Stola This created the illusion of layers, a symbol of wealth and status. Stolas were made in a variety of colors including red, yellow, and blue. Decorations were also added to the neckline and hem. For common women, these would be a simple band of color or pattern. For wealthier women, more details and embellishments were used. A wide ornamental border called an instita was often used around the neckline and hem as a display of wealth. Stola The stola was the traditional garment of Roman women, corresponding to the toga, that was worn by men. The stola was usually woollen.
The Female Man views on gender roles startle each other's preexisting notions of womanhood. In the end, their encounters influence them to evaluate their lives and shape their ideas of what it means to be a woman. The character Joanna calls herself the “female man” because she believes that she must forget her identity as a woman in order to be respected (p. 5). She states that “there is one and only one way to possess that in which we are defective…Become it” (p. 139). Her metaphorical transformation refers to her decision to seek equality by rejecting women's dependence on men. Jonathan Swift