<P> Clothing in ancient Rome generally comprised a short - sleeved or sleeveless, knee - length tunic for men and boys, and a longer, usually sleeved tunic for women and girls . On formal occasions, adult male citizens could wear a woolen toga, draped over their tunic, and married citizen women wore a woolen mantle, known as a palla, over a stola, a simple, long - sleeved, voluminous garment that hung to midstep . Clothing, footwear and accoutrements identified gender, status, rank and social class, and thus offered a means of social control . This was probably most apparent in the segregation of seating tiers at public theatres, games and festivals . Magistrates, priesthoods and the military had their own distinctive and privileged forms of dress . </P> <P> The toga was considered Rome's "national costume" but for day - to - day activities, most Romans preferred more casual, practical and comfortable clothing; in various forms, the tunic was the basic garment for all classes, both sexes and most occupations . It was usually made of linen, and was augmented as necessary with underwear, or with various kinds of cold - or - wet weather wear, such as knee - breeches for men, and cloaks, coats and hats . In colder parts of the empire, full length trousers were worn . Most urban Romans wore shoes, slippers, boots or sandals of various types; in the countryside, some wore clogs . </P>

What clothes did they wear in ancient rome