During its existence, the Roman way of life was constantly changing. The creation of clothing in ancient Rome was influenced by Greek traditions. In the later period, in connection with regular military campaigns, the attire of Roman citizens changed significantly. What elements were inherent in clothing and what elements did the Roman wardrobe consist of?
Clothing of the citizens of Ancient Rome
The quality of clothes and colors indicated the position in society and financial condition. The male part of the population wore togas from sheep wool. Cloth magenta characterized a person as a winner in military battles. Black or gray clothing indicated mourning.
Fabrics in Rome were made from materials brought from the East. Sheep wool in winter period and silk and linen, in the warm months, were gathered into draperies and resembled loose tunics in appearance. Later, dense fabrics that highlight the silhouette came into fashion. Togas of special colors were adopted for young men and ministers of the church.
Clothing in Ancient Rome
Toga was a fabric cut in a semicircular shape. It was thrown over the left shoulder. The toga formed many draperies. This form of clothing was uncomfortable for everyday wear, so the toga was replaced by looser robes.
The colors of the outer clothing of the citizens of Ancient Rome also changed throughout the history of civilization. Adopted in Everyday life white began to be perceived over time as festive. On weekdays, the Romans wore dresses with embroideries in geometric patterns. bright colors. Only wealthy citizens could afford such clothes.
Men's clothing in ancient Rome
Men wore tunics in warm weather. different lengths and flowers. Their cut resembled Greek. standard size it was considered a canvas to the knees. Spacious shirts and tunics were worn over the head and girdled. Sleeves were inherent in women's clothing.
Men's clothing in ancient rome
The peasants had tunics of brown or gray color. At the aristocratic elite of society - white with beading, embroidery and precious stones.
By the style of clothing, it was possible to determine which caste a Roman citizen belongs to: a soldier or a general, a priest or an artisan.
Men's clothing in ancient Rome was distinguished by the absence of trousers in the wardrobe. This element of the wardrobe was considered borrowed from the conquered barbarian peoples. However, soldiers serving in the northern legions had to wear trousers.
In bad weather, the Romans wore a raincoat - penula. The penula was worn through a cutout for the head. A hood was thrown over the top. So dressed as ordinary citizens and soldiers. The difference was in the length of the clasp on the right shoulder.
In Roman society were accepted the following types shoes:
- Kalceus - dressed on the street with a dress.
- Kalige - was typical for the army, fastened with copper nails.
- Calceus Patricius - sandals with transverse straps.
- Sole - used for the home.
- Feather - shoes with an open heel and a closed ankle for everyday wear.
When going out into the street, women in Rome wore cloaks that completely concealed the figure - the palla. The robe went down freely or emphasized the waist with a belt. The color scheme was varied, the main fabric was fine wool.
In everyday life, Roman women wore long fitted tunics with short sleeves with pleats. The hem was trimmed with colored ribbons and lace. As the prosperity of the empire grew, tables came into use. They were worn by married women from high society.
It was customary for the bride to dress up in a bright red dress over a tunic. A colored veil was thrown over the head. On weekdays, things of gold, green, gray and blue colors were accepted.
The underwear looked like a loincloth. A loose tunic was worn over it. Hats and other headgear were practically not used. The Romans followed carefully the hair and created a variety of hairstyles.
Roman shoes were made from soft tissue. Sandals were decorated with ribbons, precious metals and stones.
For several centuries of its existence, ancient Roman society and its way of life have changed significantly. At first, a great influence on the cut and style of ancient Roman clothing was influenced by Greek tradition, however, over time, the clothes were transformed and acquired a completely different look. This was influenced by the militarized nature of the Roman Empire, and contact with other peoples and their traditions. How did clothing change in ancient Rome and what were its main elements?
Clothing in Ancient Rome was made from sheep wool, linen, silk, which was brought from the East. These fabrics made it possible to create garments that resembled Greek tunics and togas, draped with numerous folds. IN late time denser fabrics gained popularity, which changed the silhouette and cut of clothes, making them more sheath-shaped.
The colors of clothes become more complicated with time. popular in early period Roman history, the white color gradually became solemn, dressed in it only on holidays, and in everyday life they preferred bright and juicy shades. In later times, Roman clothing began to abound with embroideries with complex geometric patterns. However, only wealthy people could afford it.
Outerwear in ancient Rome
Outerwear could tell a lot about its owner, his social status and ethnic background. Casual outerwear for the male population in Rome was lambswool toga, but only citizens could wear it. A purple toga was an attribute of the winner, a gray or black robe was a sign of mourning. There were also special togas for underage boys, clergy and candidates for official positions.
