Toga! Toga! That’s the memorable phrase in Animal House starring John Belushi. It’s the American college thing to do, have a toga party by wrapping your bed sheets around your body. In actuality, the toga worn by the Ancient Romans was of fine material.

First a toga is a piece of cloth configured around the body in loose folds. Only men who were citizens could wear the toga. Women and slaves were forbidden to wear the toga, because the toga signified Roman citizenship and status. Men also wore a tunica underneath the toga. The tunic was made of linen. A tunic is kind of like an oversized t-shirt.

The Ancient Romans wore different togas for different occasions:

Toga virilis – is a plain white toga worn by aristocratic teenage boys aged 14-18

Toga praetexla – is a toga with broad purple stripes for priests and magistrates.

Toga Pulla – is a dark toga worn by mourners who are grieving of someone’s death

Toga picta – is a purple toga embroidered with gold. It’s worn by generals who have scored a victory in battle

I love how people get creative with togas. I’ve seen people make a toga out of toliet paper. If you have any toga ideas, write a comment in the comment section.