Toga Costume

If you are looking for a historically oriented costume that is still a stylish symbol in modern day America, consider wearing a toga for your Halloween costume.

Have you already decided that you want to buy a toga? Then you can skip the information below and go straight to the selection of togas for sale.

The toga is a loose piece of cloth wrapped around the body which was worn by men in Ancient Rome. No doubt the style fell out of favor for a few years until it was revived in 1978 by the depiction of a toga party thrown by a fraternity in the movie, Animal House.

History of Togas

Early togas were made from wool and measured about twenty feet long before they were wrapped around the body of the Roman citizen. The sentiment of Roman men was that the toga was the only appropriate attire to wear outdoors, although it was never worn by soldiers.

While women wore togas in early Roman history, the only females later to wear togas were prostitutes of the lowest class. Roman women instead wore tunics that were fuller and longer than men's togas, which could be fastened with pins, draped, and belted in a variety of manors. Elaborate hairstyles and jewelry were used to distinguish themselves among their simple outfits.

Toga Party

Although thoughts of a toga party will forever be linked to the scenes from the 1978 movie Animal House, toga parties were held in the United States far earlier. Eleanor Roosevelt even threw a toga party for her husband and their friends in the White House. While I don't expect that there will be any toga parties in the White House anytime soon, hardly a year will goes by on a college campus without at least one fraternity or sorority holding a toga party.

Make Your Own Toga

If you are interested in making a statement during Halloween or at a toga party, then buying a toga costume is the best way to ensure that you do. It also offers the ability to avoid an embarassing wardrobe malfunction.

However, if you insist on attempting to make your own toga, it is possible to do if you have some help from instructions on the internet. A white or appropriately colored bed sheet, the proper undergarments, a number of safety pins, and a gold belt or ribbon are all that you really need to create your own attire for the party. If you have any questions, a quick search for photos of outfits that others have worn to toga parties can be quite revealing.

Toga Accessories

The most prominent accessory for your toga costume is a pair of sandals. While closed toe shoes were worn when traveling outside, sandals were exclusively worn indoors and are now seen as a hallmark trait of Ancient Rome.

Roman women, especially in the upper classes, wore a considerable amount of jewelry. Beautifully decorated gold earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings have all been found from the time period. So be sure to brush off your collection of gold jewelry if you intend to attempt to recreate the style of the time.

If you have made your own outfit or are concerned about everything staying in the appropriate place, be sure to bring a couple extra safety pins with you in case you need to fix your wardrobe over the course of the evening.

Our Favorite Togas

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