Now there have been no examples found of gloves or mittens but some literary sources have mentioned a protective covering for the hands.  Varro writes that when perfroming manual duties digitalia could be worn.  Pliny the younger records maniace, could be used during the winter time to protect the hands from the cold.  Also, a curse tablet was found at Bath, England recording the theft of a pair of mittens (manicilia) and damns whoever stole them to loose both their mind and eyes. 

 

So we do have written evidence that they existed, we have just yet to find examples of them.  With that in mind simple mittens can be construted and accepted by Legio VI F.  A traceing of your hand with the thumb extended out and sewn together with an identicial peice should keep you nice and warm.  They could be made of think wool or even sheep skin.

 

 

The word bracae has commonly been refered to as a short pair of pants that comes to just below the knee, but the English translation of that word from Latin is trousers.  Trousers didn't make an appearance in the Classical world until the introduction of "steppe people" from the far east to the Greeks.  For the Romans it was when they had contact with the Guals and Germanics.  In Trajan's Column in Rome all auxiliary troops, senior officers, and even the Emperor himself is seen wearing short bracae but all of the legionaries are only wearing tunics.  Now, this could be a nationality thing were the auxiliary troops came from far off regions and were use to wearing pants and the Roman troops were use to wearing tunics.

 

Examples of bracae have been found in Netherlands at Valkenburg dating to the 2nd or 3rd century AD and at Thorsburg in Germany dating to the 3rd century.  For most of the finds of braccae are made of wool but the pair found in the Netherlands are unique because they are made of leather.  It is believed that they belong to a calvaryman because of the added protection that leather can provide that cloth can not in a wooded area, also the leather will not wear out as fast as cloth will from riding a horse. 

 

The Thorsburg trouser are made of diamond twill wool and are unigue because not only do they have beltloops built in but also have sewn in feet like modern day baby pajama suits.  The trousers are also seem to have been tailored to fit the individual and fit closely to the body.  Their are six belt loops that are placed high on the trousers which suggest that they were tied high on the body or could be rolled down to resemble a sash.

 

Possible examples of these bindings have been found in Vindolanda dating to the 1st century AD.  Galen, the physician to Marcus Aurelius, describes hunters wearing them.  Cicero even criticised Clodius for wearing fascia on his feet, and even the 3rd century Emperor Alexander Severus is reported wearing them all the time.

 

Now these bindings would be very similar to the World War I military puttees.  They would long strips of material, probably wool or felt.  The color of these pieces of cloth can not be identified but it makes since it would be a dark color so as not to show dirt and mud so easily.

 

Leg wrappings can be seen on soldiers marching on the Arch of Constantine, as well as on a tombstone from Barcelona now in the British Museum.  Archeological evidence has been found of leg wrappings.  A leg wrapping was found in Sogaards Mose in Denmark with the remains of the individuals still inside.  Having the leg still inside shows that the wrappings only covered the leg and not the leg and foot.  Two first century pay receipts from Masada and Alexandria show deductions for lorum fasciari, from Masada, and fascias, from Alexandria.  Both were listed next to the soldiers boots which suggests they were leg wrappings of sorts.

 

The wrappings were rectangular in shape that could wrap around the leg several times.  The evidence that it could have wraped around several times is that lorum fasciari are often confused with ocreae which is latin for greave.  So in some cases it could have been used for either protection from the greave or used as a simple protection for the leg.  On some reliefs it shows that it was tied below the knee and above the ankle.  Now the Sogards Mose wrappings have the strings attached to the piece of cloth but could be a seperate piece.

 

 

 

 

The paenula is a hooded cape that can be semi-circular in design.  Some scholars believe that it is circular in shape with the hood attached to a central opening, but proof can only be given by sculptural evidence.  Hero Granger-Taylor has confirmed the semi-circular shape with a cloak from Ballana Egypt.  The finest example of a military paenula is the tombstone found in Camomile Street in London.  From sculptural evidence the paenula comes to just below the knee.

