Figure 1.--This gold statuette was atop a ceremonial walking stick of Tutankamen. He apparently was made to depict the young monarch when he became pharaoh at age 8 or 9 years, at which time he was married to Ankhesen-pa-Aten, nearlt twice his age. He wears a kilt-like garment called a shenti along with the Blue Crown. His shenti is elaborate. Common Egyptians, both men and boys, wore essentailly the same garment, but very plain ones. There was no real difference between the shenti worn by men and boys, although common boys might often not wear anything at all.

Clothing in ancient Egypt was almost always linen which is made from flax. Clothes were made of linen because flax was the only plant growing in Egypt that was used for clothing. The actual weaving of linen fabric was done on a loom, usually by women. Textile manufacture and dressmaking were actually the only areas of the economy that remained predominantly in female hands. White linen needed constant washing. It was washed in the river or canal, rinsed, then pounded on a stone, and, bleached in the sun. Linen clothes needed to be repleated every time they were washed. Important Egyptians were often depicted with pleated skirts. Only high status individuals had pleated clothes because the pleating process involved so much labor. Pleating required pressing the linen into grooves on a wooden board and letting it dry. The most interesting feature of Egyptian clothes is that styles changed so little over the long sweep of Egyptian history. Since there were no new styles, Egyptians took great pride in keeping themselves and their garments immaculately clean. Of course clothing is affected by climate. The warm weather in Egypt meant that ancient Egyptians wore little or no clothes at all. If they did wear clothes they were very thin and light. Even in Egypt, however, it could be cool at night during the winter. The basic garments worn by men was a loincloth or a shenti. A shenti was a kilt-like piece of linen fabric tied around the waist and kept in place by a girdle. While poor Egyptians had a simple shenti, the wealthy had shentis pleated and decorated with gold thread. Women might wear a simple shift for women. Many low status individuals, like slaves and children, did not wear any clothes at all. Children might earrings or protective amulets. In general, shoes were not worn. Egyptian children in the summer usually went around without any clothing at all. During the winter the children might be wrapped in cloaks and other wraps. One interesting aspect of Egyptian clothing is how little fashions changed over very long periods of time.

Linen

Clothing in ancient Egypt was almost always linen which is made from flax. Clothes were made of linen because flax was the only plant growing in Egypt that was used for clothing. One notable aspect of linnen as a material is that it is not a vey flexible fabric like cotton or wool. Although cotton is today widely cultivated in Egypt, it was unknown to the ancient Egyptians. Woolmwas known, but was very expensive and only worn by high-satus individuals.

Weaving

The actual weaving of linen fabric was done on a loom, usually by women. Textile manufacture and dressmaking were actually the only areas of the economy that remained predominantly in female hands.

Maintance

White linen needed constant washing. It was washed in the river or canal, rinsed, then pounded on a stone, and, bleached in the sun. Linen clothes needed to be repleated every time they were washed. Important Egyptians were often depicted with pleated skirts. Only high status individuals had pleated clothes because the pleating process involved so much labor. Pleating required pressing the linen into grooves on a wooden board and letting it dry. Since there were no new styles, Egyptians took great pride in keeping themselves and their garments immaculately clean.

Styles

One interesting aspect of Egyptian clothing is how little fashions changed over very long periods of time. The most interesting feature of Egyptian clothes is that styles changed so little over the long sweep of Egyptian history.

Climate

Of course clothing is affected by climate. The warm weather in Egypt meant that ancient Egyptians wore little or no clothes at all. If they did wear clothes they were very thin and light. Even in Egypt, however, it could be cool at night during the winter.

Garments

Shenti

The basic garments worn by men was a loincloth or a shenti. A shenti was a kilt-like piece of linen fabric tied around the waist and kept in place by a girdle. While poor Egyptians had a simple shenti, the wealthy had shentis pleated and decorated with gold thread. Common Egyptians, both men and boys, wore essentailly the same garment, but very plain ones. There was no real difference between the shenti worn by men and boys, although common boys might often not wear anything at all

Shifts

Women might wear a simple shift for women.

Slaves

Many low status individuals, like slaves and children, did not wear any clothes at all.

Children

Children might earrings or protective amulets. Egyptian children until puberty during the summer usually went around without any clothing at all. During the winter the children might be wrapped in cloaks and other wraps. Much of what we know about the clothes worn by Egyptian children come from tomb paintings and temple carvings. There is virtually no written recokrds. As a result the conventions for children's clothes have to be largely deduced from the plaintings. The paintings more commonly depict life-like activities of the common Egyptian. They suggest that children , both boys and girls, often were naked as the warm Egyptian climate permitted. Clothing was expensive and many peasanys could not afford to clothe children who would quicly dirty their clothes in play or agricultural activities. This does not mean that children never wore clothes until puberty. Paintings do not always show children naked, although the younger the child, the more likely he is to be naked in the paintings. It is likely that many young children might have some clothes. They might have normally gone naked, but may have been dressed for special occassioins or on cool evenings. Children, even those painted as naked, often wore jewelry, including earrings, collars, bracelets, armlets and anklets. Girls might wear hair ornaments. [Springer]

Footwear

In general, shoes were not worn by common people.

Artistic Depictions

Some caution must be exercised in using paintings and sculptures to determine what clothing aincient Egyptians wore. We note many images of Egyptian women wearing knee-hobling skirts. This appears to be an artistic convention that was largely fiction. Women could not walk in such skirts, especially given the fact that linen has little ability to streach. Actual dresses recovered from tombs are "baggy tubes with shoulder straps" nd not the tight-fitting skirts depicted. [Stewart, p. 78.]

Sources

Springer, Ilene. "A Kid in Ancient Egypt," Tour Egypt Monthly (December 1, 2000).

Stewart, Doug. "Eternal Egypt," Smithsonian, date missing, pp. 74-84.