One might think that contemplating Halloween in July is a tad crazy. But I would disagree. That is, if you plan to put some thought into it. :) Which I do, thank you very much. By starting now, I give myself time to shop for sales and use coupons for the various components of what I want to do. Some things are "in season" during other times of the year than October.
That being said, I have indeed made my costume decision. I am going to go as Annia Aurelia Galeria Lucilla, daughter of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelias; also known as Lucilla, from the movie, Gladiator. Because this is a little more complex and involved than your average wrap-a-sheet-around-yourself-with-a-safety-pin toga, I will more than likely wear it for more than just one Halloween.
At this stage in the game, I've only started my research of the costume, but have made some significant strides. I will post my progress here, along with the final version, once completed.
Here are some internet-provided images, as well as another Lucilla costume research site, which was the most helpful online source. It was a good jumping off point to the rest of my research.
This other costume research site is here, with some screenshots/screencaps as well as promotional photos.
Photo: oncourse.iu.edu
Photo: romancoins.info
I began with general artwork/statues from the Roman era - evidence of the drape-y outfits.
Followed by internet searches for proper terminology of the dress pieces.
Which in turn led to the library searches. Extensive amounts of books about Rome, only one so far has yielded any assistance, Ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Costume & Decoration, Second Edition, by Mary G. Houston, published in 1931. It has illustrations as well as descriptions of what the various pieces of dress were. An excellent resource, highly recommended if you want to recreate an outfit from any of those time periods.
Next time I'll go over more images and some of my specific research findings.
