Fashion in Roman Britain

Published: July 28, 2026 · Updated: July 28, 2026

Under Rome, Britons wore the tunic and cloak of the empire — most famously the birrus Britannicus, a British hooded wool cloak prized across the Roman world — over persistent native dress.

Overview

Roman clothing — the tunica, and the draped toga worn by citizens on formal occasions — spread among the Romano-British elite, alongside imported textiles and dyes.

Key garments and style

Everyday wear was a belted wool or linen tunic with a cloak; women wore a longer tunic and the palla. Britain was famous for two woollen exports named in Diocletian’s Price Edict: the birrus Britannicus (a hooded cloak) and the tapete Britannicum (a woollen wrap or rug).

Transition

As Roman authority ended around 410, Mediterranean dress faded and Germanic (Anglo-Saxon) styles took hold.

History of this period

Roman Britain 43–410