The toga was a semicircular piece of cloth that was wrapped around the body over the left shoulder, forming a multitude of draperies. It was not very convenient to wear such a robe every day, so it quickly turned into a solemn one and gradually fell into disuse. In everyday life, the Romans began to use penula - warm raincoat from thick fabric which was worn over the head. Thus, the body was closed on all sides, the head could be protected by a hood. A similar cloak was worn by Roman soldiers, it differed from the usual cloak of a citizen short length and the presence of a fastener on the right shoulder.
Women's outerwear there was a palla cloak that went down to the very ankles. Palla could go down freely or be fixed with a belt at the waist. Such a raincoat was made of fine wool, there were several options for its cut, as well as color options.
Men's and women's clothing in ancient Rome, at first it was quite heavy and bulky, slowing down movement, so over time the cut evolved into a simpler and more comfortable one. The contacts of the Romans with the barbarian states of Europe contributed a lot to this.
Men's clothing in ancient Rome
Men's clothing in ancient Rome was introduced tunics various cuts, some of which were very reminiscent of Greek robes. They were made of linen or wool, their length reached the knees. As a rule, tunics were spacious shirts and were belted at the waist. They dressed over the head, for which there was a cut on the chest.
The appearance of the tunic depended on social status its owner. Peasants and slaves wore simple, dark clothes, mostly Brown. aristocrats preferred white and decorated their clothes with embroideries, stone inlays and precious clasps. By the tunic it was possible to distinguish a senator from a commander, and that from an ordinary soldier or priest.
Men's tunics were sewn without sleeves, as they were considered a sign of effeminacy, but young men from aristocratic families at times liked to shock society by appearing on the street in female version tunics with sleeves and with a veil on the head.
A toga was worn over the tunic. Often men wore several tunics one on top of the other.
Trousers were not worn in ancient Rome., they were considered the clothes of barbarians, unworthy of citizens great empire. However, the soldiers who served on the northern frontier still had to put on this unusual piece of clothing for them to withstand the cold.
Women's clothing of ancient Rome
The daily clothing of the Roman women at first was a longer, kind of tunic. As prosperity grew, it was replaced by a stola - a wide tunic with many folds and short sleeves. This robe reached the feet, its bottom was decorated with ribbons or frills, the waist was fastened with a belt. The basis of women's clothing Ancient Rome had graceful draperies flowing down, and the table was no exception. This form of clothing was considered the privilege of free married women who have an impeccable reputation.
Color spectrum women's outfits was very diverse and differed in brightness and saturation. For example, the bride's attire consisted of long dress burns bright red, which was worn over a tunic, and an orange veil was thrown over the girl's head. In everyday life, they wore clothes of yellow, golden, blue, green and gray shades.
Instead of underwear the Romans used a lower tunic with a loincloth over which the upper tunic was put on, and then the draping cloak of the palla or penula. With them, or with special veils, the Roman women covered their heads from street dust. Headwear of any kind was rarely used, in part because the women of the Mediterranean empire great importance gave hair care and complex hairstyles.
Shoes for the Romans were sandals and shoes made of soft skin, which were decorated with embroidery and metal details. Numerous ornaments made of precious metals and stones were an important addition to clothing.
The clothing of ancient Rome still attracts the attention of designers and fashion fans, as it allows you to create a beautiful silhouette. Thus, the aesthetic ideals of the Empire continue to exist, being another proof of what a huge contribution ancient Roman culture made to the development of human civilization.
Shoes in ancient Rome
Roman shoe types
A. Feather - shoes without a heel, covering the ankle, were used everywhere;
B. Сalceus - shoes were worn with a dress and dressed outside the home;
C. Calceus Patrick - closed shoes with cross straps;
D. Caligae - used in the army, while being reinforced with iron or copper nails;
E. soleae - shoes worn at home.
Recent studies by German and British archaeologists have shown that the clothes worn by the inhabitants of Ancient Rome, contrary to established stereotypes, were very diverse. Apparently, in the empire since the first century AD, individual tailoring was practiced. In addition, already in those days there was such a thing as a "brand".
Many of us know from school that the clothes of the ancient Romans did not differ in variety. We usually remember that the noble Romans wore togas, which were a kind of long piece of linen, which sometimes reached a length of up to six meters. Moreover, the unfortunate Roman rich were forced to wrap it around themselves several times, which, of course, was impossible to do without outside help.
