Laticlave

In Ancient Roman regalia, a laticlave, or clavus, was a broad stripe or band of purple on the fore part of the tunic, worn by senators as an emblem of office, from which the difference of the tunica angusticlavia, and laticlavia.

This ornament, according to some, was called clavus ("nail") as being set with little round plates of gold, or silver, like the heads of nails.

Cantelius maintained that the clavus consisted of a kind of purple flowers, sewn upon the cloth.

Mentioned in Suetonius as citizens singing songs of disapproval against Julius Caesar for him having offered the opportunity for Gauls to "put on the laticlave" as imposter/foreign members of a traditionally "Roman" Senate.

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed. (1728). Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al.
• Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.