JCollins
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Clothing, fashion, makeup, and trends 🧵
🕑 Added 2025-04-07 01:26:54 +0000 UTCI've been waiting for this lore post because I have a GREAT book full of illustrations of clothes, patterns, and everyday objects throughout the ages, starting from Ancient Egypt, until the late 1800s with the illustrations of Friedrich Hottenroth. The original book was published in 1884 and is called Trachten (it's in German). Highly recommended, it has awesome stuff in it.
Differences between genders, age, and social class
In general, most everyone wore the same fabrics, which was linen. The most basic pieces of clothing for men, especially during warmer seasons, were a loincloth, and sandals. They went bare-chested most of the time, and working classes sometimes wore nothing at all, especially when the work was messy or in the water, like fishermen, hunters, and peasants. Women wore dresses of different lengths, but dresses were not women-exclusive at all, since trousers didn’t exist yet. Skirts and shirts were worn by all.
Young children were usually left bare, with a few small amulets on a barecelet or necklace against evil spirits. During colder days, the parents dressed them in a loose shirt.
The fashion of loincloths, skirts and dresses were generally the same for every social class. The king and the most common peasants all wore loincloths, tunics, and dresses. The difference was not quite in fashion, but more in the quality of fabric, the details, and the amount of decorations.
Everyday clothing and festive garments
The most basic type of clothing was the simplest loincloth, which was a triangular piece of fabric, tied around the waist and under between the legs. Most workers wore that every day, if anything at all. This could also be considered as a sort of underwear, because a second loincloth could be worn over this.
Soldiers, miners, builders, and sailors had this second one made of leather strips to protect the body better.
They then could put on another piece of garment, which was a sort of wrap-up skirt. This one was what most men wore in general. This linen fabric was often pleated (ironed into vertical strips), and tied up by a fabric or leather belt with a belt buckle. The hems and the belts could be decorated with beads, tassels, gemstones, or gold. This type of skirt usually had a smooth piece of decorative fabric running down the front, which was hardened out to stand straight, and it could have all kinds of paintings and decorations on it.
The wardrobe of women was not that different. Their most basic piece of clothing was a simple linen dress. These were usually made from a rectangular piece of cloth, folded in half, and sewn closed along the sides, leaving the sleeves and collar open. This piece of clothing was very practical, it was good for all kinds of activity, and the looser the garment was, the more comfortable they could move in. They could have all kinds of length too – most of them was ankle-length, but they could also be as short as mid-thigh. For colder days, they had tunics with sleeves.
Over this tunic, people could wear a second dress, or a shirt with a skirt, maybe with a wide scarf thrown across the shoulders. They didn’t really decorate the tunics, but the pieces over it could have patterns on the edges and the sleeves. The belts that they used to tie the pieces together, were also decorated. They wore them generally a bit above the waist, under the breasts.
Who made the clothes and from what
Most of the fabrics were made from linen, rarely from hemp or wool. Their color was always different shades of white. The linen fabrics had a great variety in quality, starting from the thickest, warmest cloth, to the most delicate pieces that were nearly completely see-through.
Most fabrics were made by women in looming workshops. This job was quite labor intensive, because they had to crouch over a loom all day. In the New Kingdom, a standing loom was invented, which was bigger, could do different types of weaving, and produced much longer of fabrics. These machines were generally operated by men, and the quality of fabric neared the smoothest of silks.
Poorer people bought the fabric from these workshops, and then sewed them at home, but there were many different seamstresses and tailors too, who made excellent jobs – if one could pay them.
The perception of the body
Egyptians were not at all prudish when it came to nudity. Many men worked naked, and during summer, some simply didn’t wear clothes at all when it was hot. People also swam naked in the rivers and lakes, and bathing was a social activity.
The sight of a female body was also cherished, and tight dresses and skirts were always in fashion. They sometimes had lower clevages too, or have dresses made entirely from see-through fabrics, sometimes even just a decorated web, although they wore these beaded web-dresses over normal clothes most of the time.
Revealing clothes were never frowned upon, not even among the higher classes, although it was more rare in court. Instead of lack of clothes, aristocrats wore more expensive clothes that were silk-like, and were more tight-fitting to show off the body shape. As the textile industry developed, the quality of fabrics went up, and the see-through dresses and skirts became more and more popular.
There were many jobs women also did while naked. Servants most often wore a simple skirt and a tied up cloth across the breasts, or an apron with nothing under it. Dancers and acrobats often performed naked, or in sheer, see-through skirts and scarves that let them move freely.
Shoes
The type of shoes they wore was pretty much the same during every millenia. They were always the same-ish design, a simple sandal with straps. The simplest shoes were made from papyrus or palm fibers. The most expensive and sturdiest ones were made of leather.
It was polite to take off shoes inside houses or when someone met a higher-class person. They also went barefeet into temples, and the highest ranked people, for example the king, had their own sandal-carrying servants who just followed them around the temple for the sole reason of holding their shoes for them.
Hair, hats, and wigs
Men usually wore their hair short, and when they were outside working, they had some kind of hat on, which could cover their ears too when they were doing something messy. Most often, they wore a headcloth that was tied behind their ears with a thin cord.
Almost everyone went to barbers and hairdressers to cut their hair. Nobles employed their own at their estates, but villages and towns all had barbers too who worked outside, and used a sharp razor blade to cut hair. Men shaved too most of the time. Beards were never in fashion, unless someone was grieving and let their beard grow out. The only exception was the fake-beard that the pharaoh, and later noble men liked to wear too. You can see this one on most wall paintings. This was braided and tied to the chin with a cord that ran behind the ears.
It was more common for women to let their hair grow out. Probably because women always took better care of their hair than men. That somehow never changed during the history of humanity, huh?
