A Roman Lady (From one of our popular 'Romans' Days)

We all imagine the Romans in togas, but these were probably only worn for formal occasions by the wealthy. No complete items of clothing survive from Roman Britain as fabric decays in the ground.

Men probably wore knee-length tunics made from wool or linen:- they thought trousers were unmanly. Women wore long tunics also made of wool or linen, with the wealthy wearing cotton or silk. The Romans probably wore knitted woolly socks and vests when it was cold.

Cloth could be dyed many colours using natural vegetable dyes. Most people would have worn the white and brown shades of the sheep's wool. Sewing equipment, such as needles, often survive from Roman times. A thimble from Rocester shows that people there made and repaired clothes.

Most shoes would have been made of leather. Hob-nails and cleats, which were used to secure the soles to the upper, are often found, sometimes still in the shape of the shoe sole. These nailed shoes were called calcei or caligae. They were often worn by the army who would have needed rugged shoes with all the marching and standing guard they had to do.