Dress Style in the Ancient Egypt Essay Example

soap and instead used lye, made from castor oil and saltpeter, or detergents made from soapworts or asphodel. Workers would pair up to beat, rinse and wring laundry, but many had to do their laundry under difficult conditions. Washing clothes on the shore of the river or bank of a canal was risky, but it meant not having to carry a lot of water in heavy earthen pots. While Egyptians often went barefoot, they would wear footwear when necessary. Footwear varied depending on location and occasion; the Hittites wore shoes with turned up toes while Egyptians wore simple sandals tied with two thongs or sandals with turned up pointed tips. The cheapest sandals were affordable to most people, but even Egyptian kings didn't always wear shoes and would sometimes wear beautifully decorated sandals and gloves like their gods. Even gold sandals have been found, though they were not comfortable to wear.An example of someone who wore sandals would be Tutankhamen. According to English archaeologist Howard Carter, who discovered Tutankhamen's tomb, the king had a collection of 93 wooden sandals that featured designs of enemies on their soles. During the Middle and New Kingdoms, sandals were commonly used in everyday life, particularly by soldiers and travelers. Wearing sandals was associated with prosperity and authority. Pharaoh Thutmose III boasted about his victories by declaring "all lands were under my sandals." In the Early Middle Kingdom, sandals took on a new shape with straps joining the toes and sides at the heel, only covering the foot with upper leather. In the New Kingdom era, some Egyptians occasionally wore shoes. Similar to fashion trends today, ancient Egyptians also had

diverse styles of clothing. Clothing was usually simple, such as men wearing loincloths and women wearing dresses with straps. The cloth was wrapped around the body and secured with a belt. Although citizens knew about dyed clothing, they mostly dressed in white, while foreigners wore colorful clothes in ancient Egypt. Daily wear was mostly unadorned, although pleats were known since the Old Kingdom. In the New Kingdom, pleats became even more complex, sometimes running vertically.

Clothing in Ancient Egypt was divided into three categories of pleating, including wider pleats that were several centimeters apart, those with narrow pleats, and a chevron-patterned style consisting of horizontal and vertical pleating. Clothing was a reflection of social class, as the wealthy and royal class wore jewelry made of gold and large headdresses. Kings wore transparent clothing to display their status while priests wore leopard robes during their religious services. Priests did not wear sandals or wigs but shaved their heads and washed their bodies several times for their god, Amun. Workers wore loincloths made of animal skins and linen and simple tunic dresses while most slaves worked naked. Women wore long dresses, covering their ankles and heads, often tying their hair up with pins. Grooming was essential for women as they washed their bodies before dressing and used scented oil like perfume.

As previously mentioned, ancient Egyptians used wigs as a means of self-expression, with both men and women often shaving their heads and wearing them. While men wore shorter wigs, women's wigs were more elaborate and often featured natural hair pieces that were braided or curled. Full wigs were the most common option for both genders,

although some contained padding made from vegetable fibers. Egyptians also highly valued jewelry as a means of displaying social status, wearing items such as amulets, pendants, bracelets, and earrings made from materials like stone, bone, gold, and semiprecious stones. Additionally, importation of materials like silver and lapis lazuli allowed for greater variety in jewelry making. For pharaohs specifically, having a beard was important in demonstrating their divine connection to Osiris and their role as ruler. Pharaohs were often depicted holding a scepter called Heka while wearing traditional dress.The regalia of a pharaoh were represented by various items. In one hand, they held the Nekhakha, a fly whip signifying power and authority. A belt was worn with a bull's tail hanging from it, known as Shemset, for protection of the pharaoh's back. Pharaohs often wore crowns, including the HedJet, the tall white crown of Upper Egypt, and the Deshret, a chair-shaped red crown for Lower Egypt. They also wore the Pschent, a double crown representing their control over Upper and Lower Egypt. The Nemes Crown was more of a headdress than a traditional crown and is famous for being worn by Tutankhamen in his gold mask. The Khepresh, a blue crown shaped like a tall flanged helmet with golden disks, was employed as the "war crown." These luxurious clothes and adornments were passed down throughout history and can be observed through preserved arts, architecture, and documents.