Do you like to shop with your parents for new clothes? Or do you think that shopping is boring? How different do you think your clothing is from people who lived 5,000 years ago in ancient Egypt? Let’s journey through time to discover more.
Ancient Egyptian clothing refers to the garments, jewelry, footwear, and wigs worn in Egypt from the end of the Neolithic period (prior to 3100 BC) to the collapse of the Ptolemaic Kingdom in 30 BC. Fashions in ancient Egypt changed slowly over time and were influenced by foreign styles.
Ancient Egyptian costumes hold a significant place in the history of fashion. Known for their intricate designs and symbolic meanings, these garments were more than mere clothing; they were an expression of status, identity, and beliefs.
The earliest types of costume were the tunics; midway come the robes and skirts, and the draped or shawl type of costume appears the latest. However, the older types of costume did not disappear as the new ones were introduced, but all continued to be worn contemporaneously.
The coloring which was usually, though not invariably, confined to the decorations consisted of simple schemes, variations of the hues of red, blue, green, yellow, and deep purple.
Read also: Customs Regarding Dress in Kenya
Linen: The Primary Textile
In ancient Egypt, linen was by far the most common textile. It helped people to be comfortable in the subtropical heat. Linen is made from the flax plant by spinning the fibers from the stem of the plant. Spinning, weaving and sewing were very important techniques for all Egyptian societies. Plant dyes could be applied to clothing but the clothing was usually left in its natural color.
Ancient Egyptians primarily used linen to create their costumes, owing to the abundance of flax in the region. Linen was highly valued for its lightweight and breathable properties, making it ideal for Egypt’s hot climate. The fabric was often bleached to achieve a white color, which was considered pure and elegant. Wealthier individuals adorned their garments with intricate beadwork, embroidery, and even gold thread, showcasing their social status and wealth.
The material used in the costumes was chiefly linen. In the most ancient types it was of a fairly thick, coarse weave; but in the later examples a fine thin linen, loosely woven so as to appear almost transparent, was used. The linen has often a stiffened appearance, and also gives the idea of having been goffered or pleated.
One thing to know about clothing in ancient Egypt is that people wore as little as possible! This is because Egypt was extremely hot much of the year. Of course, when the weather was colder, children and adults wore more clothes.
Peasants, workers and other people of modest condition often wore nothing, but the shenti (made of flax) was worn by all people. Royal clothing is particularly well documented, as well as the khat, nemes, and crowns of the pharaohs.
Read also: American Golfer Chad Collins
Flax plants.
Women's Clothing: Styles and Evolution
Women's clothing in ancient Egypt was more conservative than men's clothing. During the Old, Middle and New Kingdom, ancient Egyptian women mostly wore a simple sheath dress called a kalasiris, which is shown to cover the breasts in statues, but in paintings and relief the single breast depicted in profile is exposed. The dresses were held up by one or two straps and were worn down to the ankle, while the upper edge could be worn above or below the breasts. The length of the dress denoted the social class of the wearer.
From about 2130 BC during the Old Kingdom, garments were simply constructed. Artistic relics from the New Kingdom show the largest evolution in men's clothing. Women's clothing stayed mostly the same during the Middle Kingdom.
Women’s clothing was also made from linen. Wealthy women wore linen that was much lighter weight. It was much more expensive to make. Wealthy women also wore dresses made from beads. Sometimes the dresses had pieces on the hem that were like bells that made a sound when they walked.
Women's fashions of this period were more elaborate than in any previous era. Women’s dresses were usually long and fitted to the body.
Read also: The History of Black African Men in Art
The styles of ancient Egyptian costumes varied according to social class, gender, and occasion. For example, the color white symbolized purity, while green represented fertility and life.
Over the dress, women had a choice of wearing shawls, capes, or robes. The shawl was a piece of fine linen cloth around 4 feet wide by 13 or 14 feet long, which was mostly worn pleated. Surviving dresses consist of a body made from a tube of material sewn up one side, supported not by straps but by a bodice with sleeves. In contrast to dresses shown in art, such linen garments tend to be baggy, and would conceal rather than reveal the body.
Bead Dress. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Though we find Egyptian costume in many instances decorated all over with woven or printed patterns, decoration in the main was confined to accessories such as the head-dress, collar, and girdle, these being often painted, embroidered, beaded, or jewelled.
The high waist-line prevails in feminine dress, while the male costume, if girded, was generally confined about the hips.
Ancient Egypt - Clothes and Jewellery
Children's Clothing
Children wore no clothing until 6 years old. Once they turned six they were allowed to wear clothing to protect them from the dry heat.