And ordinary citizens of the empire wore bag-like robes with cutouts for arms and heads, which did not emphasize at all, but, on the contrary, hid the figure. The only difference was that women girdled directly under the bust, and men - on the hips. In addition, for some reason, many believe that these robes were mostly white or light gray. Maybe, this delusion created by numerous illustrators of history textbooks.
However, the latest discoveries of archaeologists suggest that everything was not so. In fact, the clothing of the ancient Romans was very diverse. And, what is most interesting, apparently, already in those days there was a so-called individual tailoring.
As we know, in the Roman Empire, clothes were mainly made from woolen fabrics. Materials from cotton, linen and nettle were also used, although much less often, and silk was quite exotic, since it was not produced locally, but was brought from distant China. heyday peak textile industry in ancient Rome falls at the beginning of our era, when, having captured Egypt, the Romans got acquainted with the local version loom. And soon the conquerors built up the whole country with clothing "factories", that is, most of Europe and Asia Minor. It was genuine mass production, which, after the fall of the empire, returned to Europe only a thousand years later, during the High Middle Ages.
The German historian Sylvia Michke from the Romano-German Central Museum Mainzat (Germany) recently made an interesting discovery. While researching a local collection of Roman underwear, she discovered gussets, i.e., triangular inserts along the seams to reinforce and expand the garment. Until now, it was believed that the size and shape of Roman clothes were determined solely by the size of the loom and clothes were not customized to fit the figure. This discovery, however, suggests that the Romans still knew a lot about fashion design.
It has also recently been established that in the empire, apparently, there was such a thing as a "brand". So, for example, in the Columbus Museum in Cologne, a tunic is kept, in the upper part of which the letter "kappa" is embroidered with red thread. Until recently, it was believed that this is the monogram of the owner's name. However, now historians are inclined to assume that this is still the designer's logo, since items with the same embroidery were recently found during excavations of the Roman fortress of Vindoland in the north of England. The time of manufacture of these garments is different, and it is unlikely that they belonged to the same person. And it is highly doubtful that a Roman, who, as a rule, had several names, signed his clothes with just one letter.
In addition, the excavations of this fortress disproved the myth that all the legionnaires of the empire wore the same shape. Not only underwear, but the shells of the ancient Romans, judging by the finds, were made to order. There are simply no two identical items of clothing and uniforms among the items found.
By the way, the myth that the warriors of Ancient Rome flaunted in red cloaks was also finally dispelled. The finds indicate that the favorite color of this clothing was light gray, that is, the color of the earth. It was not only cheap (the red paint, extracted from sea mollusks living in the Mediterranean, then cost crazy money), but also practical - it was easier for a legionnaire dressed in such a cloak to disguise himself. The cloaks of the officers were dark brown, and not purple at all.
Yes, and, judging by the data of scientists, mostly women wore red clothes in the empire. There is evidence that rich ladies dressed in exorbitant expensive dresses(with a variety of styles, sometimes even with sleeves) and raincoats, painted in all shades of red. Interestingly, when it was raining, these women of fashion urgently had to seek shelter, because when wet, the charming robe began to terribly smell like fish - after all, the dye, as we have already said, was extracted from the bodies of mollusks.
However, dresses and raincoats were far from the only women's clothing. Judging by the mosaic found on the floor of the Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily, dating back to the late Roman era, sometimes ladies wore ... bikinis! On the bodies of the women depicted there, there is something like beach panties and a bra, and this suit, as befits a real bikini, is separate. Most likely, scientists suggest, it was still not a classic swimsuit, but simply two pieces of fabric, one of which was wrapped around the hips, and the other around the chest. It is noteworthy that in the image in these costumes, women do not bathe at all, but do gymnastic exercises(or perhaps participate in some kind of mystery).
As for the classic toga, of course, it was present in the wardrobe of noble Romans, but, apparently, it was not casual wear. It was worn only on especially solemn occasions (perhaps that is why all the samples that have come down to us are very well preserved). And those, even in Rome, did not happen every day, therefore, apparently, most of the time togas were not used.
The ancient Roman state arose in the 8th century. BC. Initially, it was a city-state that occupied only a small part of the Apennine Peninsula (the territory of modern Rome), far from the mouth of the Tiber River. The ancestors of the ancient Romans - the Latins, who lived in Latium, located in the Tiber region, were distinguished by courage, endurance and severity.
