Toga
the principal outer garment and characteristic national dress of the ancient Romans, who were hence designated as emphatically the Gens Togata TOGA TOGA ("the toga-wearing nation"), while the Greek pallium distinguished foreigners.
The right of wearing it was the exclusive privilege of citizens, its use being forbidden to Peregrini and slaves. It was, moreover, the garb of peace, in contradistinction to the sagum of the soldier. When the young Roman was regarded as fit to enter on the business of life (at what age this was is uncertain, probably it depended on circumstances), he threw off the toga prætexta, and assumed the toga virilis. The toga prætexta was also the official dress of the higher magistrates. The toga picta, an embroidered robe, was worn by a general in his triumphal procession. Candidates for any office wore a toga candida-that is a toga which had been artificially whitened by the application of chalk or other similar substance; so arrayed they were styled candidati (whence our word candidate).
Mourners wore a toga pulla of naturally black wool.