Ancient Egypt Fashion History
People in ancient Egypt wore light clothes made of linen, which were usually quite simple in design. Linen used for making clothes was made from flax, which was grown along the Nile. Both sexes wore the robes in Egypt and were called Kalasiris by the Greek historian Herodotus. Different groups had some unique fashions in ancient Egypt, as described below.
Men's Fashion
Men usually wore a wrap-around skirt tied at the waist with a belt. The materials were sometimes wrapped around the legs as well. The length of the dress varied depending on the fashion of the time. During the old kingdom, a short skirt was worn, while men wore calf-length skirts in the middle kingdom. A pleated garment was worn during the new domain. Men from the royal family wore clothes made of high-quality linen, which was almost see-through, and they also wore jewelry and headdresses at special events.
Women's Fashion
Women in ancient Egypt wore straight, full-length dresses with one or two straps on the shoulders. Unlike the modern Western world, women's clothing in Ancient Egypt tended to be more conservative than men's. Dresses were pleated or draped during the New Kingdom era. Wealthy women wore clothes made out of fine and almost transparent linen and wore jewelry and headdresses. The shawl, or sari, was trendy among upper-class women in the New Kingdom. It consisted of a cloth approximately 4 feet wide by 13 or 14 feet long. The shawl worn by the rich was often made of pleated material. Standard accessories included a pleated cape and a long colored sash that was knotted around the waist and allowed to hang almost to the floor at the front.
Footwear In Ancient Egyptian
Most people in ancient Egypt remained barefoot and wore sandals only for special occasions or if their feet were likely to get hurt on rough terrain. Sandals that the poor wore were made out of woven papyrus or palm leaves, while those that the rich wore were made of leather.
Jewelry And Makeup In Ancient Egypt
People in ancient Egypt wore jewelry to show their wealth, and they believed that after doing this, they would become more favored by the gods. The many jewelry pieces worn included rings, earrings, bracelets, decorated buttons, necklaces, neck collars, and pendants. The rich, meanwhile, wore jewelry made out of gold and precious stones, while others in the society wore jewelry crafted from colored pottery beads in most cases.
