Our information on ancient Roman clothes comes mostly from art works such as sculptures, painting and tombstones, then from literary works as well, and some pieces of clothing are found during archaeological excavations. In ancient Rome there were many classes of citizens. Citizenship was at a high price and every aspect of everyday life, including clothing, was strictly regulated by the state. Although Greek writers supplied historians with inestimable information about clothing and social customs, the Romans surpassed them as social commentators in the accuracy of detail. The writings of writers such as Livio, Pliny and Suetonius gave a description of styles, methods of production and social significance of every type of clothing.
The ancient Romans adored colors and they used them every time they had possibility. The clothes were embroidered with a lot of effort, thus it was very expensive, and even more expensive were the colored clothes. As might be expected, the slaves and the poor wore the cheapest possible outfit. The type of clothing and its color also determined the social status.
In the SCUPINI ROMANI collection we have more than 15 reconstructed clothes made by the designer ms. Magdalena Tanevska, who is also graduated ethnologist and anthropologist. Attention is drawn to the textiles, colors, details and the type of clothing, in order to make the historical reconstruction possible.
