Dress and the Roman Woman
Subtitle: Self-Presentation and Society
Edition: 1 edition
Publisher: Routledge
Published: June 28, 2008
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 208
ISBN-13: 9780415414753
Subjects: Costume; European history: BCE to c 500 CE; Social history; History; History - General History; History: World; Ancient Rome; Beauty & Grooming - General; History / Ancient / Rome; Ancient - Rome; Beauty, Personal; Dress accessories; Rome; Social aspects; Women's clothing
Description: In ancient Rome, the subtlest details in dress distinguished between levels of hierarchy. Clothes were a key part of the sign systems of Roman civilisation; a central aspect of its visual language, for women as well as men. This engaging book collects and examines literary references and artistic evidence to female clothing, cosmetics and ornament in Roman antiquity to decipher their meaning and reveal what it meant to be an adorned woman in Roman society. Cosmetics, ornament and fashion were often considered frivolous, wasteful or deceptive, which reflects ancient views about women; but, Kelly Olson argues, women often enjoyed fashioning themselves and many treated adornment as a significant activity, enjoying the social status, influence and power that it signified. This study makes a significant contribution our knowledge of Roman women, and will be essential reading for anyone interested in ancient Roman life.