 

The military version of the paenula appears to have an opening in the front and could be fastened by metal, wooden, or bone toggles/fasteners and even leather thongs.  Some examples appear to be sewn up in the front.  In some cases small disks are seen around the neck which could be interperteded as fibula.

 

According to Pliny the hood of the paenula was long and pointed, which when not in use hung down the wearer's back shaped like a bindweed leaf.  Hoods can also be seen on Trajan's Column in Rome as well as in frescos of a bakery scene from Pompeii.  Most examples of hoods are hard to make out unless the wearer's back is to us or the hood is being worn.

 

Their is a letter from Vindolanda from one commander stateing that his paenula was white, but for soldiers natural white (white with a brown, red, or yellow tint) or shades of brown are common.

 

The sagum seems to be the prefered cloak of the army.  Not just because when it is not being worn by its wearer it can be used as a bedroll or blanket.  On Trajan's Column in Rome most of the soldiers wearing cloaks are depicted wearing a sagum, from a soldier to even the Emperor himself.  It was so associated with the army that the phrase 'putting on the military sagum' was synonymous with going to war.  The Emperor Marcus Aurelius even tried to unsuccessfully ban the phrase.

 

We do not know if the cloak was worn on the battlefield.  Julius Caesar definitely wore his on the battlefield from his accounts on the Gaulic War.  It's bright color made him instantly recongizeble on the battlefield.  During Julius Caesar's retreat from the battle for the Pharos at Alexandria the defenders caputred Caesar's cloak and held it as a highly prized trophy.  On Trajan's Column in Rome none of the soldiers engaged in combat are wearing cloaks except for the slingers which kept extra shots in the folds of the cloak. 

 

In some depictions of cloaks all over the Empire their appears that some were decorated.  Some cloaks had fringe on at least one edge, others so that they had clavi just like the tunics.  Even an L shaped design as been found in each four corners of the sagnum.

 

The sagum were made of varies weights of wool depending on when the cloak was being worn and the use of the cloak.

 

Here is what “Roman Military Equipment: From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome” by M.C. Bishop & J.C.N. Coulston has to say about the braccae, long sleeve tunics, and cloak.

 

Under the early Principate, cavalrymen are depicted on sculpture as wearing leggings that reach to just below the knee.  This fashion seems to have caught on and some of the Adamclisi metopes show infantrymen wearing similar garments.  Some cavalrymen, such as Flavius Bassus, also wear a long-sleeved tunic with the cuff turned back and with a split in the hem, apparently identical to that of the Vacheres warrior. 

 

There seems to be little doubt about the form of the sagum.  It appears to have been a rectangular piece of material, usually depicted as haveing one or more fringed edges.  These might be applied fringes, but it seems more likely that the edge of the material had been deliberately picked out to avoidhemming or unsightly fraying of a cut edge.  If specially woven, two of the edges could have been selvedge.  The fastening of the sagum must have been one of the major uses of brooches in the Roman army. 

 

The paenula may have been oval or circular in shape, to judge form the representations, with a central hole for the head.  As worn, it was knee-length, and split up the front, begin fastened on the freast with buttions and toggles (but not brooches, apprantely, a fact revealed by the detailed sculpture on a funerary stela from London.  Wehn the sides of the paenula were folded over two or three times onto the shoulders, to give easy access to side-arms, the front opeing below its fastenings yawned wide, creating the characteristic 'W' profile.  This was often exploited by sculptors of both metropolitan monumental and private funerary works, specifically to exhibit the sword, belt and/ or apron, and thus to emphasise the wearer's military status. 

 

 

Soul of the Warrior: you can find handmade fibula as well as a sagum cloak.

 

La Wren's Nest: is probably your best bet to get all of your cold weather gear!  They have the braccae, cloaks, fibula, and long sleeve tunics. 

 

 

Merchant Adventurers: does a fine job with there tunics for the Dominus and Domina. Will do custom work on request.