Toga! Toga!

February 14, 2008 9:31 AM

Source for better-quality womens' Roman toga-type costumes?

Can anyone point me to an online source for higher-quality costumes of the Roman-toga-goddess-type?

All I can seem to find are the cheapo kind like this or this. The second one is what I got stuck with and it's hideous. While these may be OK for Halloween, they are definitely not for 12 performances of a musical requiring lots of activity.

It needs to be full-length and NOT made out of that practically transparent crappy nylon or horrible faux-velvet. I will pay for quality but I can't find it. It also must be available in large-size (women's 18/20 or 22/24) since we need one for a man to wear as well.

posted by I_Love_Bananas to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (6 answers total)

The basic chiton is actually VERY easy to make and doesn't even require sewing if you can find some decorative pins to hold it in place.

http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/clothing2.html

I've done the chiton with one long piece of fabric folded. It's open on one side, so I overlap the pieces and hold the whole thing together with a belt.
posted by foxydot at 9:57 AM on February 14, 2008

erg. must [bap] remember [bap] to preview [bap]!

Here's that link in linky fashion: linky fashion
posted by foxydot at 9:58 AM on February 14, 2008

Response by poster: I should clarify that there isn't time or personnel to sew anything- we have to buy.

I agree that it's a very simple design and if I had any ability I'd try- but unfortunately I'm not able to!

We will be all over the stage (It's for "Forum") and I am afraid pins wouldn't hold. We need strong fabric that will withstand the rigors of the staging.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 10:53 AM on February 14, 2008

Best answer: Have you considered renting them? Halloween costumes are typically terrible no matter how expensive they are. They're just meant to be disposable. However, many regional theatres rent costumes on the side to offset the cost of producing new shows. As it happens, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park did this show 2 seasons ago. Try giving them a call. You could also try calling universities with good theatre programs (Carnegie Mellon, Julliard, Illinois Urbana, Webster, etc.) to see if they could set up a rental agreement if they have something in stock. Togas should be fairly easy to fit without destroying the original, so short of making them (and you're right to be concerned with durability in this show), this might be your best option.
posted by Thin Lizzy at 12:25 PM on February 14, 2008

If you are a woman in a toga, you are not historically accurate unless you are a female prostitute.

Ancient Roman lawyers prescribed that women prostitutes wear togas to distinguish them from respectable women.
posted by bad grammar at 5:01 PM on February 14, 2008 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Dresses, not togas- thanks for the clarification.

Bottom line, needs to be a dress that represents typical fashion for a Roman woman. The links to the two Halloween costumes are the type I mean.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 9:42 AM on February 15, 2008