Roman Garb for a 16th Century Lady

Well, my Barony is going to have a wonderful summer event and it has been chosen to have "Midsummer's Night" theme in Roman fashion. So I need to make a Chiton and Stola and a Palla so that I can be part of the joy.

This means I get to create a wealthy married lady of Rome. I really do not do early period, but hey? When the fashion strikes? I can make this for Pennsic and also for the extreme heat of Northern California.

So I will begin with a mamillāre or subligāculum, which seems to be the ancient Roman equivalent of the bra and underwear. They used leather as a binding, since I can't take the smell of most leathers, I am going to bind using a strip of linen. I am going to twist the fabric and then cross it over the Boobage and use hook and eyes to hold it up.

Once this is on, I shall be moving to the underdress or the "Tunica", mine will have sleeves which button along the top of the sleeve. I have some awesome buttons I plan on using and for those of you who know me, they are not silver at all but gold in tone so there! LOL This is from my stash. I plan on doing rolled hems to finish the linen on all and then finish the seams so that they will not unravel or become icky as linen likes to get!

Once this is on, since I am a married lady, I shall have a blue "Stola" I am making mine of a blue linen, I think, it depends on what I find! The rest of this is from my Fabric Stash but the only linen I have in stash is not getting me so I am going to check about and see what I can see. I have some earrings I will be making into Fibulas to hold the Stola on my body, and just to make this mention, normally the Stola would be made from wool. At least that is what evidence we have at this time.

I plan on using 'extra' hair because my hair is short and I will have a couple of braids wrapped about my head and pinned in.

I hope to collect some jewelery that will be Romanesque, since it is supposed Roman ladies enjoyed wearing lots of it.

I have sandals from a long time ago. We have some that can fit into the period as well.

For the rest of the family?

Hubby~

Subligaculum or loin cloth - I am going to make linen drawers for him and the boys.

Tunic- I am making this to go down past just past the calf, and then it can be belted higher.

Toga -Did you think that the toga was the Tunic? Me too, I guess that is what I get from paying any attention to Hollywood! What ever linen blue I attain for myself I will also get for Hubby so that we match, I know icky huh?

Sandals- will have to check on these for the guys.

Boys~ They don't seem to wear the toga as much

Eldest Girlfriend~ She gets a Tunic and a Stola.