Each of us needs clothing as our basic shelter against external factors such as cold. It protects us not only from illness-generating elements, but it also serves mainly as body covering. Often times, people's clothing determines their social status and rank within a community, since it's the most visible identification of recognizing one's character and prestige. Well-to-do individuals can easily be identified from the less fortunate ones through their attires. Ancient Roman dress, in the same way, distinguishes status within their society. It differs in style, color and design to identify a worker from a free man or a magistrate to a senator.

Ancient Roman dress indicates social statements and titles. One could tell the difference not only on its style but also on the clothing's texture. Both men and women wear similar clothing during this era and tunics or tunica is their primary apparel. It can be donned either as an undergarment (Subacula) or outer garment (tunica exteriodum). Togas are garments worn over a tunic, wherein slaves and foreigners are prohibited from using it. Just like tunics, togas also vary on the wearer's title and status. Here are some classifications with their corresponding clothing:

• Herdsman, common people (plebians) and slaves wear tunics made from dark coarse fabric.
• Patricians attire themselves with tunics that are made from white linen or wool.
• Magistrates use tunic augusticlavia.
• Senators wear tunica laticlavia with wide strips.
• Military don tunics with lengths shorter than those of the civilians.
• Curules wear toga praetexta with purple design on its edge.
• Candidates for political office clothe theirselves with toga candida, a whitened toga to indicate purity in his political intentions.
• Generals on a parade show up with toga picta, a special all-purpled toga with gold threadings.

Cloaks are also a part of ancient Roman dress. These are worn with or without the togas and a variety of them includes: palla (donned over a toga or tunic), panenula (plain cloak), laena (two-layered coat), a lacerna (military cloak).  Furthermore, adult males put on toga virilis, a plain undesigned toga with off-white color while women use stola, which lines are similarly created to toga and typically used as an external garment wrapped around the body. Footwear, on the other hand, signifies societal status. Brightly-colored sandals would identify high ranking individuals as they could possibly avail dyed leather. Calcei (outdoor shoes) is prohibited to be worn by slaves, though they have sandals in common called soleae (indoor sandals) which are soles simply secured by cords attached to the instep. Presently, we can still catch some of this ancient Roman dress on the clothing we have today.