Making a Roman Tunica: Help?
 

Does anyone have experience in making a historically accurate Roman Tunica? This is a garment worn by women. *IMPORTANT DETAIL. My roommate and I are going to be making these for the upcoming Renaissance Fair in a few weeks. We have looked online and narrowed the specifics down. However actually making it and seeing a historically accurate one is the hard part. We're planning to make them to reflect a higher woman in status. No togas, no white or any of that business.

We're planning to have it cinched at the top to reveal an under-tunic below as well as belt to give some shape at the top. For the arms we're planning to have the ringed openings down to the elbows with material hanging down a few inches.

If anyone knows, Shani would be your girl. ;)

I dunno, this looks useful: make it tunica

It looks like it's missing some steps, but it should get you started.

UPDATE: These are better:

ROMAN FEMALE COSTUME

VILLA IVLILLA > PERSONAL APPEARANCE > REPRODUCTION

Have fun!

A good library would be likely to have books on what you're looking for. I did research on Roman women's fashions in 10th grade for a school project, and found that my high school library (which wasn't a great library by any means) actually had a couple books on the subject. A college or public library is likely to have something.

Ummm...I'm confused. Which really ain't all that hard to do these days.

But...why would you wear a Roman tunica to a Renaissance Fair? Wrong place...wrong time. Kinda like taking a trebuchet to a civil war re-enactment.

I'll take my catapult where ever I damn well please, Bill.

It's for the Roman Day and some parties.