Ancient Egypt is considered one of the oldest civilizations. She had her own cultural values, political system, worldview, religion. A separate direction was the fashion of Ancient Egypt. 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 by modern fashion designers and designers. What is the reason for this interest? We will understand further.
General information
Why is the clothing of Ancient Egypt so attractive today? The discussion mainly focuses on the precise and elegant cut, as well as the original finish. All elements were thought out to the smallest detail. Clothing of Ancient Egypt (women's, men's, clothing of the pharaohs and ordinary people) was comfortable, there was nothing superfluous in it. But along with this the impression of a completely completed image was created.
Clothing of Ancient Egypt: Key Features
The outfits of past cultures are distinguished by their immutability, uniformity and constancy. But even in those days, you can see the technical improvement of the elements, the accuracy of the calculation of patterns, grace in the processing of fabrics. Clothing and hairstyles of Ancient Egypt were thought out in detail. Despite the fact that the costume is distinguished by contrast, it is very expressive, harmonious. Clothing of Ancient Egypt made the figure of a man geometrically stylized. This is evident 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. Egyptian sculptors and artists studied the art of stylization in special palace schools. All of them were at the temples. The art of stylization was prescribed by existing canons, precise norms and established traditions that were never violated. Such accuracy and clarity applied to the hairstyles and clothes 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 it was possible to judge the belonging of a person to a particular social class.
Perfection Outfits
The history of ancient Egyptian clothing originates in men's triangular armbands with aprons. They were called "shenty." These dressings were decorated with numerous draperies. Over time, these clothes of ancient Egypt improved. Draperies became more complicated, they began to fasten at the waist with a belt that was decorated with gold threads and ornaments. It must be assumed that such decoration testified to a rather high social status of the owner. The clothing of Ancient Egypt was perfected further. Subsequently, the shenti began to be worn as underwear. A transparent cloak, similar in silhouette to a trapeze, was put on top of him and tied with a belt. In addition to along with pleating, jewelry and hats.
Contrasts
It was with the men's simple loincloth that the outfit of the Egyptians began to take shape. The body was naked. Initially, the bandage served as an "apron" and was considered work clothing. But clothes of the nobleman in Ancient Egypt began to take shape from it. In a person who held a higher status in society, the bandage was neatly folded, decorated with belts. The front of the element expanded downward in the form of a triangle. It was also decorated with geometric patterns. In sculpture and painting, it can be noted how the white bandage and brown-red skin color clearly contrast. This shade was clearly defined. The skin color of women and slaves was portrayed differently. He was yellow.
Women's clothing
The dress was extremely functional. What clothes were worn in ancient Egypt by the fairer sex? The dress was sewn from thin fabric. It looked like a tight-fitting case. Subsequently, this dress was called kalasins. The fabric accurately depicted the figure, in connection with which there is an assumption that these clothes of Ancient Egypt were knitted. Later, the dress was divided into a vest and skirt. The last in its length reached the middle of the caviar. The skirt was a high belt that emphasized the figure of a woman. The ideal was considered a tall slender brunette with wide shoulders and a thin waist. The tight-fitting skirt did not allow to take wide steps. This means that the walk was clearly regulated. The elements of the vest were two wide straps. As a rule, they were tied on their shoulders. The chest at the same time remained naked. However, she was not on display, as, for example, in the later Cretan fashion. Naturalism was restrained and eluded attention at the first moment.
The naturalistic detail, coupled with the strict stylization of the figure, will be met repeatedly in the future. This combination will become very popular over time. The more stylized the clothes, the more the naturalistic detail is emphasized. The ideal of beauty was Queen Cleopatra. She possessed all the qualities that a woman should have: regular facial features, almond-shaped eyes, swarthy skin, strong character and an extraordinary mind. Queen Cleopatra had an excellent sense of style. This was manifested in everything, including clothing.
Outfit Features
It should be said in more detail about naturalism and stylization of costumes. In comparison with later analogies, for example, the Spanish fashion of the Mannerist period, the trends of Rococo and Gothic, it seems that Egyptian clothing is the embodiment of some final stage of the long development of costume culture. There is an assumption that the outfits have become, in some way, the highest stage of the preceding neo-preserved Neolithic trends. Here you should pay attention to the elegant details of the costumes. Clothing, both female and male, is based on contrasts of material and color. Embossed stripes of colored faience beads, usually green or blue, are highlighted on smooth soft tissue or naked body. They formed something like a collar and complemented women's or men's clothing. Colorful jewelry, as a rule, contrasted with white fabric, column-shaped figures with thick black hair or wigs that geometrically framed the face. Makeup was imposed by both men and women. In accordance with the existing tradition, lips, eyebrows and eyes were tinted. During the New Reign, the clothes of the pharaohs in Ancient Egypt were even more stylized, luxurious. The outfits were distinguished by a variety of colors.
Further development
Clasirisis, put to women only, was subsequently worn by men. New outfit elements began to appear. One of them was the upper cloak. It was a kind of shawl, softly gathered in folds on top of a vest and crossed on the chest. As a result, short sleeves formed. 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 this is not so much a geometric figure, but more a stylized lotus. The clothing of the pharaohs in ancient Egypt has always been complemented by jewelry. Among crafts in those days, engraving and chasing were popular. The Egyptians skillfully handled precious stones and their analogues. It was from this civilization that various ornaments came: tiaras, bracelets, earrings, brooches, rings and more.
Jewelry Art
Jewelry was an integral part of the dress of the upper classes. The clothes of the nobleman in Ancient Egypt were distinguished by luxury. It should be noted that the jewelry art of this people, both in artistic expression and in technical performance, was never able to surpass. Egyptian fashion, jewelry, as, indeed, and all art as a whole, at almost all times attracted with its mystery. In the modern world, they literally survived a rebirth. The opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1920 influenced this .
Fabrics
Despite the fact that sheep breeding was widespread in the Nile Valley for a long time, wool was considered "unclean" in the ritual sense. In the manufacture of clothing used exclusively linen. The skill of spinners of that time does not cease to amaze the imagination of modern historians. Some samples of paintings, in which per 1 square. cm accounted for 60 weft threads and 84 warp, and 240 meters of such yarn weighed nothing at all. The almost transparent lightest fabrics that were made by Egyptian spinners were compared to “woven air” or “baby's breath”. They were highly valued.
The canvases were stained in different colors, but mainly in green, red and blue. From the beginning of the New Kingdom, other shades began to appear: brown and yellow. Canvases were not painted black. Blue color was considered mourning. However, the most common and beloved among representatives of all classes of society was white fabric. Cloths could be both patterned and monophonic. Feathers were the favorite ornaments. They were a symbol of the
goddess Isis. The patterns in the form of lotus flowers were also popular. The drawings were applied to the fabric by embroidery or a special method of dyeing using different etchings.