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| Ancient Egyptian culture |
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Ancient Egyptian clothing refers to the garments,jewelry, footwear, andwigs worn inEgypt from the end of theNeolithic period (prior to 3100 BC) to the collapse of thePtolemaic Kingdom in 30 BC. Fashions inancient Egypt changed slowly over time and were influenced by foreign styles. Recognizable aspects of ancient Egyptain clothing includes whitelinenkilts,sheath dresses, bag-tunics, andmantles;usekh collars;sandals; and wigs.
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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 theflax 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.Wool was also used to a lesser extent, as were coir-type fibers such as hemp, grass, and reed, although fabric made from the latter group was not common.[1] The misconception that wool was considered unclean by the ancient Egyptians can be attributed toHerodotus.
Peasants, workers and other people of modest condition often wore nothing, but theshenti (made offlax) was worn by all people. Slaves often workednaked.[2]
Unique headdresses included thekhat, a loose headcloth worn by men of noble rank, and thenemes, a striped cloth reserved for monarchs.
There were severalancient Egyptian deities related to fabrics, clothing and weaving, chiefly the godHedjhotep and the goddessTayt.[3]
Royal clothing is particularly well documented, as well as thekhat,nemes, andcrowns of the pharaohs. Thepharaohs would often wear animal skins, usuallyleopard orlion, as a sign of their station.[2]
From about 2130 BC during theOld Kingdom, garments were simply constructed. Men wore wrap around skirts belted at the waist. This style of dress was consistent across class but higher class Egyptians wore more finely crafted pieces.[4]
While women's clothing stayed mostly the same during theMiddle Kingdom, men's clothing changed in some regards (as evidenced by available art). The two most notable changes were the pleating of the skirts and the adoption of the triangular apron by upper-class men. This starched ornamented kilt was held up by a sash and worn over a loincloth.[5]
Artistic relics from the New Kingdom show the largest evolution in men's clothing. New Kingdom art depicts the use of sheer blouses with intricately pleated sleeves, as well as more elaborate pleating of the skirts with sheer overskirts.[6] Still, only wealthier citizens could afford these materials.[7]
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During theOld,Middle andNew Kingdom, ancient Egyptian women mostly wore a simple sheath dress called a kalasiris,[8] which is shown to cover the breasts in statues, but in paintings and relief the single breast depicted in profile is exposed.[9] Women's clothing in ancient Egypt was more conservative than men's clothing. 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.[10] Beading or feathers were also used as an embellishment on the dress.[11] Over the dress, women had a choice of wearingshawls, 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. It was made of linen, a material that tends to sag but is shown to hug the body with no slag.[12]
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. A popular hairstyle among children was theside-lock, an unshaved length of hair on the right side of the head. Even though children usually wore no clothing, they wore jewelry such asanklets,bracelets, collars, and hair accessories.[9]
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Wigs were worn by the wealthy of both sexes. Made from human hair and sometimes supplemented with date palm fiber, they were often styled in tight curls and narrow braids.[13] For special occasions, both men and women could top their wigs withcones of perfumed fat that would melt to release their fragrance and condition the hair.[14]
Jewelry was very popular inancient 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.[15] The Egyptian preference was towards the use of bright colors, lustrous stones and precious metals. Gold was won in large quantities in the eastern desert of Egypt, but also came from Nubia, that was an Egyptian colony for centuries.
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. Glass andfaience (glaze over a core of stone or sand) were favorites to replace rocks because they could be produced in many colors.[16]
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 andneck collars that were brightly colored. Those who could not afford jewelry made from gold or other stones would make their jewelry from colored pottery beads.[17]
One creation that was specific to ancient Egypt was thegorgerine, an assembly of metal discs worn on the chest, either over bare skin or over a shirt, and attached in the back.
Embalming allowed the development ofcosmetics andperfumes.[clarification needed] The perfumes of Egypt were the most numerous, but also the most sought and the costliest ofantiquity, which used them extensively. The Egyptians used makeup most of all the ancient people. Nails and hands were painted withhenna.
Blackkohl, which was used to mark eyes, was obtained fromgalena. Eye shadow was made from crushedmalachite. Red, which was applied to lips, came fromochre. These products were mixed with animal fat to make them compact and to preserve them. Both men and women woregalena ormalachiteeyeliner to protect the eyes and enhance their beauty.
Findings were published byAmerican Chemical Society in the journalAnalytic 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 increase in immune productivity would help to prevent infections like conjunctivitis.[18]
Footwear was the same for both sexes. It consisted ofcoiled sewn sandals of leatherwork, or for the priestly class,papyrus. Since Egyptians were usually barefoot, sandals were worn on special occasions or at times when their feet might get hurt.[10]
Women's fashions of this period were more elaborate than in any previous era. 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 both sexes to protect the scalp and for ceremonial purposes.[19]
Timeline of clothing and fashion | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ancient |  | |
| Middle Ages | ||
| 1500s–1820s Western fashion | ||
| 1830s–1910s Western fashion | ||
| 1920s–1950s Western fashion | ||
| 1960s–1990s fashion | ||
| 2000–present fashion | ||
| By country and region | ||
| By clothing | ||
