Most togas were made from light, untreated wool with the finished garment then brushed and shorn to give it a smooth nap. (1488), Magistrates Wall Painting, Pompeiiby Unknown Artist (Public Domain). A large piece of material wrapped around the masculine body as a cloak, the toga served a similar function as the Greek himation, although the fabric was of quite a different shape. Further, because the garment was heavy and restrictive - the left arm had to be always bent to carry the weight - the continued smartness of the wearer and maintenance of the proper folds throughout the day indicated that the wearer was a man of leisure and so a true aristocrat. Roman male citizens also wore a toga instead of the Greek himation, or a large rectangular or semicircular shawl that would be worn pinned on the right shoulder or joined at the front of the body. Cartwright, Mark. The toga was a garment worn by men who were citizens of Rome and which consisted of a single length of wool cloth cut in a semicircle and wrapped around the body of the wearer without any fastenings. The Romans themselves allegedly believed that both men and women wore toga at the beginning of Roman statehood. Literally worth more than its weight in gold, a 301 CE price edict informs us that one pound of purple dye then cost 150,000 denarii or around 3 pounds of gold. As wearing the toga was a way for men to show their Romanness, it proved appealing wear for anyone who wanted to perform Romanness. Roman male citizens also wore a toga instead of the Greek himation, or a large rectangular or semicircular shawl that would be worn pinned on the right shoulder or joined at the front of the body. "Aliens—persons who were not Roman citizens—and Roman exiles were forbidden to wear it. Putting on a toga was a difficult act, not to say burdensome. Under the toga or tunic the typical Roman man or woman would wear a loincloth, an undergarment called a subligaculum, meaning “tied on under.” The loincloth was, like the toga, just a piece of cloth, usually linen, that required intricate folding. Toga, characteristic loose, draped outer garment of Roman citizens. The toga picta (crimson, embroidered in gold), was worn in triumphal processions by victorious generals, and later by emperors. License. But how toga-like was it, exactly? The long cloth, as noted above, was not easy to wrap correctly around the body - becoming more complex as time wore on - and this evolution in fashion has been a useful way for historians to date pieces of Roman art. | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples See more ideas about Rome fashion, Ancient rome, Roman fashion. Updates? Adopted by the Romans from the Etruscans, it was originally worn by both sexes of all classes but was gradually abandoned by women, then by labouring people, and finally by the patricians themselves. Had decorative border. Like a necktie today, the proper arrangement of a toga's folds could clearly show a person’s attention to detail and refinement. The toga that most Roman males coveted, though, was the toga praetexta which had a purple stripe. The toga was the national costume of the Romans. See more ideas about Ancient, Rome, Ancient romans. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Finally, and somewhat bizarrely, prostitutes sometimes wore a version of the toga praetexta, (dyed using a cheap substitute for Tyrian purple), perhaps in an attempt to titillate their clients by reversing Roman society’s dress conventions. According to the historian B. Caseau, "10,000 shellfish would produce 1 gram of dyestuff, and that would only dye the hem of a garment in a deep colour" (Bagnall, 5673). 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