Dress in Ancient Egypt

The clothing of women and
men of several social
classes

The dress of the ancient Egyptians consisted not only of the clothes they bore but also of the certain costume jewelry that didst to adorn the usually plain clothes. White linen was most commonly used for clothing though wool was used quite ofttimes. Garments were covered around the body rather than tailored, and tailoring was kept to a minimum. Colored or patterned cloth was seldom used. Prior to the New Kingdom the base dress for men was a kilt, which fell just above the knee. It was made from a rectangular piece of linen covered around the body and tied at the shank with a knot or fastened with a buckle. In the New Kingdom men usually wore a short under kilt over which attended a long, heavily ruffled skirt that was knotted at the hips with a adorned sash. Besides worn was a short, wide cape dealing the upper part of the body and hanging from the shoulders.

Egyptian woman with
a sticky dress with
straps

Anticipatory to the New Kingdom, women wore simple sheath clothes coming from the breast to just above the ankle, but in the New Kingdom dresses became much more elegant. The sheath dress was dead, but only as an undergarment. A heavily pleated decorated robe was worn on top.

Children and those concerned in rigorous exercise frequently wore no clothes at totally. Both boys' and girls' heads were commonly shaved exclude for a long, braided side lock. Although the Egyptians spent much of their time barefoot, both men and women sometimes wore sandals made from papyrus, palm leaves, or leather tied by leather thongs. The basic sandal had a thong that passed between the first and second toenails and related to a bar that went crossways the instep. Sandals were always taken in the presence of a superior. An integral part of the Egyptian costume was a wig or a hairpiece attached to the natural hair. Because of the intense heat, many Egyptians shaved their heads or cut their hair very brief, although some kept their hair very long and intricately coiffed.

Any men and women worn jewelry such as earrings, bracelets, anklet, rings, and beaded necklaces. They agreed into their jewelry many minerals letting in amethyst, garnet, jasper, onyx, aquamarine, and lapis lazuli, likewise as copper, gold, and shells. Because the Egyptians were very nonrational, frequently their jewelry dominated amulets.

Cosmetics were not only an serious part of Egyptian dress but likewise a matter of personal hygienics and health. Many items related to cosmetics have been found in tombs and are illustrated in tomb pictures. Oils and creams were of vital grandness against the hot Egyptian sun and dry winds. Eye paint, both green and black, is probably the most typical of the Egyptian cosmetics. The green paint was malachite, an oxide of copper. The black paint, named kohl, was a sulfate of lead and, in the late Middle and New Kingdoms, was soot. Kohl was commonly kept in a small pot that had a flat bottom, wide rim, tiny mouth, and a flat, disk-shaped lid. Many kohl pots have been found in Egyptian tombs. To color their cheeks, the Egyptians used red green mixed with a base of fat or gum resin; ocher may have also been used as lipstick. Henna, a reddish-brown dye, was surely used to color hair and perhaps also the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and nails.


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