what clothes did they wear in ancient rome
Clothing in ancient Rome generally comprised a short - sleeved or sleeveless , knee - length tunic for men and boys , and a longer , usually sleeved tunic for women and girls . On formal occasions , adult male citizens could wear a woolen toga , draped over their tunic , and married citizen women wore a woolen mantle , known as a palla , over a stola , a simple , long - sleeved , voluminous garment that hung to midstep . Clothing , footwear and accoutrements identified gender , status , rank and social class , and thus offered a means of social control . This was probably most apparent in the segregation of seating tiers at public theatres , games and festivals . Magistrates , priesthoods and the military had their own distinctive and privileged forms of dress .