Let's Talk TOGAS!

In ancient Rome, the typical business dress for men was a toga. What most people don't realize is that there were various togas for different occasions and they were every bit as much of a status symbol as a sports car is today. Togas were made of wool and were probably not the most comfortable sort of attire. They could be worn several ways and the popular way of wearing one actually changed over time. Roman art is always an exceptional time-line and indicates that togas were worn as early as 753 BC. These earlier togas were much shorter than most statuary indicate. By Marc Antony's day, they measured about 15-18 feet in length and were cumbersome and difficult to put on. In fact, one hand of the wearer often held the fabric in place! Even some statuary attest to this,  as they're depicted holding their toga with one hand.

So let's discuss the different types of togas that men wore.

Toga pura: This was a toga that common people wore whenever a toga was called for. It was of un-dyed wool and was often whitish in color. Of course, that would also depend on the breed of sheep used. 

Toga Trabea: This toga type was worn by priestly officials or members of the equite class. The garment's edges were decorated with a thin purple strip. In the case of augurs (priests who read omens from nature), the edges of their togas were striped in both purple and gold. The religious office of augur was a life-long honor, and one held by Marc Antony!

​Toga Virilis: Boys assuming adulthood, between the ages of 14 through 17 years wore this toga in their "toga virilis" ceremony. A big deal was made of a boy's first visit to a barber, having his beard shaved. Usually, he would have worn a white toga virilis for this event, signifying his foray into adulthood. In elite families, there were often great celebrations when sons came of age--always adorned in their toga virilis. 

Toga Candida: In Antonius: Second in Command, Marcus will be wearing a stark-white toga candida several times while standing for office. Apparently, the toga candida was a basic toga pura, but enhanced with the application of white chalk. Candidates wanted to stand out in a crowd, and the rubbing of white chalk on their toga made their attire a lot brighter than those of the rest of the populace. In fact, if you take a look at my cover for Second in Command, I was thrilled when the toga candida was selected as the model's clothes. In fact, the Latin word "candida" is where our word "candidate" comes from.

Toga Praetexta: Senators wore these togas, bordered with a broad purplish-red stripe Anyone in such a toga was held in regard, as this type of garment--especially in the Republican Age, meant "imperium", the influential power all Romans craved. Men like Marc Antony, Cicero, Pompeius, and Caesar would all have worn the traditional toga praetexta in the Senate. When Caesar celebrated his Triumphs and following that into the Imperial Age, purple became the traditional color of the toga praetexta for emperors.

Toga Pulla: Worn to funerary rites, this was the official toga of grief. It was always dark in color, and was probably not adorned with any border decorations, keeping it solemn and austere. During Caesar's funerary rites, Antony would have worn a toga pulla, and probably afterward as well, in keeping with a period of mourning. 

One more interesting tidbit. Women who were prostitutes also wore togas! While men usually wore tunics underneath, it's doubtful that these ladies would have worn anything under theirs! 

So there you have it, my friends! Toga, toga, TOGA!!!

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The magnificent "Pious Augustus", located at the Palazzo Massimo Museum in Rome. This would have been a very typical way for a man of power to wear his toga. Whenever he was involved in a religious rite, it's believed he would have covered his head with the back drape of the toga, as Augustus has done in this rendering.