How Women Got Dressed In Ancient Rome

Modern women of today all have their own styles and tastes when it comes to fashion. However, our morning routines for getting ready for the day are someone universal: we get up, go through our personal hygiene and grooming routines, then we get dressed in whatever outfit we’ve chosen for the day, and then we probably attend to our hair and/or makeup however we like to do it.

It’s a routine that women have been following for centuries. But what does getting ready look like throughout history?

Well, Crow’s Eye Productions has compiled a video that takes us on a glimpse into the past in order to see what a getting ready would look like if you had been a woman from the elite class during the Roman occupation of Britain.

And yes, getting dressed for the day would’ve required some assistance for these women, help that usually came from slaves.

As explained in the video below, “A woman dresses in the clothing worn by the elite during the Roman occupation of Britain. …The Roman home was dependent on enslaved labor and domestic slaves skilled in the arts of dressing, hairdressing, and makeup were essential.”

The video’s narration further explains that the whole process didn’t last long due to several factors such as class division, changing styles, and even the political climate at the time – quite interesting!

Apparently, because the Roman elite was built upon a very shaky economy that relied on stolen land and slave labor, the very wealthy’s way of life wasn’t sustainable, and the year 410 ended up seeing major changes, such as the collapse of the Roman occupation in Britain.

From there, under the crumbling of the Roman Empire, the beauty standards and practices of the time also fell away, making room for chances to come.

Besides giving us a look into the dressing routines of the ancient Romans, we also got a look into the hair and make-up routines of the ancient Romans. The makeup and hair looks were recreated by stylist Liv Free, who used modern tools but gave us an ancient Roman look.

Check out the two videos below:

What do you think of the differences in how women in Ancient Rome got ready as opposed to the women of today? Do you notice any similarities? Let us know!