The Toga

ancient rome · clothing · history

A big semicircular cloth. The toga was made from white wool and stretched between 12 and 20 feet long. Citizens would drape it over their shoulders and around their body over a simple tunic underneath.

Formal wear for men. Over time, the toga became the official fancy dress that showed a Roman man was a citizen. It was like wearing a special uniform that everyone could recognize.

Romulus wore it first. According to Roman stories, Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome, loved wearing the toga. This made it even more important and honored in Roman culture.

Women stopped wearing it. At first, both men and women wore togas, but eventually Roman women switched to wearing a different garment called the stola instead. After that, the toga became something only men wore.