Getting Dressed in Roman Britain

A woman dresses in the clothing worn by the elite during the Roman occupation of Britain.

Slave - Chloe Wright
Mother - Jacqueline Baldwinson

Costume Assistant - Emma Wilcox
Carpenter - Keith Loven
Brass mirror - Sally Pointer

This video, like all Crow’s Eye Productions’ works, is protected by copyright under the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and internationally under the Berne Copyright Convention. It may not be reproduced or adapted, in whole or in part, without the written permission of Crow’s Eye Productions.

[annegrey]

"an empire based on stolen lands, wealth, and labour by a super wealthy elite is not sustainable" - me, a Canadian eating a banana, looks around nervously.

[carriechavanne]

Fashion is a direct result of what is happening around you. Learning about historical fashion gives you insight into what is happening in that time period. Thank you for your videos! They either supplement what I am currently looking into documentary wise or are jumping off points for new ones.

[miippi]

This was so beautifully filmed. (Not that I'm surprised about that). I love that you don't just list the items worn but actually explain about the fabrics and the social status that impacted the clothing. And obviously that you also talk about the jewelery, the shoes, the undergarments. The attention to detail is so spot on in all of these videos.

[juliajs]

Fashion and "women's crafts" are far too often ignored in the greater scheme of history and understanding of history. Thank you for your work!

[AroundTheYear]

In stories about ancient Rome we often have references to a women "hiding her face under her veil", yet I could not really find much research on mentioning a head covering. This video answers my question, as probably the Pala was referred to. Thank you! Great video as always, can't wait what era you will dress next!

[miippi]

I saw that this came out, and I got so excited that my head can't even form a cohesive sentence about how thrilled I am.

[ericsonhazeltine]

All these videos teach us that times have a unity: no matter what era you live in, it’s better to be rich.

[Iorwerthtywysogdu]

Something to note is that Romans used pins and broaches extensively which is how they kept their pallae in place. The arm placement was more a mark of poise, much as posture is in our society.

[pheart]

Imagine never getting a proper look at your own face throughout your whole lifetime.

[pallavichamarty]

Beautiful! Both pallas look strikingly similar in colour, design (including the tassels on the end) and handfeel to silk saris woven in India today. The last image of women managing shiny silks, draped on the head is also similar to imagery of women wearing saris in India today!

[RD]

If I remember correctly the breast binding was called a "strophium" and if an undergarment was worn it resembled a loincloth and was called a "subligar". The 'strophium' was a concept borrowed from the Greeks; where it was called an "apodesme". Interestingly the Museum of London is in possession of what looks like a pair of leather 'tie side' bikini bottoms that date from the Roman era and may have been used instead of a "subligar". If a "subligar" was worn during menstruation to hold something in place the Museum of London's example look decidedly more practical than trying to get what's essentially a loincloth on and off every time you need to change a menstrual product or use the latrine and the leather would protect from leaks onto expensive fabrics in the same way waterproof 'nappy covers' are used by cloth nappy using parents today or in modern period knickers and wouldn't be as bulky as a loincloth under what appear to be fairly lightweight tunics. If I recall, men didn't wear any kind of underpants either and in the absence of a toga (From what I've read for much of the Roman Empire the Toga was the garment of the wealthy man) there would certainly be some bulk under there if a "subligar" was worn, suggesting they were used in exercising only or by gladiators since most artistic depictions of gladiators show them wearing what look like loincloths.

[discogoth]

You guys are, by far, my favorite YouTube channel. And as someone who holds a Bachelor's degree in Classics and is pursuing a doctorate, I audibly gasped when I got the notification for this video. It's superb, as always.

[StarOnTheWater]

Well done for highlighting the impact of slavery. Many history books are like: "This is what the Romans lived like . Oh and they had slaves."
When in fact the enslaved are the majority of the population and we hear very little about their life.

[lxkwyql]

I love how the ladies are so gentle to one another

[timonsolus]

Roman Britain lasted for over 350 years. Not a bad run. That's about as long as it's been between the accession of King Charles II, and the accession of King Charles III.

[missliisa]

The linen undertunic was worn for 100s of years, into different eras....so simple and practical

[lilithz]

i remember loving this channel a few years ago for the super cool victorian and edwardian dressing videos, i'm glad that the commentary is now so nuanced and the production quality feels so much higher as well. amazing video, not that i'm surprised coming from you guys

[LMarsz]

Love this look back of history/fashion .
Would you consider doing Ancient Egypt?

[giacomofratini]

This videos are beautiful and well explained. I love the way dresses are reconstructed, and even the sets are realistic. I hope more male getting dressed will arrive soon

[debramaldonado]

Omg thank you so much for such a MAGNIFICENT video, I love how all the women were dressed in ancient Roman attire and omg there hair!! Could you pleaseee do one with the women of Ottoman Empire and how they dressed 💜