The whole history of the Roman people, all stages of its development, were reflected in the clothes of the ancient Romans. In the distant past, the Romans were distinguished by the simplicity of manners, and their simple clothes served them only to protect them from heat or cold. It was made from the skins and wool of animals, later - from flax. Men and women wore shirts and cloaks, shoes in sandals and shoes with straps.
There are two periods in the history of the Roman state: republican and imperial. The life of the Romans in the republican period was still quite strict. The Roman costume was similar to the Greek one, it was also draped, but the aesthetic ideal of the ancient Romans was not beautiful. human body but harsh courageous warriors and majestic women. Therefore, the complex Roman costume, which was originally made of wool, and later of linen, gave the figure a static, majestic, a certain theatricality. In the imperial period, clothes become richer and more magnificent. Imported silk fabrics appear.
During the heyday of the Roman state, its borders expanded greatly, including the territory of modern England, France, Spain, Holland and other countries. Rome became a huge world power that waged endless wars and extensive trade. The plundered wealth, the many slaves who did all the work, led to luxury even in everyday life. All this was reflected in the character of the ancient Roman costume.
The Romans dressed in clothes of bright colors: red, purple, purple, yellow, brown. Costume white color was considered ceremonial, it was worn for ceremonial exits.
The Romans made clothes for women. Until the time of the empire, the Romans wore clothes homemade. Even Emperor Augustus (1st century BC) was proud that his tunic and toga were made by the hands of his mother and wife. Unlike the Greeks, who wove their clothes in one piece on a loom, Roman clothes were sewn together.
Male costume in ancient Rome
The basis of the Roman costume was the "tunic", which was considered the lower, home clothing. To appear in it on the street without outerwear was indecent for a Roman citizen. The tunic had much in common with the Greek tunic, but, unlike it, it was an overhead garment: it was sewn on the shoulders and put on over the head. The length of the tunic could be different, but basically it reached the middle of the calves. There were several types of tunics: "colobium", "talaris" and "dalmatic". The colobium had short sleeves and he girded himself. Talaris was worn by nobility, this tunic had long, narrow sleeves. The dalmatic was longer, with wide sleeves, which in expanded form resembled a cross. Therefore, the dalmatic was worn by the Christian Romans.
Tunics of representatives of various social strata depended on their nobility and wealth. Purple was a symbol of power in ancient Rome. Persons holding high public positions wore tunics with purple stripes sewn on. So, on the tunic of the senator, a wide vertical purple strip (“clavus”) was sewn, on the tunic of the riders - two narrow purple stripes. The victorious commanders wore purple tunics embroidered with golden palm branches.
Sometimes (especially during the cold season) the Romans wore several tunics at once. Emperor Augustus is known to have worn four tunics at the same time.
The most important outerwear of the ancient Romans was the "toga" - a cloak made of a large rectangular or elliptical piece. wool fabric. The size of the toga was approximately 6 meters by 1 meter 80 centimeters, and usually the slaves draped their master in it. For the Romans, the toga was theirs hallmark, and they called themselves "gens togata" - "dressed in a toga." The toga was a symbol of the civic dignity of a Roman. If he committed a crime, then by law he was deprived of the right to wear these clothes. Slaves, foreigners and exiles also had no right to wear a toga. The victorious commander appeared in a gold-woven purple toga- pict. Later, it was replaced by a purple cloak - "paludamentum", the ancestor of the mantles of European kings.
There were also other types of cloaks. Roman emperors and the highest nobility wore a "paludamentum", which was thrown over the back and left shoulder, and buckled on the right. It could also be worn wrapped several times in the form of a scarf around the left arm.
The ceremonial cloak was also a “lacerna” - a rectangular piece of fabric that covered the back and both shoulders and chipped off in front. The lacerna was made of very expensive fabric woven with gold and silver, and it reached the knees.
The poor wore "penula" - woolen or leather coat in the form of a semicircle, often with an attached hood. Penula was the clothing of shepherds and travelers. It was often made of dense woolen fabric with a "bouffant". Roman dandies wore a pencil case made of precious fabrics.
Pants came into use by the Romans from the III century. AD - this detail of the costume was also borrowed by them from the barbarians (before the war with the Gauls, they did not wear them). But only soldiers constantly wore them.
Women's costume in ancient Rome
The women's costume of the ancient Romans is in many ways similar to the men's. He was supposed to give monumentality and majesty to the figure of a Roman matron, to emphasize a leisurely smooth gait. It was made at first from woolen fabrics, and later, during the period of the empire, from light silk multi-colored fabrics - sometimes translucent, woven with gold and silver, which from the 2nd century. BC. began to be imported in large numbers from other countries.
