Ancient Egypt is considered one of the oldest civilizations. It had its own cultural values, political system, worldview, religion. The fashion of Ancient Egypt was also a separate direction. It should be noted that the evolution of this civilization has not yet been fully studied and is still of particular interest to many scientists. The fashion of Ancient Egypt is the subject of study of modern fashion designers and designers. What is the reason for this interest? Let's look further.
General information
Why is the clothing of Ancient Egypt so attractive today? The discussion is mainly around the precise and elegant cut, as well as the original finish. All elements were thought out to the smallest detail. The clothes of Ancient Egypt (women's, men's, clothes of the pharaohs and ordinary people) were comfortable, there was nothing superfluous in it. But at the same time, the impression of a completely completed image was created.
Clothes of Ancient Egypt: Key Features
The outfits of past cultures are distinguished by their immutability, uniformity and constancy. But even in those distant times, you can see the technical improvement of the elements, the accuracy of the calculation of patterns,finesse in the processing of fabrics. The clothes and hairstyles of ancient Egypt were thought out in the most detailed way. Despite the fact that the costume is distinguished by contrast, it is very expressive and harmonious. The clothes of Ancient Egypt made the human figure geometrically stylized. This can be seen from the surviving sculptures and drawings. In such stylization, the ideas of fashion were very clearly manifested. In some cases, even sharper than it actually was. Sculptors and artists of Egypt studied the art of stylization in special palace schools. All of them were at the temples. The art of stylization was prescribed by the existing canons, precise norms and established traditions that have never been violated. Such precision and clarity applied to the hairstyles and clothing of the Egyptians. It should be said that the outfits of this civilization remained unchanged for a long period: in the fourth millennium they were the same as in the second. Actually, we are talking about two types of clothing: male and female. By its decoration, one could judge a person's belonging to a certain social class.
Improving outfits
The history of ancient Egyptian clothing takes its beginnings from men's triangular loincloths with an apron. They were called "shenti". These armbands were decorated with numerous draperies. Over time, this clothing of ancient Egypt improved. Draperies became more complicated, they began to be fastened at the waist with a belt, which was decorated with gold threads and ornaments. Presumably,that such decoration testified to a rather high social status of the owner. The clothes of Ancient Egypt were improved further. Subsequently, shenti began to be worn as underwear. From above, they put on a transparent cape, similar in silhouette to a trapezoid, and tied it with a belt. In addition to the outfit, there was pleating, jewelry and headwear.
Contrasts
It was with the male simple loincloth that the outfit of the Egyptians began to take shape. The body was naked. Initially, the bandage played the role of an "apron" and was considered work clothing. But the clothes of a nobleman in ancient Egypt began to take shape from it. For a person who occupied a higher status in society, the bandage was neatly folded, decorated with belts. The front part of the element expanded downwards in the form of a triangle. It was also decorated with geometric patterns. In sculpture and painting, one can note how clearly the white bandage contrasts with the brown-red color of the skin. This shade was well defined. The color of the skin of women and slaves was depicted differently. It was yellow.
Women's clothing
The dress was extremely functional. What clothes did the fairer sex wear in ancient Egypt? The dress was made of thin fabric. It looked like a tight-fitting case. Subsequently, such a dress was called kalasins. The fabric accurately outlined the figure, and therefore there is an assumption that these clothes of Ancient Egypt were knitted. Later, the dress was divided into a vest and a skirt. The latter in its length reachedmid-calf. The skirt had a high belt, which emphasized the woman's figure. The ideal was considered a tall, slender brunette with broad shoulders and a thin waist. The tight-fitting skirt did not allow for wide steps. This means that the gait was clearly regulated. The elements of the vest were two wide straps. As a rule, they were tied at the shoulders. The chest remained bare. However, it was not flaunted, as, for example, in later Cretan fashion. Naturalism was restrained and eluded attention at the first moment.
Naturalistic detail, coupled with strict stylization of the figure, will be encountered more than once in the future. This combination will become very popular over time. The more stylized the clothes, the more the naturalistic detail is emphasized. Queen Cleopatra was the ideal of beauty. She possessed all the qualities that a woman should have: regular features, almond-shaped eyes, swarthy skin, a strong character and an outstanding mind. Queen Cleopatra had an excellent sense of style. This was manifested in everything, including clothing.
Features of outfits
It should be said in more detail about naturalism and stylization of costumes. Compared with later analogies, for example, the Spanish fashion of the Mannerist period, the Rococo and Gothic trends, it seems that Egyptian clothing is the embodiment of some final stage in the long development of costume culture. There is an assumption that the outfits have become in some way the highest stage of the previousunpreserved tendencies of the Neolithic. Here you should pay attention to the elegant details of the costumes. Clothing, both women's and men's, is based on contrasts of material and color. Relief stripes of colored faience beads, usually green or blue, are highlighted on a smooth soft fabric or naked body. They formed something like a collar and complemented women's or men's clothing. Colorful decorations usually contrasted with white cloth, columnar figures with thick black hair or wigs that geometrically framed the face. Make-up was applied by both men and women. In accordance with the existing tradition, lips, eyebrows and eyes were tinted. During the New Kingdom, the clothes of the pharaohs in Ancient Egypt were even more stylized and luxurious. The outfits were distinguished by a variety of colors.
Further development
Laid only for women, the Clasirisis subsequently began to be worn by men. New elements of the outfit began to appear. One of them was the top coat. It was a kind of shawl, gently pleated at the top of the waistcoat and crossed over the chest. The result is short sleeves. In the new clothes, you can again see the stylized triangle. It can be traced in the form of sleeves and in a skirt, the front of which looked like a bell. But now it is not so much a geometric figure, but more of a stylized lotus. The clothes of the pharaohs in ancient Egypt were always complemented by jewelry. Among the crafts in those days, engraving and chasing were popular. The Egyptians skillfully handledprecious stones and their analogues. It was from this civilization that various jewelry came: tiaras, bracelets, earrings, brooches, rings, and more.
Jewelry Art
Jewellery was an integral part of the outfit of the upper classes. The clothes of the nobles in ancient Egypt were luxurious. It should be noted that no one could surpass the jewelry art of this people both in terms of artistic expressiveness and technical performance. Egyptian fashion, jewelry, as, indeed, all art in general, almost at all times attracted with its mystery. In the modern world, they literally experienced a renaissance. This was influenced by the discovery in 1920 of the tomb of Tutankhamen.
Fabrics
Despite the fact that sheep breeding has been widespread in the Nile Valley for a long time, wool was considered "unclean" in a ritual sense. In the manufacture of clothing, only linen was used. The skill of the spinners of that time never ceases to amaze the imagination of modern historians. Some samples of canvases have been preserved, in which per 1 sq. cm accounted for 60 weft threads and 84 warps, and 240 meters of such yarn weighed nothing at all. The almost transparent, lightest fabrics that Egyptian spinners made were compared to "woven with air" or "the breath of a child." They were highly valued.
The canvases were dyed in different colors, but mostly in green, red and blue. Since the beginning of the New Kingdom, other shades began to appear: brown and yellow. The canvases were not painted black. Blue was considered mourning. However, the most common and favorite among representatives of all classes of society was white fabric. Cloths could be both patterned and plain. The favorite ornaments were feathers. They were the symbol of the goddess Isis. Patterns in the form of lotus flowers were also popular. Drawings were applied to the fabric by embroidery or a special dyeing method using different mordants.
