SHIRT (TUNIC)

   The basic garment is a dark plain wool tunic made of 2 rectangles approximtely 36"-48" long by 30"-45" wide, sewn together at the sides and shoulders.  The body panels are cut across the grain of the fabric, so that there is a selvage (finished) edge at the top and bottom.  (Actually, since modern wool is often wider than Roman wool, you will probably have a selvage at either top or bottom.)  The body should be quite baggy and loose--it fits like a tent, not a T-shirt!  Original tunics were frequently wider than they were long, and could be as large as 60" long by 55" wide.

       Short sleeves are an option, c. 6" long by 12" high, cut with the body panels, but sleeveless tunics were much more common.    The tunic hangs to the knees or below, but is normally worn bloused over a cord or tied belt to raise the hem above the knee.

       The usual neckhole was a simple slit, made by leaving part of the shoulder seam unsewn (about 12").  Many tunics were made with much longer neckslits, so that for heavy work the right arm could be slipped out.  This is shown on Trajan's Column and other artwork.   To close up this long neckslit so that the tunic will stay on your shoulders, gather a "knot" of slack fabric at the back of the neck and tie a cord or thong around it, or just pin the slit shut with a couple of fibulae.  You can also simply put a couple stitches at the two points where it would be pinned.   Round necklines (c. 8" wide) were also known, but not common.

       Undertunics cannot be well documented, but the wearing of one for comfort is an option.  Make it of a dark color linen, the same shape as your wool tunic or a little smaller.  In very hot weather a linen tunic may be worn instead of wool to avoid dangerous overheating.

       Sewing a tunic is very simple.  Prewash your fabric!  The cut ends of linen will unravel a LOT, so they must be zig-zagged, hemmed, or whipstitched FIRST!   Also, allow for at least three inches of shrinkage, length AND width, per yard of fabric.  Use hot wash/cold rinse/machine dry for linen, cold wash gentle/cold rinse/line dry for wool.  Iron well.  Only now should you measure and cut the pieces for your tunic.  Here is how the pieces of a sleeved tunic can be fit onto the fabric, depending on the dimensions: 

 
       Place the front and back panels together inside out, sew the sides and top, then turn rightside out.  Regular cotton thread is acceptable, though it is possible to find linen sewing thread for extra authenticity.  We generally machine sew the seams and do the hems by hand, but doing the whole thing by hand is certainly a worthy option.  Running stitches (in-and-out) are fine for seams and hems.  For hems on linen especially, it is best to turn the edge under twice (very narrow, 1/4" to 3/8") to hide the cut edge completely, then stitch.  (Iron these folds down before you stitch, to make hemming much easier.)  The cut edges inside a linen tunic should be whip-stitched or machine zig-zagged, either before or after assembly, so that the finished garment can be machine washed when dirty (warm or cold water).  Otherwise, and for wool tunics, simply squish into a bucket of cool, soapy water, let sit a while, then rinse and line dry.  The Romans used urine (ammonia) and sulfur smoke to bleach white clothing!

       A simple tie belt can be made from a long strip of linen or wool about 4 inches wide.  Fold the edges in towards the middle, then fold in half lengthwise and stitch.

LONG SLEEVED TUNICS

        Long-sleeved tunics were worn by Celts and adopted by several notable Romans including Julius Caesar.  A long-sleeved tunic may be worn under your white one, or over it if it is also white.  The body is similar to the normal Roman tunic, but shorter (mid-thigh length) and not as wide.  There are no gores or gussets.  The sleeves fit closely along the forearms, then widen up to an 11" or 12" armhole.  Be sure they are not too snug--measure around your fist and add 1" to get the minimum circumference.  One statue of a Gaul shows a cuff that is slit and turned back c. 3"; a narrow band of scalloped trim or embroidery runs around the cuff and up the sleeve seam.

TROUSERS (BRACCAE)

       Both long and short trousers were known as braccae.  Short trousers, apparently from southern Gaul, were also known as femenalia, from the Latin word femen meaning thigh--NOT from femina or woman!  In illustrations they are tight-fitting and reach to just below the knee.   Modern writers often describe them as being made of leather, but wool is warmer.  Long trousers, from northern Gaul, Germany, and Britain, were close-fitting but not as tight, and could be ankle-length or have feet.  No trousers survive from Roman sites, but several pairs have been found in Danish bogs.  They are quite complex and some have belt loops.  A simpler pattern with a drawstring waist may also be used (but a belt is more comfortable).

       Drawings of the Thorsbjerg trousers and a couple other ones can be found at http://www.frojel.com/Documents/Document04.html.

       In extreme weather, the gap between short braccae and socks can be covered with rectangular leggings wrapped around the lower leg and tied below the knee and at the ankle.

SOCKS (UDONES)
       Socks are known from several written sources and are shown in the Cancellaria relief.  A child's sock was found at Vindolanda, and can be seen at http://vindolanda.csad.ox.ac.uk:8080/exhibition/people-2.shtml#sock.  Civilian socks could apparently be brightly colored to show off one's fancy openwork shoes, but those worn by soldiers were probably more practical.  Due to lack of evidence, a number of different patterns may be used.  A simple square or rectangular wool foot-wrap is also an option.