Roman women were distinguished by a special passion for rich outfits and jewelry. In order to limit this passion for panache, a strict law was even issued in Rome prohibiting excessive luxury. However, this did not lead to anything: after the wars with Asia Minor, even more oriental goods and jewelry began to arrive in Rome, and the desire for luxury only intensified. If in more early times Roman matrons dressed in white clothes, decorated with only a narrow purple border, then later they began to sew clothes from multi-colored, checkered or bright plain (lilac, purple, green, yellow, red) fabrics. And despite any prohibitions, the Romans dressed in translucent, golden and precious purple fabrics.
A long and rather wide tunic was worn by the Romans as a lower or home clothes. Usually she was woolen and girdled. Tunics were made both without sleeves and with long sleeves; sleeves could also be split, with fasteners along the entire length of the arm.
Noble women put on a “table” over a tunic - an outer garment similar to a tunic. It was long, with or without sleeves, and girdled under the bust. beautiful belt. A wide pleated frill (“insista”) was sewn at the bottom, embroidered with gold sequins and pearls or decorated with a purple trim. The collar and armholes were also decorated with a wide border. A sleeved tunic was worn over a sleeveless tunic (and vice versa). Stola was considered the clothing of married women. It must be worn when appearing in in public places. Slaves were forbidden to wear a table.
The outerwear also served as a cloak - "palla", similar to the Greek himation. He was draped different ways, with a lap at the waist, and top edge sometimes they covered their heads. The palla was fastened on the shoulders with clasps ("agraphs").
The ancient Romans gave the figure a slenderness by pulling a piece of dense fabric under the tunic or thin skin waist and supporting her breasts (which anticipated future women's corsets).
Roman patrician clothing:
The man is wearing an embroidered tunic, a toga, shoes - calceus.
On a woman - a table and peplum. Hairstyle with bouffant and overhead curls.
Roman warrior costume
The aggressive campaigns of Rome led to the fact that the clothes of the soldiers became more comfortable and did not interfere with their movement.
In the early period of the Roman Republic, warriors wore a short woolen sleeveless tunic, and over it they put on a "loric" - a leather shell covered with metal plates. Outerwear was a thick woolen cloak - "trabea". In the era of the Empire, the “sagum” became the outerwear of ordinary warriors - a short cloak made of woolen fabric, borrowed by the Romans from the Gauls. It was so typical clothing Roman soldier that the expression "to put on a sagum" meant: "to start a war." Leather or linen shells were covered with thin metal or bone plates in the form of scales or feathers. Scaled shells were worn by Roman military leaders.
Warriors wore sandals or boots and metal or leather leggings on their feet. Later, they began to wear woolen trousers below the knee, tightly fitting the leg. Legs up to the ankle and above were protected by boots ("kaligs"), which were held by strong straps.
The metal or leather helmets of the Roman soldiers were of the most varied form. In imperial times, centurion helmets were decorated with a silver-plated crest and a plume of feathers or horsehair. The helmets of generals and emperors were distinguished by especially skillful work. And the helmets of the standard-bearers were covered with animal skins.
Roman warrior in lorica:
The man is wearing a warrior costume: a leather shell, a cassock helmet with a horsehair crest.
On a woman - a table and a peplum thrown over her head, sandals.
On a woman: a lined cape, a tunic with a border
On the male: leather shell with shoulder pads, sagum cloak, calceus boots 
Shoes in Ancient Rome
The Romans were not in the habit of walking barefoot.
Free Romans in everyday life wore sandals - "solea". They were tied to the leg crosswise with two straps. Wearing solea in public was considered indecent. The Romans also wore half boots and boots, shoes with belts, etc. Going to public meetings, the Romans put on high (covering the foot to the ankles) leather half boots - “calceus” together with the toga. Unlike Greek crepes, they completely covered the leg. higher officials(as well as the emperor during the Empire) wore red leather calceus, on high heels, With silver jewelry; senator - black, with belts crossed in front. Expensive men's footwear made from leather different colors and decorated with gold and silver plaques. The poor and slaves wore simple wooden shoes. Roman shoes were necessary part toilet, taking it off was considered indecent even in home environment. The victorious commanders had purple shoes.
Peasants wore shoes made of wood or raw leather.
Women wore sandals and shoes made of soft colored leather. The shoes worn by noble Roman women were mostly made of light thin leather, embroidered with pearls and gold, and fitted the foot very tightly. Sometimes the Romans wore soft ankle boots.
