Updated: Jun 15, It seems this stems from the idea that people in the past wished to distinguish sex workers from respectable citizens. It is not entirely clear, however, whether a single colour or symbol was ever used to differentiate social class or social roles throughout history. So, in this article we explore what evidence there may be and in the process perhaps dispel some myths.
Most scholarship on Roman prostitution implies there was a social hierarchy within the profession. Given these distinctions, it is likely that Roman prostitutes dressed differently from respectable citizens. Some modern scholars assert that meretrices wore the toga when in public, either by compulsion or choice and, coincidentally, that the same garment may have been imposed on adulteresses as a public signal of their disgrace.
Edwards asserts that the toga, when worn by a meretrix set her apart from respectable women, while also suggesting her sexual availability Edwards, , 81β It is worth remembering that the toga was the formal attire of male citizens and not worn by respectable adult freeborn women. The latter, known in Latin as matronae sing. The stola was a long, body-concealing garment typically worn over a tunic, both of which had hemlines at ankle height.
Yet, opinions seem divided on the matter of whether prostitutes wore togas. Rather than a toga references are made to expensive courtesans wearing gaudy, transparent silk garments Edwards, , We can only speculate that what Roman prostitutes wore rather depended on whether they were free or enslaved. Presumably less material meant the short toga would be less costly, more convenient and easier to remove.
Moreover, such a garment would have exposed the lower leg and parts of the torso, something no respectable woman would have countenanced. Yet there is little concrete evidence for prostitutes and adulteresses wearing togas.