In ancient Egypt, if you were a boy or girl, you would not have to worry about clothes because children did not wear clothes for most of the year. Children were usually naked until the age of six!
A popular hairstyle among children was the side-lock, an unshaved length of hair on the right side of the head.
An Egyptian family with four daughters.
Wigs and Hairstyles
Both men and women in Egypt often shaved their heads to prevent lice and to reduce the time it took to maintain a full head of hair. Wigs were worn by the wealthy of both sexes.
Men’s wigs were usually shorter, while women’s wigs could get quite large. These women are attending a party. They have put on their best dresses and jewelry. They have also put on their very best party wigs! Those wigs are huge, aren’t they? Their earrings are pretty impressive as well!
Some people think that the large pieces on top of their head that look like upside down ice cream cones are really cones made out of beeswax that were mixed with perfume. When the cones became warm, they would melt into the wig to make the person smell good!
Jewelry and Adornments
Jewelry was very popular in ancient Egypt, no matter the social class. It was heavy and rather voluminous. The main reason for wearing jewelry is because of its aesthetic function. The Egyptians were quite soberly dressed in white linen fabrics, and jewelry offered a possibility for contrast.
The Egyptian preference was towards the use of bright colors, lustrous stones and precious metals. On the other hand, silver was rare and was imported from Asia. Therefore, it was silver that was often considered more precious than gold. The eastern desert was also an important source for colorful semi-precious stones such as carnelian, amethyst and jasper. In the Sinai were turquoise mines, the deep blue lapis lazuli had to come from far away Afghanistan.
The ancient Egyptians loved jewelry. Everyone wore it. The bigger, the better! They wore huge necklaces, bracelets, pendants, and anklets. The ordinary person would wear jewelry made with clay beads. Wealthier people wore gold and gems. This is a large pendant, called a pectoral, that would have been worn on a long string of beads so that it hung in the middle of the chest.
The Egyptians became very skilled when making jewelry from turquoise, metals like gold and silver, and small beads. Both men and women adorned themselves with earrings, bracelets, rings, necklaces and neck collars that were brightly colored.
One thing to remember is that craftsmen were needed to make clothing, jewelry, and wigs. Egypt had workshops with amazing technology. A lot of training and skill was required to make these beautiful things.
Jewelry workshop.
Cosmetics
Embalming allowed the development of cosmetics and perfumes. The perfumes of Egypt were the most numerous, but also the most sought and the costliest of antiquity, which used them extensively. The Egyptians used makeup most of all the ancient people.
Everyone wore eye makeup! Eye makeup helped prevent infections. It also helped decrease the glare from the sun. Everyone wanted to look beautiful! They used beauty tools that look a lot like the tools we use today!
Black kohl, which was used to mark eyes, was obtained from galena. Eye shadow was made from crushed malachite. Red, which was applied to lips, came from ochre. These products were mixed with animal fat to make them compact and to preserve them.
Findings were published by American Chemical Society in the journal Analytic Chemistry suggest that the use of lead in makeup was intentional. Findings suggest that the lead in combination with salts produced naturally by the body produce nitric oxide which boosts the immune system. It is believed that the production and result were intentional.
The ancient Egyptians made many unusual and beautiful containers to store makeup and perfume. This unusual makeup container is in the shape of a woman who is swimming. She is holding a spoon with a top shaped like a deer. The top can be taken off. Inside, black eye makeup would have been stored. Isn't her hair beautiful? Here is a perfume container shaped like a fish! Its mouth is the opening. A cork would have been stuck in its mouth to keep the perfume inside.
Egyptian makeup tools. From left to right: Tube containing black eye makeup, razor, tweezers, sharpening stone for razor, mirror.
Footwear
Most children and adults went barefoot and did not wear shoes very often. The type of shoe worn by an ancient Egyptian was a sandal. Sort of like the flip-flops you wear today. The ordinary person wore sandals made of straw. Wealthier people wore sandals made of leather, usually for special occasions.
Footwear was the same for both sexes. It consisted of coiled sewn sandals of leatherwork, or for the priestly class, papyrus.
Sandals for a child and an adult. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Ancient Egyptian Costume Dates
The dates of most of the costumes in this volume are given with their description, and have been verified at the British Museum.
| Costume Type | Date |
|---|---|
| Ancient Egyptian Goddess (Plate I) | 700 B.C. |
| Egyptian Queen (Plate II) | 1700 B.C. |
| Tunic Types (Figs. 2, 3, 4) | 1700, 1500, 3700 B.C. |
| Ani, A Scribe (Plate V) | 1450 B.C. |
| Thuthu, Wife of Ani (Plate VI) | 1450 B.C. |
Popular articles:
tags: #Egypt
