Ancient Roman Clothing

The fashion of women who lived in ancient Rome has many interesting aspects and different meanings. Styles from these times have had influences on styles today. Roman fashion originally imitated the fashion of Greek before developing into its own unique style. The main aspects of ancient Roman women’s fashion include clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics, jewelry, and footwear. Women’s clothing consisted of many different pieces all with unique purposes. The basic item that was most commonly worn was the tunic. Tunics were made of lightweight materials like silk or linen and could be a variety of colors. There were two main styles of tunic, the peplos and the chiton. The peplos was a garment pulled over the head and fastened at the shoulders with
Both aspects of fashion were used to help vary a woman’s appearance. Hairstyles were usually very elaborate, with many curls and waves. Hairpins made of bone or ivory were used to fasten their hair in knots on the back of their head. Hairnets of fine gold wire were also popular to add to hairstyles. It was popular to dye your hair a red-golden color similar to the color of the Greeks’ hair. Wigs were also used to cover up white or damaged hairs. Cosmetics such as creams and perfumes were popular during ancient Roman times. Women used charcoal, chalk powder, and saffron along with other ingredients to chance their facial looks. They lightened their complexions with chalk, used blush on their cheeks, filled in their eyebrows, used colored eyeshadows, wore different perfumes, and used lotions and cream to maintain their skin health. Women who wore makeup were viewed as healthy and wealthy, perfume was a sign of wealth and pink cheeks were a sign of good health. Practices in cosmetics and hairstyling today are similar to the practices of women in ancient Rome, showing how big of an influence it
Footwear and jewelry were both important to add to their outfits. Women shoes were all closed and were usually green, yellow, or white. The material they were made of was similar to the material used to make men’s footwear but lighter and finer. Women also owned more than one pair of shoes. They had house shoes, similar to slippers, and a different soles for different times. Winter shoes had more durable cork soles and other shoes could have thicker soles for added height. Jewelry including earrings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets, cameos, and rings of gold or gems (especially garnets), were all added to women’s outfits to enhance their look. The fibula was a pin whose basic design resembled a safety pin and was used to fasten clothing. They usually were decorated with gems or pictures. Almost every piece of jewelry had a carving/picture or gems on it. Pearls were popular but also costly. Women also wore engagement rings, which were usually made of iron with a carved gem or stone on it. Jewelry and footwear in ancient Rome were popular for enhancing a woman’s