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A Roman costume for a school history day is a tunic, not a toga. The toga was reserved for Roman citizens on formal occasions; everyday Romans wore a plain tunic. We stock both: boys' Roman Emperor fancy dress from £13.99 for KS2 history week, and toga costumes for an adult toga party from £30.99. Each pick below lists exactly what ships.
Table of Contents
- What did the Romans actually wear?
- Best Roman costumes for school history day
- Best toga costumes for an adult toga party
- Emperor, gladiator or toga: what is in each pack
- Getting the size and fit right
- Frequently asked questions
What did the Romans actually wear?
Romans wore a tunic every day and kept the toga for formal occasions. Tunics were a staple of Roman clothing for men and women, worn alone or under a toga (The Collector). The toga, by contrast, was a citizenship marker: only Roman citizens could wear one, and foreigners, slaves and exiled Romans were barred from it (History Hit). At up to 5.5 by 2.75 metres with no fastening, it was cumbersome to wear, and most ordinary Roman men probably never owned one, keeping it for certain occasions rather than daily life (The Collector, as above). Married Roman women often wore a stola instead of the everyday tunic, a plain, modest garment (History Hit, as above).
We see this in our own search data. Our women's white toga costume page averages position 7.5 for "roman clothes", a term that put it in front of searchers around 24,100 times in the quarter, yet it earns zero clicks from that term (Google Search Console, morphsuits.co.uk, 90 days to 26 September 2026). Most of those searchers seem to want a history answer, not a costume. So we answer the history first and sell second.
Best Roman costumes for school history day
For a one-day school event, pick a tunic over a full toga. A toga has to be re-draped and re-pinned every time it slips; a tunic goes on once and stays on through break and lunch. Romans is a KS2 history topic in England, and these four picks give a class four different roles: emperor, empress, ordinary Roman citizen and gladiator.
Boys Roman Emperor Costume, £13.99
The Roman Emperor costume is a white tunic, a red robe and a gold leaf headband, one of only two kids' picks here with headwear in the pack, so there is no crown to make at the kitchen table the night before. It is sized S to XL for ages 4 to 14.
Girls Cleopatra Ancient Greek Roman Costume, £25.99
The Cleopatra Ancient Greek Roman costume is a white draped dress with gold trim and a gold crown headband, so it covers the empress role, or a goddess for a Greek myths week, with nothing extra to buy. We will be straight about the name: Cleopatra ruled Egypt, not Rome, but Julius Caesar and Mark Antony put her firmly in the Roman story, so she belongs at a Roman day. It runs S to XL (4 to 14 years) on the size chart; L and XL (10 to 14 years) are the sizes currently showing as orderable on the page, so check the size selector for your child's age before ordering.
Boys Roman Toga Costume, £30.99
The Roman toga costume for boys is a tunic and sash set despite the name, which makes it the more historically accurate option for a school day: white tunic, red sash, gold belt and gold arm cuffs. It is sized S to XL, ages 4 to 14. It suits the ordinary-citizen or soldier role in a class where not every child is playing emperor. There is no headwear in the pack; a laurel wreath from home finishes it.
Gladiator Kids Costume, £25.99
The Gladiator Kids costume is a red tunic, a brown armour top, arm cuffs, leg cuffs and a shield. It is the pick for the child who wants the arena rather than the palace, and it runs S, M and XL (no L currently, so there is a gap between age 9 and age 12 on the size chart; check the selector before ordering). The product photo also shows a sword. The sword is not part of the pack; the shield is the only prop that ships. There is no helmet either, so the head end is yours to sort.
Rome is rarely the only history topic of the school year. Our kids historical costumes cover Egyptian, Viking and Tudor options for whichever topic comes next on the timeline.
Best toga costumes for an adult toga party
For an adult toga party, a toga costume beats a pinned bedsheet for one plain reason: the gold headpiece and arm cuffs come in the pack, and a bedsheet gives you neither. One honest note on history: Roman women wore the stola, not the toga, so our women's pick below is party-accurate rather than Forum-accurate.
Men's Roman Greek God Costume, £43.99
The Roman Greek God costume pairs a white toga with an attached gold satin cape, a gold belt, gold arm cuffs and a gold leaf headpiece, sized S to 3XL. Because the cape is attached, there is nothing to drape or pin at the shoulders. Reviewers on our Amazon listing (4.1 stars, 261 ratings) say the belt runs large, so bring a safety pin. The product photo also shows a sword and sandals; neither ships. The toga, cape, belt, cuffs and headpiece are what actually ships.
Women's White Roman Toga Costume, £30.99
The women's white Roman toga costume is a one-shoulder toga dress with gold trim, a gold headpiece and a gold arm cuff, sized XS to XL (UK 4 to 22). The olive branch in the product photo is a styling prop and is not in the pack; the dress, headpiece and arm cuff are what ships. Sandals are not included either, so flat sandals or heels from your own wardrobe finish the look.
Mixed-era party, or a guest who flatly refuses a toga? Our full historical costumes range covers the rest of the timeline.
Emperor, gladiator or toga: what is in each pack
Six costumes, six different pack lists. Read the third column before you order: the Boys Roman Toga and the Gladiator Kids set come with no headwear at all, so those two need a wreath or helmet sorted at home.
| Costume | Best for | What's in the pack | Sizing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boys Roman Emperor | School day, emperor role | White tunic, red robe, gold leaf headband | S-XL, ages 4-14 |
| Girls Cleopatra Ancient Greek Roman | School day, empress/goddess role | White draped dress with gold trim, gold crown headband | S-XL, ages 4-14 (L-XL currently orderable) |
| Boys Roman Toga | School day, citizen/soldier role | White tunic, red sash, gold belt, gold arm cuffs | S-XL |
| Gladiator Kids | School day, warrior role | Red tunic, brown armour top, arm cuffs, leg cuffs, shield | S, M, XL currently (no L) |
| Men's Roman Greek God | Adult toga party | White toga with attached gold cape, gold belt, gold cuffs, gold headpiece | S-3XL |
| Women's White Roman Toga | Adult toga party | White one-shoulder toga dress, gold headpiece, gold arm cuff | XS-XL, UK 4-22 |
Getting the size and fit right
Every costume goes through over 30 measurement checks, and we run over 500,000 quality checks a year. None of that picks a size for you, so measure first. Measure your child's height and chest and match them to the size guide rather than going by age alone, because two children in the same age band can be very different heights. On the line between two sizes, take the larger: a long tunic can be belted up, but a short one stays short. Adult sizes run S to 3XL for men and XS to XL (UK 4 to 22) for women; check the guide the same way rather than assuming your usual size carries across.
All six are hand wash only. Use cool water, rinse gently and air dry flat. Never machine wash or tumble dry them, whatever the delicates setting on your machine promises.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make a Roman costume for school?
Start with a tunic rather than a toga: real Romans wore tunics daily and kept the toga for formal, citizens-only occasions, so a tunic-based costume is more historically accurate and easier for a child to wear all day. Pick the role your child's class is covering, emperor, ordinary citizen or gladiator, and choose the matching set: our Roman Emperor, Roman toga and Gladiator Kids costumes are all tunic-based, so there is no draping to redo at break time. Add a laurel wreath or sandals from home to finish the look; none of the packs above include sandals.
Is a toga the same as a Roman costume?
No. A toga is one specific type of Roman formal dress, restricted historically to Roman citizens; a tunic was the everyday garment worn by everyone in Rome, and married women often wore a stola instead (History Hit). "Roman costume" is the wider umbrella that covers tunics, togas, gladiator armour and Greek-goddess styling alike, which is why a gladiator and a goddess share this page.