Even then, Egyptians had all kinds of remedies for a nicer and stronger hair, and that included treating baldness too. What was their secret, you ask…? Lion, hippo, and crocodile fat. I’m not joking.
They also used hair dyes. Ramesses the Great, for example, had genuine ginger hair. He lived for a very long time too, and on his mummy, they found ginger colored dye that he used on his gray hair.
Priests usually shaved their heads as a symbol of purity.
Wigs were worn by men and women, and all social classes. When someone had shorter hair, a wig was a perfect tool to protect against the heat and sun. They were often made from real human hair, but sometimes they made wigs from plant stalks and different fibers too. Cheaper ones were shorter, covering the ears. Those that reached the shoulders were usually more expensive, but the most elaborate wigs for women could reach the waist too.\
The hair was braided into small strands on the wigs, and they could decorate it with all kinds of things – gold rings, feathers, gemstones, ribbons, and they dyed them into different colors as well. Most were brown or black, but occasionally they would make ginger, red, or even blue wigs too.
Jewelry
The most popular piece of jewelry was the necklace. From the simplest, single-corded necklace to the thick, gemstoned necklaces that covered the chest and shoulders, they wore all kinds. They used clay, bone, glass, and faience beads, and all kinds of gemstones for the wealthy. If someone couldn’t afford them, they could also wear painted collars that were decorated with colorful patterns.
Jewelry also had a symbolic meaning. Gemstones were considered sacred and good protection against evil energies because they symbolized pieces of the gods.
They also wore amulets for protection, for example Narmer wears a Bes medallion in the game, and Qenna also has a few amulets. Tabiry wears tiny amulets in her hair.
Bracelets, anklets, and armlets were always in fashion, and from the New Kingdom, they also wore earrings. They had rings too, and during the New Kingdom, signet rings became widely known. These had an oval or rectangular stone in the middle that was carved into different shapes, for example a cat, or they could have symbols, signatures, the name of a pharaoh, a god, or protection spells carved into it as well. Narmer, Qenna, and Ahmose all have signet rings. If you go with them in Memphis, you can see what they use them for :)
Women sometimes wore flowers in their hair as well, or they braided them into necklaces.
Trends
Fashion and trends changed just as often as they do today. They often followed the personal preferences of royalty too. For example, when a king was known to find a certain hair color attractive, that hair dye miraculously came into fashion. Very mysteriously. Or if the queen had famously nice curves, suddenly every woman wanted to look like her too.
Clothes in the Old Kingdom were often more simple, and as the ages went on, they became more elaborate and complex. It was the same with hair and makeup trends too. Sometimes short hair was in fashion. Sometimes curly hair was in fashion. Sometimes shaved hair and big wigs were in fashion. Sometimes people plucked their eyebrows. Sometimes they didn’t. It’s impossible to tell any more than that, except that people were always people and who could resist a good show-off at the occasional festival? No one.
Personal hygiene
People bathed every day, usually in the canals, or at home from a well. If they lived close to the river, they could go there too as a social occasion. They used natron soap, or a soap bar made from clay and fat. In wealthier households, they had bathrooms, or sometimes even entire pools for bathing and chatting, where they could wash and sit in heated water.
For toothpaste, they used something resembling baking soda (I’m not sure about the translation of this one).
Everyone loved creams and body oils as well. They used them for both sun protection and skincare, and they had a great variety of them with different scents and purposes.
Makeup and perfumes
Everyone, regardless of age or gender could wear makeup. They used khol mixed with different minerals around the eyes, in the Horus-eye fashion where a line is pulled from the corner of the eye towards the ear. They also painted their eyelashes and eyebrows.
Makeup wasn’t only used for beauty either. Most often they had ingredients that had anti-bacterial and anti-fungal qualities, so for example the eyeliner was good against catching eye infections.
They had mineral powders for the cheeks as well, and all kinds of face creams. Some of them functioned both as skincare and makeup when they mixed them with crushed up mineral or gemstone powders to make them shimmer in the light.
Fun fact, Narmer is for example slightly allergic to his golden royal makeup that he wears during ceremonies and official events.
Everyone loved perfumes too. Peasants and the highest aristocrats all wore them. Smelling nice was a basic courtesy towards society. (It still should be.) They used different oils for this. They put them on clothes, their skin, their hands after eating, inside their houses. Sometimes they dropped scented oils on pillows for better sleep or a more passionate sex life. Or both. Priests used essential oils inside temples for disinfection and also just to make the temples smell nice.
The most expensive perfumes were imported from abroad, from as far as India. Ahmose wears super expensive perfumes for example. Qenna likes them too. Narmer prefers simpler ones. Tabiry likes flowery scents and she uses rose water and jasmine oil on her face, hair, and clothes.
Clothing of royalty and priests
Pharaohs had several symbols and clothes that were exclusive to them. The nemes, for example, the gold-blue striped headcloth could only be worn by the king. This one had two lapels on the sides, running down the shoulders and on the chest. You can see this one on pharaoh sarcofaguses. The symbol of a standing cobra on the forehead was also a royal symbol.
The king was also the only one who had the right to hold a staff with a hook on the end, because this was a divine symbol as well. The hooked staff and the whip were both symbols of power.
During official events and ceremonies, the king would wear the double-crown of Egypt. This was made from two parts that symbolized the unity between Upper and Lower Egypt.
When the king went to war, he wore a blue helmet with the royal cobra on it.
Royal princesses and queens often wore diadems instead of crowns, especially for occasions. These could be made in all kinds of shapes and sizes. The Queen Consort also had a headpiece that was the symbol of her power, which was made in the shape of a vulture.
Wearing animal furs was the privilage of priests.
Comments
Ásgeir Þorbergsson
Great post! The images really help bringing it to life, the more things change the more they stay the same and it seems true about fashion throughout the ages.
