Creating a Toga

The toga is a fascinating garment with a rich history that extends far beyond the college frat party. The toga was the garment worn exclusively by Roman citizens. In fact it was a symbol of citizenship and was predominately worn by men. The history of the toga expands across hundreds of years and there were several variations on this garment.

When my husband and I began researching the toga to make for a friend, we discovered some delightful references that documented the ratio and dimensions of fabric needed to make a toga. We were amazed to discover the massive size of the Imperial toga and delighted to find exact mathematical references to customize your own toga. Here is a table with the dimensions from The Roman Toga by Lillian Wilson that was used to develop the pattern.

1 unit = distance from neck to floor
Extreme length (AB)	girth + 2 and 3/7
Width of each end (Aa and Bb)	1/2
Length of straight upper edge (EF)	6/7
Length of straight lower edge (CD)	1 and 5/7
Extreme width (cd)	2 and 5/56
Width of sinus (cQ)	27/28
Width of lower section (dQ)	1 and 1/8

These dimensions can then be applied to a diagram to determine the final toga. The following diagrams show the toga laid flat as well as a diagram of the toga folded in preparation to wear.