Hairstyles and headdresses in ancient Rome
The ancient Romans originally (until the end of the 3rd century BC) wore long hair and beards, but then it became fashionable to cut their hair and shave cleanly or wear small curled beards. The first barbers arrived in Rome from Sicily in 290 BC.
The hairstyles of the Romans were very different: with bangs above the forehead, with smoothly combed or curled hair. In imperial times, dandies not only curled their hair or wore wigs, but also anointed them with expensive oils, sprinkled with gold dust.
The Romans, like the Greeks, did not have a custom to cover their heads. Hats were worn only by judges and priests. During bad weather, the Romans protected their heads with a hood, they could throw a part of the toga over their heads. But sometimes they put on caps and hats similar to Greek ones (for example, petas). The common people wore straw hats or leather hats.
The hairstyles of noble Roman patrician women were complex and very diverse, and sometimes bizarre. They wore "Greek" hairstyles, combing their hair smoothly and tying it in a knot at the back of their heads. They divided their hair into a straight parting, braided them into braids that wrapped around their heads. Curled long curls, framing their face, or whipped curled hair in front, smoothly combing the rest back.
A typical Roman female hairstyle was updo from curls fixed on a frame, shaped like a Russian kokoshnik. Part of the curls was strengthened in rows on the frame, and the rest of the hair was braided and laid on the back of the head or descended in the form of braids along the temples and on the back of the head.
The most fashionable were considered blond and Brown hair, and the Romans used various means to lighten hair. They also wore wigs and false hair, for which the braids of blond German women were used.
The headdresses of Roman women were the same as those of Greek women: headbands, round caps, covered with gold or silver nets. Noble patrician women attached a thin veil in the form of a veil to their headdress, descending over their shoulders.
Roman women's hairstyles:
Jewelry in Ancient Rome
The ancient Romans wore wreaths of fresh flowers. During feasts, they placed wreaths of ivy, myrtle, roses, and violets on their heads. Wreaths decorated the heads of generals, orators, priests, winners of sports competitions, participants in sacrifices. Famous poets were crowned with a laurel wreath (the word "laureate" comes from the Latin name for laurel - "laurea"). The commander who managed to save the army from precarious position, the soldiers brought a wreath of grass woven by them. The victor was crowned with a laurel wreath, which later began to be made of gold, and then turned into a jagged wreath, called the “radiata crown”.
Roman women wove headbands adorned with pearls, gold, precious stones into their hair, wore gold braided nets, attaching them to their hair. beautiful stilettos from Ivory.
Male adornments were "bulls" - round medallions-amulets that guarded childhood, which young men wore until civil age (until the onset of 17 years). On ring finger The Romans wore rings on their left hand - at first they were iron, later gold. Some dandies adorned their hands with several rings at once. Buckles could also serve as decorations.
Noble Roman women were distinguished by a special, extreme predilection for jewelry. They adopted most of them from Greek women and decorate themselves jewelry fine work of gold, Indian pearls, precious stones. They wore neck chains and necklaces, coiled snake rings and bracelets, headbands and tiaras, beautiful buckles. Hair was adorned with strings of pearls. The gold and silver earrings worn by the Roman women had the most varied form. The most beautiful and most expensive were considered pearl, having the shape of drops. Amber and crystal balls, which Roman matrons held in their hands, were especially popular: it was believed that they refreshed their hands.
The costume of a noble Roman woman was complemented by a very expensive peacock feather fan or an umbrella, which served as protection from the sun or rain.
The ancient Romans were skilled in the use of cosmetics. They borrowed it from the Greeks and Egyptians. Roman women used powder fragrant oils, ointments, blushes and ointments, special means for lightening hair, for skin rejuvenation. They learned the art of make-up, used various lotions and lipsticks for facial skin rejuvenation, white lead, pumice tooth powder were used.
The Roman women also used mirrors, which at first were made from a mixture of tin and copper, and later very expensive ones appeared, made of pure silver, with gilding on the reverse side. In addition to hand mirrors, the Romans also had large wall mirrors.
Toiletries were kept by Roman women in toilet bags: silver quadrangular mirrors, similar to Etruscan ones, decorated on the reverse side; ivory combs; hair curlers; gold and silver hairpins and pins; scissors; jars of blush, lipstick, whitewash, perfume bottles, ribbons, etc.
Source - "History in costumes. From pharaoh to dandy". Author - Anna Blaze, artist - Daria Chaltykyan