‘White is the colour for a cheerful character ; a man in trouble wears shabby clothes. Purple (purpureus) is the colour for the rich, red (puniceus) for the poor. A Captain wears a purple chlamys ; girls are dressed in foreign style. A pimp wears a costume of variegated hue ; a harlot is given a yellow mantle to indicate her avarice. …’
(Donatus, quoted by W. Beare, The Roman Stage, ch. 24)