BLOG 3: ANCIENT EGYPT

We are studying the dress of the Ancient Egypt, which was made mostly of linen which was usually kept natural colored or bleached white. The Egyptian dyers were unfamiliar with dyes so they kept the clothes the natural cream color. Short skirts or schentis were worn by men during the Old Kingdom, or age of the pyramids, but by the Middle Kingdom skirts were to the ankle and they started using dye for items like the sheath dress. This was a colorful tightly fitted dress that was sometimes worn with a bead net dress over it. It was the most common garment for women of all classes. For ornamentation of fabrics they would cut off the left over warp yarn of fabrics to leave as fringe or tie into tassels. This gave their outfits more character as linen skirts were very plain. To add even more ornamentation to their look Egyptians favored gold jewelry with semi-precious and precious stones. Jeweled belts were also the main source of color along with jewelry. They also wore false beards; a sign of maturity and authority, kohl eyeliner, and wigs to enhance their wardrobe. Social class was a big factor in the dress of the ancient Egyptians. The wealthy pharaohs wore the most jewelry and elaborate schentis while the slaves and workers wore shorter, plain linen schentis. In general, clothing for all classes and ages was minimal and simple with little construction. For the lower class women tunics and v-neck dresses were commonly worn. Only high class Egyptians wore sandals while the lower class went barefoot. By the New Kingdom era the clothes had gotten a little more complex with more accessories and more versatility. Egyptians wore the skin of animals because they believed that the wearer of the skins would gain the powers of that animal. Rulers like pharaohs wore different styles of headdresses, which showed noble status. “Social life, social roles, social class structure and changes and/or patterns in social behavior undoubtedly shaped clothing practices in this civilization” (SHC, Ubank p.47). The clothing of the Ancient Egyptians was relatively simple, but their jewelry and accessories were important to show the division in status. 

-Virginia Boswell & Elle Finney 

Tortora, Phyllis G., and Keith Eubank. Survey of Historic Costume: a History of Western Dress. New York, NY: Fairchild Publications, 2010. Print.