Clothing In Ancient Egypt

We learn a lot about ancient Egypt (of the period between 3000 BC to 332 BC) from the hieroglyphs with picture words and cloth remnants recovered from the Egyptian tombs of the Royals. Most clothes found inside the tombs like kilts, tunics, shirts, headdresses, caps, and scarves have taught us many things about the dressing styles of ancient Egyptian people.

The general impression that we get from the hieroglyphs is that Egyptian men and women are tall and lean with good physiques (may also be reflective of artistic conventions and ideals). The men and women liked to decorate their bodies with cosmetics and jewelry, other than fine clothes. But the clothes were fairly simple in style.

Illustration of clothing worn in ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptian clothing was primarily made from linen, woven from flax fibers. Linen was the dominant textile in Ancient Egypt because it was lightweight, breathable, and well suited to the desert climate.

Read about the history and characteristics of linen fabric here.

Ancient Egyptian Clothing – Females and Males

In ancient Egypt, both men and women wore almost similar garments. Egyptian men and women took great interest in their clothing and accessories. The Egyptian men and women shaved their heads and wore black wigs.

Women wore long tunics. Sometimes a second robe with wide sleeves and a band under the bust was worn over this.

The ancient Egyptian men left their torso bare or wore a tunic with a skirt. The working-class men, on the other hand, wore a loincloth that just covered their private parts.

Many characteristic features of Ancient Egypt remained mostly unchanged for a long time in all aspects, and this can be be said about fashion too. Many styles of clothing lasted for centuries.

Most of the information about clothing in Ancient Egypt has been gained from the writings of Herodotus and from drawings found on tombs. But these drawings may not be an accurate study of the actual clothing, as they may be stylized representations of the real scenario.

Historical illustration of ancient Egyptian clothing and armor — Rare Book Division, The New York Public Library. (1837). Arms and armour Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e2-6f78-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Different Types of Clothes Used in Ancient Egypt

Kalasaris

Ancient Egyptian female clothing illustration

This tunic is the earliest known clothing worn by Egyptian men and women. It was worn for over 2000 years.

This tubular form-fitting tunic reached the ankles and was hung from the shoulders by straps or attached to a wide collar for women. Instead of the breastbone, it was girded at the hips for men. The garment was often sleeveless, but later a left sleeve was added.

Kalasaris is basically one piece of fabric folded in the middle with a slit or round opening for the neck and sewn at the sides up to the armpit. It was worn by stepping into it and pulling it up. It was belted with gathers in the front. In later periods, a much finer and transparent kalasaris was worn over the first.

The robe was mainly ungirded and had a slit down the front to wear over the head. The sides were sewn, leaving two armholes for the hands. Sometimes, the robe was girded by a wide sash around the hips. Women wore this robe girded by a narrow girdle under the breastbone. These robes were worn pleated or draped in later periods. Women also wore capes or shawls.

In pictures of Egyptian people, the robes are depicted as being very tight, but this may not be accurate because sewing skills were not as advanced at that time. The garments were likely looser in reality.

Ancient Egyptian male clothing illustration

Schenti / Shendyt

Men of Ancient Egypt wore a short loincloth that looked like a skirt or kilt called a schenti. It was tied around the waist and reached the knees.

The length of these skirts varied and changed through the different dynasties. In the Old Kingdom, the skirts were short, but they reached the calf in the Middle Kingdom. The schenti was worn with a tunic, long robe, or bare chest.

Sometimes men wore two skirts. The outer skirt often covered only the rear of the body, leaving the front open. The front was covered with a long fringed underskirt.

The schenti was sometimes pleated and gathered at the front. This was the common attire for Pharaohs and the wealthy. In later periods, the working class also started wearing the skirt, though it reached only to mid-thigh.

Women also wore skirts with a close-fitting wrap drawn up at the center of the chest with long sleeves.

Fabrics of Ancient Egypt

The clothing and fabrics used to make them were influenced by the weather conditions prevalent there. Egyptians dressed for warm weather using natural fibers like linen and, at times, cotton. Linen remnants dating back to 3000 BC have been recovered from the tomb of an Egyptian mummy. You can read more about this here.

There was not much difference between the dress worn by nobles and common people. More than style, it was the material that differed. The wealthy wore finer, sometimes transparent linen, while the common man wore much coarser material.

Fashion accessories used in ancient Egypt

The clothes were made mostly of linen obtained from flax grown along the banks of the Nile. The flax was harvested and soaked in water to soften it. This softened flax was separated into fibers, which were spun, woven, and sewn into linen garments. The earliest clothing was made of thick woven linen, but later garments became finer and almost transparent.

The Egyptians knew how to make clothes from wool, but they did not wear it often because it was considered taboo, especially in temples. Neither priests nor worshippers wore wool. Wealthy noblemen sometimes wore leopard skin. Pharaohs wore a lion’s tail hanging from the girdle. Capes and shawls were worn from the earliest periods. Some remnants of silk have been discovered in tombs, but they were likely imported from China and not widely used.

Even though they used colors, white was the most revered and sacred color. Therefore, they preferred linen in its natural off-white state. Common colors included blue, green, red, yellow, and black. These colors had symbolic meanings. White represented purity. Blue represented Amon, the god of wind. Yellow symbolized gold. Red represented violence. Green symbolized life and youth. Black was reserved for wigs.

The fabrics used for clothing often had woven or printed patterns. Egyptians also used embroidery, beads, and jewels to decorate clothes, especially headdresses, collars, and girdles.

If you are making a costume of an Egyptian woman or man, you can use your imagination and build upon the information given here.

Representative image of ancient Egyptian clothing.

You can incorporate lots of gold color into the clothes and accessories, as was the custom among the wealthy at the time.

Ancient Egyptian Clothing – Females and Males