by Heather Domin
Roman
ladies shaved their legs (and so did plenty of dudes)
Most
ancient cultures, including the Romans, found body hair unhygienic and unattractive.
Fashion-conscious Roman women shaved, plucked, tweezed, and waxed their way to
smoothness in pretty much the same way people do today. Waxes were made from
tree resins or beeswax; sugaring goes all the way back to the Egyptians, and
threading came to Rome via Persia and India. Manscaping was also in fashion, to
the point that Stoics mocked their smooth brethren as effeminate and morally
corrupt. (When conservatives label something morally corrupt, you know it’s
popular!)
Roman girls treated their hair worse than we did in the 80s
 |
A Roman lady’s intricate hairstyle
featuring ringlets, braids, and twists |
Roman
women dyed their hair with a host of substances, from innocuous herbs (calendula,
chamomile, henna, saffron, turmeric) to terrifying tonics made from ammonia, lead
oxide, lime-water, pigeon poop, and dead leeches soaked in wine. (!!!) They also
curled their hair with hot irons and wore it in complicated styles requiring
tight braids, metal pins, and even twine. Once all that processing took its
toll and you looked like a refugee from a Whitesnake video, you could cover the
wreckage with wigs – they came in many styles ranging from simple hairpieces to flamboyant
multicolored creations that would make Lwaxana Troi jealous.
Roman perfume was serious business
In
Ancient Rome perfume was much more than something you splashed on before a date. Romans of all genders used perfumes in the form of infused ointments, not just to smell nice but to
enhance health and well-being. Scents had specific purposes: you might choose a certain blend before taking a
test, giving a speech, performing religious rites, or even before battle; others
were used for headaches, nausea, depression, or fatigue. Roses were popular, along
with violets, lavender, spices like ginger and cinnamon, fruits like citrus and
pomegranate, resins like myrrh and cedar, and herbs like lemongrass,
citronella, mint, and lemon balm – basically, the essentials of modern
aromatherapy.
Roman
underwear was an actual thing
 |
the famous "bikini girls" – some
in subligacula, some in subligaria |
Those
mosaics of ladies in bikinis aren't costumes for female gladiators or dancing girls, but examples
of legit Roman underwear. The tube top bra (strophium) didn't exactly lift and separate, but it kept the girls in check; undies could
be a string bikini (subligacula) or a
loincloth (subligaria). Both sexes
wore underwear for exercising, working, riding, or any time for comfort,
modesty, or warmth. Commando or not, most people wore an extra tunic beneath their clothes (I use the word “under-tunic” in my books, but there was no real
difference except maybe the material). Tunics were fastened at the shoulders
rather than sewn, so you could undo them and roll the fabric around your hips for
an insta-loincloth.
Roman clothes were colorful and comfortable
 |
fresco from Pompeii showing brightly
colored clothes on men and women |
The
Romans produced fabrics from wool, linen, hemp, nettle, silks,
and cottons – even ordinary folks could afford soft, well-fitting clothes rather
than the drab shapeless sacks often depicted, and for the upper classes it was walk
walk fashion baby. Far from a sea of white togas and gowns, Romans used colors
and stripes to make literal fashion statements announcing their office, rank, marital
status, job, or even sports affiliation (team colors weren't invented for
football!). Ovid advised men to wear "well-cut clothes", implying that
tailoring was available. Indeed, fashion was for everyone in Augustan Rome: "The men take a page
out of the women's book," Ovid observed, "and wives can barely outdo their
husbands in luxurious attire." Swag.
Heather Domin is the author of The Soldier of Raetia, set in Augustan Rome, and Allegiance, set in 1922 Dublin. She is currently finishing revisions on the sequel to SoR and working on a contemporary paranormal set in Glasgow.
