Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
How to wear a roman cloak?
#1
Salvete Omnes!

Is there a specific way how to tie / wear the cloak with a fibula. I am struggling with it and it seems that every time I attach it in a different way. Any help much appreciated ;-) !
Virilis / Jyrki Halme
PHILODOX
Moderator
[Image: fectio.png]
Reply
#2
Hi

There are different ways of wearing the different cloaks and at different periods. Do you just mean a sagum type and brooch of the early empire or something to match your later Roman impression?

Either way have a look at the ancient source material first.

Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.

"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.

"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
Reply
#3
Hi Graham!

I mean in general, it seems that I am doing it in a different way every time and it never "feels" right. Should there be some kind of foldings etc. before attaching the fibula?
Virilis / Jyrki Halme
PHILODOX
Moderator
[Image: fectio.png]
Reply
#4
I see Jyrki's point. My son has the same problem, it never seems to 'sit right'. Wink

It depends on the weight and measurements of the fabric I think. A good sagum should be folded double to act as a blanket/winter coat?
One of my cloaks is small, and it never falls 'right'. However my 'military sagum' is much larger but still way too light, but I can can it to look like the orginals in ancient art. I'm not so sure how easy it would be had the sagum been the correct shape and/or weight though.

Once I've pinned my sagum 'comfortably', I tend to keep the fibula in there forever.
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
Reply
#5
Thanks guys for the tips!

I will try to learn a way how to wear a cloak in a decent way even if it will kill me ;-) !
Virilis / Jyrki Halme
PHILODOX
Moderator
[Image: fectio.png]
Reply
#6
Please, don´t. :wink:
Christian K.

No reconstruendum => No reconstruction.

Ut desint vires, tamen est laudanda voluntas.
Reply
#7
Quote:Once I've pinned my sagum 'comfortably', I tend to keep the fibula in there forever.
Good plan if you don't need that fibula for something else.
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)

Saepe veritas est dura.
Reply
#8
I was at one time in a Roman group and my dress was only a Toga and it took me some time to find the best way of wearing that.
I have never worn a cloak however when I hear people saying that they keep their brooch or fibula in it all the time, is this simply from when they find the correct placement of the brooch. I think it might be better to fix the cloak by having the cloak pinned to the garment underneath and maybe prevent it from shifting around.
Then having said that with my other hobby of metal detecting I find that there are indeed many Roman brooches found that for some reason have just become lost and of course many are in very good condition as some originals that I have myself
The type of fastener I would suggest for a cloak is in fact the large Button loop type that was made to be sewn into a cloak and used with a button hole arrangement.
Brian Stobbs
Reply
#9
For a sagum, just take the two top corners, pull them in front of you around your neck, and stick a fibulae through them both. The cloak should then just hang down normally. You can also shrug it back so it only hangs down your back, freeing your arms up, or it will drape naturally around you. I actually don't have many pics of us in cloaks...

[Image: OptioMagnus.jpg]

[Image: Cloaks-1.jpg]
____________________________________________________________
Magnus/Matt
Du Courage Viens La Verité

Legion: TBD
Reply
#10
Hi Jyrki

Robert is correct, the weight of the material helps and indeed so does the size of the cloak. Many re-enactors have cloaks that are too heavy, so you wont get the folds, or are too small so again you will not get the folds that you see in Roman art.

Just a quick tip to find out if you roughly have enough material to play with, drape the cloak so it hangs over your left shoulder, take the lower rear end and bring it around your back, under your right arm and either tuck it under your left arm or toss it over your left shoulder so it hangs over. If you can not do that I reckon your cloak is too small. This is how a cloak would be worn on less formal occasions.

Other wise fold the cloak in half, bring and gather the top rear corner end over your right shoulder then place and gather the top front corner over it and pin it. As the cloak is doubled you can flip the front part over your left shoulder and leave the rest to fall down your left side or flip all of it over your left shoulder.

The paludamentum is worn over the left shoulder. It can apparently hang there under it's own weight but is sometimes seen with a brooch (see my Avatar). It is then brought under and then draped over the left arm.

The later Roman fashion for wearing cloaks at least on formal occasions is to fold it in half, step inside and brooch the sides together on the right shoulder so half of the cloak hangs down the front covering your body.

Hope this helps a bit and let us know how you get on and post some pictures.

Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.

"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.

"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
Reply
#11
I try to wear a cloak as much as possible, I think that was the done thing. This is how I wear my Late Roman sagum, trying to replicate what you see on mosaics and other illusrations:

[Image: tunic3.jpg]

[Image: tunic2.jpg]
Paul Elliott

Legions in Crisis
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/17815...d_i=468294

Charting the Third Century military crisis - with a focus on the change in weapons and tactics.
Reply
#12
Thanks all! Very good hints and pictures, can't go wrong with this info! Btw, is 150 x 290 cm enough for a late roman cloak? I checked Graham's books on roman military clothing and there seem to have been some variation between the sizes, some being larger, some smaller (for example some found in Egypt)...

Oh yes, one more question: is it plausible to have rounded edges on a late roman sagum?
Virilis / Jyrki Halme
PHILODOX
Moderator
[Image: fectio.png]
Reply
#13
Nice pics everyone. Should the cloak be hemmed all the way around? Can it have a frayed edge/edges?
"The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones"

Antony
Reply
#14
Aside from the selvage, it's up to you. I hemmed mine, though for the amount of times I wash it, I doubt it is going to fray much.
____________________________________________________________
Magnus/Matt
Du Courage Viens La Verité

Legion: TBD
Reply
#15
Quote:Other wise fold the cloak in half, bring and gather the top rear corner end over your right shoulder then place and gather the top front corner over it and pin it. As the cloak is doubled you can flip the front part over your left shoulder and leave the rest to fall down your left side or flip all of it over your left shoulder.

Graham, I'm not sure what you mean here...have any pics?
____________________________________________________________
Magnus/Matt
Du Courage Viens La Verité

Legion: TBD
Reply


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  The Way to wear a Late Roman Waistbelt Antoninus05 4 2,041 11-02-2015, 03:20 PM
Last Post: Antoninus05
  New late Roman Coptic cloak pictures Cheyenne 3 2,604 05-16-2011, 09:41 PM
Last Post: Statius
  What Roman Soldiers Wear Vincula 4 1,671 02-10-2011, 08:43 PM
Last Post: D B Campbell

Forum Jump: