That title isn't quite fair, as I am generally interested in the fall of the Roman empire, north and south, so it does make sense for me to have a Roman outfit beyond the 103 temperatures. I'm not being very academic about assembling this one though…
(Perhaps someone has a snazzy background? I've got great pics of the ruins of the baths of Caracalla, but that doesn't quite work for post-apocalyptic logic reasons…must look at old travel photos.) Edit: Lorenzo proposes Pompeii, apparently.
This garment is an experimental chiton. It's a very loose weave linen, with teensy gray stripes. I stripped off the weft and tied the warp at the shoulders in knots as I've seen in illustrations. Total extension of weaver-logic: you've got to do something with the warp at the finish of the weaving anyway, this is quick, permanent, looks like the picture, and makes a garment. Made of win. It's got a contrasting black hem, with light teensy stripes, and I've embroidered the Meridian Ms (in very non-Roman Lombardic font, because that's the trademark), alternating with chariot horses lifted from Pompeii (horse = Meridian populace badge animal), and spaced them out with mother-of-pearl shards. Pearl = margaret = Greet. Black-and-white = Meridies, rah-rah. Black-and-white-and-green = Greet.
Gwen tells me I ought to be wearing a gauzey sleeved tunic underneath – I need more information about the cut of that – if it's anything like the Coptic tunics, it's skinny arms, big body. (I also need to find an appropriate fabric…I'd really prefer not silk, as mom's allergic. India was producing fine cotton in Classical Roman period, and if Romans could get silk thread via silk fabrics, did they get cotton? Dunno. Edit: Ha! Apparently yes, luxury stuff like silk, per Pliny Book XII, 38 – must check this somehow.) I girdle the chiton directly under the bust with a tablet-woven wool strap, and again with another around my hips, so I can blouse the chiton up (it stretches out over the day, very elegant puddling, but not so efficient walking/dancing). Both girdles are green, to signify Apprentice relationship. Sandals are from Patagonia, very comfy, and fairly minimal for the comfort factor. I wear glass millifiori earrings (since the London millefiori bowl find), and my hair is in two braids crossed over my head.
(I could wear my hair like this – it'd take a while, but would be very fun. 2nd c CE, Whitehall. Pic from archeological documentary here. I think this is the only application of frenchbraiding I've ever seen in period…but a Real Academic Specialist did it, so I'm encouraged to try it.)
The above dig yielded several bone hairpins (if anyone wants to make me a stash of hairpins, I'd be very happy with that lovely person /shameless begging), with the interesting observation that longer hairpins are older than shorter ones, which tells me something about hairstyles…my hair is much like the woman's above in thickness…it takes a long pin to wedge up all of it at once in a bun, but shorter ones work better for a more distributed shape (like the pic of me, above).
Hairpins are important to palla wearing: I have been wearing my palla without pinning it to my head, in order to practice Veil Management. (Indian veils are Not Pinned, according to Madhavi – the fidgeting, rearrangement, and gesturing with veil are part of Feminine Charm.) However, I have noticed that veils stay put better when there's spiky things in your hair, so I'd really like a collection of hair ornaments for my Roman ensemble.
The palla is a light cotton voile, barely green, edged with a full 6 ply of black DMC embroidery floss. It's pinned on my left shoulder with a gold-tone round brooch. It does stay on my head pretty well when I'm inside, but outside I fool with it – using it for a sunshade in whatever direction, etc. Kind of fun to play with. I don't think that voile is an appropriate weave, but it does work very nicely as a sunshade.
I don't have a stola, and I'm not going to bother with one. First, I'm single. Second, Gwen says the stola was only actually worn during Augustus' era, and was symbolic in artwork after that. (I really need that Dress and the Roman Woman book.)
Gorgeous as always. I’ve got Croom coming, but not that one. I was gonna ask you about fabrics, but you anticipated my questions!
I love that hair. It would take awhile to do, but it looks really good.
Cotton has come up over and over on RAT and the consensus seems to be it’s a no-go. The best anybody can point to is an obscure reference from Pliny about cloth made of “tree wool”. While there certainly was limited trade with the east I’d have my doubts about any appreciable amount of cotton cloth making it’s way west.
Great ensemble though, and kudos on the knotted shoulder seams. Love that interpretation.
Cotton has come up over and over on RAT and the consensus seems to be it’s a no-go. The best anybody can point to is an obscure reference from Pliny about cloth made of “tree wool”. While there certainly was limited trade with the east I’d have my doubts about any appreciable amount of cotton cloth making it’s way west.
Great ensemble though, and I love the knotted shoulder seam interpretation.
You need some more bling though. Romans loved bling.
What specific evidence are you basing the knotted shoulder seams on? Frescoes? Statuary?