Editing Roman Republic (section)

===Clothing===
{{Main|Clothing in ancient Rome}}
[[File:L'Arringatore.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|''[[The Orator]]'', {{circa|100&nbsp;BC|lk=no}}, an Etrusco-Roman statue of a Republican [[Roman senate|senator]], wearing ''[[toga praetexta]]'' and [[Calceus|senatorial shoes]]; compared to the voluminous, costly, impractical togas of the Imperial era, the Republican-era type is frugal and "skimpy" ({{lang|la|exigua}}).<ref>Ceccarelli, L., in Bell, S., and Carpino, A., A, (Editors) ''A Companion to the Etruscans'' (Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World), Blackwell Publishing, 2016, p. 33</ref>]]

The basic Roman garment was the Greek-style [[tunic]], worn knee-length and short-sleeved (or sleeveless) for men and boys, and ankle-length and long-sleeved for women and girls. The [[toga]] was distinctively Roman and became a mark of male citizenship, a statement of social degree.{{sfn|Vout|1996|p=215}} Convention also dictated the type, colour and style of {{lang|la|[[calcei]]}} (ankle-boots) appropriate to each level of male citizenship.

The whitest, most voluminous togas were worn by the senatorial class. High-ranking magistrates, priests, and citizen's children were entitled to a purple-bordered {{lang|la|[[toga praetexta]]}}. [[Roman triumph|Triumphal generals]] wore an all-purple, gold-embroidered {{lang|la|[[toga picta]]}}, associated with the image of [[Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus|Jupiter]] and Rome's former [[King of Rome|kings]]{{snd}}but only for a single day; Republican mores simultaneously fostered competitive display and [[Sumptuary law|attempted its containment]], to preserve at least a notional equality between peers and reduce the potential threats of class envy.{{sfn|Flower|1996|p=118|loc="The best model for understanding Roman sumptuary legislation is that of aristocratic self-preservation within a highly competitive society which valued overt display of prestige above all else."}} Most Roman citizens, particularly the lower class of plebs, opted for more comfortable and practical garments, such as tunics and cloaks.

Luxurious and highly coloured clothing had always been available to those who could afford it, particularly women of the leisured classes. There is material evidence for cloth-of-gold ([[Lamé (fabric)|lamé]]) as early as the 7th century.{{sfn|Sebesta|Bonfante|1994|pp=62–68}} By the 3rd century, significant quantities of raw silk were being imported from [[Han China]].{{sfn|Gabucci|2005|p=168}} [[Tyrian purple]], a quasi-sacred colour, was officially reserved for the border of the {{lang|la|toga praetexta}} and for the solid purple {{lang|la|toga picta}}.{{sfn|Bradley|2011|pp=189, 194–195}}{{sfn|Edmondson|Keith|2008|pp=28–30}}

For most Romans, even the cheapest linen or woolen clothing represented a major expense. Worn clothing was passed down the social scale until it fell to rags, and these were used for patchwork.{{sfn|Vout|1996|pp=211–212}} Wool and linen were the mainstays of Roman clothing, idealised by moralists as simple and frugal.{{sfn|Edmondson|Keith|2008|p=33}} For most women, the preparation and weaving of wool were part of daily housekeeping, either for family use or for sale. In traditionalist, wealthy households, the family's spindles and looms were positioned in the semi-public reception area ({{lang|la|[[Atrium (architecture)|atrium]]}}), so the {{lang|la|[[mater familias]]}} and her {{lang|la|[[Pater familias#The Roman familia|familia]]}} could demonstrate their industry and frugality: a largely symbolic and moral activity for those of their class, rather than practical necessity.{{efn|In reality, she was the female equivalent of the romanticised citizen-farmer: see {{harvnb|Flower|2004|pp=153, 195–197}}}}

As the Republic wore on, its trade, territories and wealth increased. Roman conservatives deplored the apparent erosion of traditional, class-based dress distinctions, and an increasing Roman appetite for luxurious fabrics and exotic "foreign" styles among all classes, including their own. Towards the end of the Republic, the ultra-traditionalist [[Cato the Younger]] publicly protested the self-indulgence of his peers, and the loss of Republican [[Virtus|"manly virtues"]], by wearing a "skimpy" dark woolen toga, without tunic or footwear.{{sfn|Edmondson|Keith|2008|p=33}}{{efn|[[Appian]]'s history of Rome finds its strife-torn Late Republic tottering at the edge of chaos; most seem to dress as they like, not as they ought: "For now the Roman people are much mixed with foreigners, there is equal citizenship for freedmen, and slaves dress like their masters. With the exception of the Senators, free citizens and slaves wear the same costume." See {{harvnb|Rothfus|2010|p=1}}}}