The
stola was the traditional garment
of Roman women, corresponding to the
toga that
was worn by men. In ancient Rome, it was
considered disgraceful for a woman to wear
a toga; wearing the male garb was associated
with prostitution.
The stola was a long,
pleated
dress,
worn over a
tunic (the
tunica intima, the Roman version
of a
slip).
A stola had long
sleeves,
but the sleeves could either be a part of
the stola itself, or part of the tunic.
The stola was typically girt with
ribbons.
It was frequently accompanied by a long
shawl-like
garment called a palla.