Henna dye was used to color their lips and nails. They colored their eyelids with blue or green eye shadow made from powdered minerals. They used black kohl eyeliner to line their eyes and darken their eyelashes and eyebrows. MakeupĮgyptian men and women wore makeup. Ordinary people made jewelry from colored pottery beads. As far as Ancient Egyptian clothing, only the very rich could afford jewelry made of gold and precious stones. They wore rings, ear-rings, bracelets, decorated buttons, necklaces, neck collars, and pendants. The Ancient Egyptians wore jewelry to show their wealth and also because they believed it made them more attractive to the Gods. The picture shows the various styles of sandals worn. Regarding Ancient Egyptian clothing, the sandals worn by the poor were made of woven papyrus or palm while those worn by the rich were made of leather. The Ancient Egyptians went barefoot most of the time but wore sandals for special occasions or if their feet were likely to get hurt. A popular variant of this dress had a short-sleeved top with a gathered neck opening to replace the strapsĪncient Egyptian children did not wear clothes until they were about six years old when they would wear the same clothes as men and women. The dress went a few inches above the ankle to just above the chest. In different periods, women wore simple sheath dresses, which consisted of a rectangular piece of cloth folded once, sewn down, and configured in a tube shape. Typically, women’s Egyptian clothing in Ancient Egypt was more conservative than that of men. Like the men, rich Egyptian women decorated their clothes and wore jewelry and headdresses.
The dresses worn by rich Egyptian women were made from fine transparent linen. During the New Kingdom period, it became fashionable for dresses to be pleated or draped.
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“Lost Civilizations, Part 2: The Egyptian Pyramid Builders, the Nabateans, and the Aksumites.”įor the full “History Unplugged” podcast, click here ! Egyptian Clothing For WomenĮgyptian women wore full-length straight dresses with one or two shoulder straps. They also wore headdresses for special occasions. Rich Egyptian men also wore as much jewelry as they could afford and decorated their clothes. Rich Egyptian men were able to afford the best quality linen which was very fine and almost see-through. During the New Kingdom period, it was fashionable to wear a pleated garment. The length of the skirt varied depending on the fashion of the time – in the time of the Old Kingdom they were short while in the Middle Kingdom they were calf length. Sometimes the material was wrapped around the legs as well.
Egyptian Clothing For MenĪll men wore a wrap-round skirt that was tied at the waist with a belt. The softened flax was then separated into fibres which were beaten before being spun into thread which was then woven into cloth. Once harvested, the flax was soaked in water until soft.
The picture to the right shows the flax growing process. Linen is made from flax – a plant which was grown along the Nile. AS one of the earliest agricultural societies, the ancient Egyptians wore light clothes made from linen. Pastoral nomads created Egyptian clothing from their livestock. Egyptian clothing was made from locally-sourced materials-as were clothes from all ancient societies.