ABOUT EGYPTIAN FASHION

A- If you are interested in studying ancient Egyptian fashion and clothing, you are quite lucky because there is a lot of evidence of what the ancient Egyptians wore. You can see them on many statues and wall paintings that have survived to the present day.

B- One interesting thing about ancient Egyptian clothing is that for nearly 3,000 years, there was almost no change in what people wore. This is quite different from modern fashion, which changes quite often.

C- The clothing of ancient Egypt was affected by two important factors: climate and social status. Clothing was a necessity in ancient Egypt because the Nile River valley had a moderate climate. It wasn’t too hot or too cold. Clothing was, therefore, a luxury item of no great practical value. In ancient Egyptian art, slaves and poor people are usually shown wearing not very much clothing. Sometimes they wore nothing at all. The higher up the social scale, the more clothing and jewellery was worn. This type of clothing is designed to show the shape of the body, not to hide it. The Pharaohs and their queens wore the most elaborate Egyptian clothing.

D- Here are some interesting facts about ancient Egyptian clothing and fashion:

• The ancient Egyptians were very concerned about hygiene. Therefore, they often wore linen, which is made from plants. They did not wear wool or other animal-based textiles.

• The ancient Egyptians shaved their heads. This may have been done for hygiene. Both men and women shaved their heads.

• Egyptians often wore wigs for special occasions. These wigs were usually made of human hair.

• During parties, guests wore small balls of beeswax filled with perfumed oil on top of their wigs. These balls of wax would melt into the wigs with the heat of the room. This would release the smell of the perfume during the party.

• Both men and women wore eye make-up.