How the Romans Said "Facio" With Their Fashion

Roman weddings (Justae Nuptiae, Justum Matrimonium, Legitimum Matrimonium) were a beautiful occasion where a bride and groom would share a ceremony to wed. The bridal fashion was a crucial part of Roman culture.

Let's Start With Hair

The hairstyle and hair pieces were essential parts of the Roman wedding. So much so that the first part of the wedding day starts at the bride’s parents’ house where the bride picks out flowers from her parent’s garden. Next, she weaves a wreath of flowers (garland) to put on her head and hold the veil in place.

Only worn by brides, the Tutulus hairstyle, was detailed and specific. The hair was divided into six pieces and fastened on top of the head with a bent iron spear. On top of this was a wedding veil called a flammeum. The flammeum was always flame coloured and covered the bride’s full body. Furthermore, the flammeum symbolized the bride's submission to her husband. The veil was a necessary part of the ceremony because its muslin fabric helped shield the evil spirits from entering the bride’s body. Traditionally, the veil did not cover the bride’s face and only sat on the hair.

The Wedding Dress

A traditional Roman bride wears a tunica recta tied with a Nodus Herculaneus. The tunica recta translated to a wedding dress is a white robe that the bride wears on the wedding day. The only thing that ties the tunica recta together is the Nodus Herculaneus. The Nodus Herculaneus is a woollen belt that symbolizes the virility of Hercules. The belt is tied with the Knot of Hercules, the guardian of wedded life, which only the husband was privileged to untie.

Accessories and Shoes

The bride only wears an engagement ring and a wedding ring as jewelry. In early Roman times, the bride’s engagement ring would only be made of iron. Over time, gold became more common. Even though after a while gold became a popular ring, the Romans would have two rings, one gold and one silver. The gold ring was worn in public while the silver ring was worn in private.

Like today, the Romans and Greeks both wore the wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand because they believed that the finger contained the vena amoris, or the vein of love.

On the bride’s feet, the ancient Romans would wear simple sandals dyed to match the color of the dress.

Clearly, ancient Roman culture includes beautiful traditions and clothing that is continued in our society today.

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Citations:

• https://www.explore-italian-culture.com/ancient-roman-bridal-fashion.html#:~:text=Ancient%20Roman%20bridal%20fashion%3A%20the%20wedding%20dress.&text=By%20today's%20standards%20it%20was,was%20vital%20to%20bridal%20etiquette.

• https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/hair/tips/g1322/history-wedding-hairstyles/?slide=1

• https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/05/26/wedding-veil/

• http://www.tribunesandtriumphs.org/roman-clothing/roman-wedding-clothing.htm

• http://www.classicsunveiled.com/romel/html/marrcustwom.html

• https://www.explore-italian-culture.com/ancient-roman-bridal-fashion.html#:~:text=Ancient%20Roman%20bridal%20fashion%3A%20the%20wedding%20dress.&text=By%20today's%20standards%20it%20was,was%20vital%20to%20bridal%20etiquette.

• https://www.romawonder.com/fashion-ancient-rome-togas-underwear-wedding-dresses/

• https://casavirjewelry.com/history-of-engagement-rings/#:~:text=Ancient%20Roman%20Ring%20%E2%80%93%20From%203rd%20Century%20CE&text=Early%20Roman%20engagement%20rings%20were%20made%20of%20iron.&text=During%20this%20time%20a%20woman,worn%20on%20the%20fourth%20finger.

• https://ensorings.com/blogs/news/wedding-ring-history-and-symbolism#:~:text=Wedding%20Ring%20History%3A%20Ancient%20Rome&text=The%20Romans%2C%20as%20well%20as,on%20the%20Christian%20marriage%20ceremony.

• https://www.romawonder.com/fashion-ancient-rome-togas-underwear-wedding-dresses/

• http://www.imperium-romana.org/roman-women.html