Roman Children's Clothing The majority of Roman youngsters wore a basic tunic with a waist belt. If it was chilly, boys wore tunics down to their knees and a cloak. A toga with a purple border might also be worn by wealthy lads. Girls would dress in a tunic with a woolen belt knotted around their waists. Both boys and girls wore sandals. Their footwear was not attractive and often became ruined over time because kids were not expected to be tidy when playing games or doing homework outside the home. Ancient Roman Boys' Haircut There are various descriptions of how boys' hair was cut in Ancient Rome. Some say that they chopped off all their hair while others claim that they only shaved the front of their head. What is certain is that they used an axe to get the job done. The hair was then dressed with oil and perhaps some red pigment from cochineal insects. It is estimated that a boy born in Rome could expect to live until he was about 35 years old. Children in Ancient Rome didn't have many legal rights. They couldn't own property and had no power over major decisions in their family lives. However, they could work from a very young age and some historians believe that this experience shaped their future behavior. Girls lived longer than boys and some sources indicate that they reached the age of 18.