How to Wear a Roman Toga

This historic Roman toga makes for an easy costume.

Roman togas are a staple of Halloween and costume parties. Paying homage to the popular film "Animal House," some people even host toga parties, at which all the guests must show up in toga costumes. Toga costumes are low-cost and easy to make, with lots of room for personalized accessorizing. The method of wearing a toga differs slightly between men and women, but both costumes are initially wrapped exactly the same.

Things You'll Need

• 6 yards of fabric
• Sewing machine
• Safety pins
• Chains or sashes
• Belt
• Open-toed sandals
• Gold jewelry
• Leaves

Instructions

1. Hem the edges of 6 yards of fabric. If you're only using the toga for one night, you may not want to hem the edges. However, for repeated usage, hemming will help prevent fraying.

2. Remove all of your clothing except for your underwear. Some people wear togas over their clothes, fearing that the toga may be too revealing. However, keep in mind that you will be wrapping 6 yards of fabric around your body. The end result of a toga costume is actually very modest, and nobody will be able to see your undergarments. The advantage to wearing only your undergarments is that wearing clothes underneath 6 yards of fabric will make you hot and uncomfortable.

3. Wrap the fabric around your body 1 and 1/2 times, starting at your back, so that the top of the Roman toga rests just below your armpits.

4. Throw the excess fabric over your right shoulder, and then use a safety pin to attach the excess fabric to the wrapped fabric. Make sure the pin goes through both overlapping pieces of fabric so it will keep the entire garment from unwrapping. After pinning the extra fabric, a shorter person might find that the extra fabric is too long and drags on the ground. In that case, overlap the material, slinging it back over your shoulder again after it has been pinned in place. Add a second pin after you have overlapped the fabric.

5. Tie several sashes or chains around your waist, if you are female. This will help gather up loose fabric and make the toga more form fitting. For men, wear a single belt around the waist to gather up loose fabric, or leave it loose.

6. Wear open-toed sandals with the toga. For women, gold bracelets or necklaces further accent the costume. Men can accessorize a Roman toga by pinning leaves to the toga or wearing leafy crowns.

References

• Health and Lifestyle Magazine: How to Wear a Toga