SNAPPY SOLDIER TUNIC PLEAT

[John M McDermott]

I believe I have come up with a way to achieve the pleating effect you see on much Roman sculpture of Roman soldiers. Pictured below are grave steles showing Roman soldiers with very "salty" pleats on the front of their tunics. Steles are by no means the only place you see this depicted. How then, did the Romans do this? Was this just artisitic convention, and, nothing else?

I believe that Roman soldiers, like all good professional soldiers, took a pride in their appearance and had certain styles of wearing their clothes to make a dashing and rakish appearance.

This can be achieved by taking two fibula and using them to create a pleating effect. I got the idea from some of my wife's clothing that used a drawstring along the side seam of the garment. When you pulled the drawstring, you not only shortened up the garment, but created a pleating effect also. You take a fibula to each seam of the tunic. I begin about 11 inches below the armpit and insert the pin of the fibula about eight separate times, drawing up the fabric each time into the round, curved part of the fibula. I then close the fibula pin. Next, I put on the tunic and insert the cord or belt I use to blouse up the tunic through the curved part of the fibula(some fibulae come with an eyelet that can be used for this purpose) and pull the fibula up around my wasit and tie off the belt. I then draw back the fibulae around my waist to pull everything tight and then pull them forward to slightly in front of my waist. This creates the desired pleating effect. You then blouse the tunic normally to cover the belt. I am pictured below wearing my tunic this way. It takes a few tries to get a really neat effect, but practice makes perfect.