Egyptian cultural dress

Egyptian cultural dress is the clothes, shoes, jewelry, and other items of fashion common to the Egyptian people and recognizable as particularly representative of Egyptian culture.

## Pre-Ptolemaic[edit]

Ancient Egyptian dress can broadly be divided into types of tunics, robes, skirts, and shawls, typically made of linen. These were sometimes decorated with print, woven, and embroided patterns, though such decoration was more common on accessories.[1] Sewn garments began to appear in the Middle Kingdom. Children typically went unclothed.[2]

Ancient Egyptian men often wore a wrapped skirt or kilt called a shendyt or schenti, which came in various styles.[3] Loincloth of linen were also common, and a style of loincloth made of leather with slits cut into it to make the material readily expand was also used.[2]

Ancient Egyptian women often wore a type of sheath dress, which was idealized as quite tight in art. This dress varied in design from a tube of fabric that ended before the bust and was held up by straps, to a more modest T shaped tunic style. Women also sometimes wore a skirt and cape, particularly in combination with each other.[1] The length of one's skirt or cape was often an indication of status, as was the use of more fabric in garment production more generally.[2] Another form of dress was a long piece of fabric wrapped around the body to form a dress-like garment, similar to the wrapping of a sari or melaya leff.[1]

Both genders sometimes wore a loose caftan which would be draped in different ways with the aid of a belt or knots. Men sometimes wore this caftan loose and unbelted instead.[1] A surviving example of a belt that could be used in such a way is the Ramses Girdle, which has an intricate pattern that would likely have taken four months to weave.[4]

Garments worn by both genders tended to have a higher waistline defined for women, while men defined the waistline around the hips.[1]

Both genders wore makeup and jewelry. Earrings were not common in Egypt until the New Kingdom. Elaborate aprons made of beads or possibly decorated leather were typically worn by men of a high status, such as pharaohs.[1]

Sandals were worn by all classes of society, with the difference among classes being how the shoe was made and what materials were used. Open shoes were possibly introduced by the Hyksos, and closed leather shoes began to appear in the New Kingdom.[5]

## Post-Ptolemaic and Late Antiquity[edit]

Fashions began a marked change with increased Hellenic influence. The Greeks introduced woolen clothes into Egypt, which gradually became more popular than linen. Cotton fabrics also appeared in the 2nd century CE, likely due to trade with Meroe.[6]

The Roman's introduced their style of tunics with clavi and roundel decorations to Egypt, and not long after, sleeved tunics became generally popular.[6] These decorations were made with tapestry weave (also known as kabaty). This style of decoration remained popular in Egypt, and eventually influenced Chinese weavers.[7] Greek himations and Roman togas were also introduced. In the Coptic period, these styles remained popular.[8]

Garments were overall similar in structure, with gender differences coming from style. Women preferred longer tunics and closed shoes, while men wore shorter tunics and sandals, or did not wear shoes at all. Women were also more likely to wear clothes with a dyed base fabric, and typically covered their hair with their mantle, or sprang caps.[8]

## Medieval[edit]

Medieval Egyptian dress included a variety of turbans, coats, caftans, and tunics. The Fatimid period was particularly lavish in dress, with loose garments of high quality, highly decorated fabric.[9] Silk became particularly popular and refined in the Mamluk period, and often incorporated art motifs from further east.[10]

Caps and turbans were worn by most men, as it was improper to be in public without one. These came in a variety of forms, and could be the most expensive items a man wore.[11]

By the Mamluk period, nearly everyone wore trousers (sirwal) and a robe overtop, either a thob or a qamis. Sirwal could be full or knee length, with the latter being associated with the lower class.[11]

Women wore, in addition to these basic items, mantles, face veils, and scarves over their hair which were kept in place with fillets called 'isaba.[11]

One popular garment was the qaba, which came in two main varieties; the Turkish style (al-aqbiya al-turkiyya), and the Tatar (or Mongolian) style (al-aqbiya al-tatariyya or qabā' tatarī). The latter fastened on the wearer's right side, and was preferred by Mamluk amirs in its day over the former style, which was favored by the Seljuks and Ayyubids. Both varieties had a waist seam and sometimes had a pleated or gathered skirt, and fastened with buttons or strings. It was typically knee or calf length.[12] The Qaba likely belongs to a garment family which stems from the Mongolian terlig and includes the jama and tieli.[13] It is also possibly of Turkic origin.[14]

Fatimid jewelry was typically made of gold with filigree and granulation techniques. Enamel and niello were also popular techniques. Animals, palmettes, flowers, scrolls, crescents, and geometric patterns were popular in design, and were usually symmetrical.[15]

Fatimid Jewelry

## Modern[edit]

Egyptian men often wear a galabiya, and may wear a taqiya, sometimes with a turban. Egyptian men do not typically wear jewelry in the modern day, though they may wear prayer beads.

In the 17th century, the rural men's robe was made of coarse wool with wide sleeves and closed in the front. The urban man's, however, was made of fine wool, and was tight in the upper arm, but wide at the end.[16]

Typical middle and upper class Egyptian men's dress in the 19th century. Lower-class men of the 19th century.

Egyptian women's cultural dress is subject to more regional variation than men's. Most regions of Egypt have a local wrapper or mantle that women traditionally wear, such as the melaya leff.

The common clothing for 19th century Egyptian women included a yelek or entari (anteri), a close fitting caftan derived from Turkish dress of either floor, hip, or waist length, vests, a shift, a sash, baggy pants (shintiyan), and outer garments for going out in public. This was first adopted by Egyptian women in 1547.[16]

The yelek was a long caftan with a fitted body and skirts with long slashes that allowed the panels to be tucked upwards and revealed the pabts underneath. It had long sleeves that hung loose from the elbow and revealed the shift underneath. The entari was cut the same way, but shorter.[16]

The shift adopted from the Ottoman style was knee length, and the sleeves were often edged with lace or embroidery. It was usually white, and made in any fiber except wool. Shintiyan were worn over underpants and made roughly one and a half times the length of the wearer's leg, then folded under and tied at the knee to give a poofed out look. They were made from a variety of fabrics.[16]

One of the outer garments was the tob, thob, sebleh, or tob sebleh, which was a large, loose caftan with very wide sleeves. Such a garment being worn by rural women was first described in the 17th century. Mantles such as the melaya leff were also worn, as were face veils.[16]

Women's indoor shoes were typically slippers called mezz, and outdoor shoes were calf length boots called khuff.[16]

Women also wore headresses consisting of a cap and scarves wound around it, which jewelry was hung from.[16]

Amulets in Egypt often take the form of shoes, scorpions, and fish, as well as eyes, turtles, and hands. Amulets in the shape of swords are also used for pregnant women. Amulets which are, or are made to look like, containers are also popular, taking the form of small boxes or cylinders, and often called hegab. These made be made of leather or metal and may contain slips of paper with protective formulas written on them, though the metal ones are usually empty. They often have small bells called galagil attached. They may be worn on necklaces, tucked under the arm, or suspended from the head. In Lower Egypt they are often decorated with floral patterns and vertically divided galagil. In Upper Egypt, the patterns are usually geometric with horizontal galagil.[17]

Hegabs or hijabs, amuletic jewelry.

In jewelry making, the use of red and blue forms general trends, with red being more popular in Upper Egypt, the Red Sea Coast, and neighboring Sudan; while blue is more popular in Lower Egypt, Sinai, and neighboring Palestine.[17]

A 19th century Egyptian woman without her outer layers. Necklaces common in 1830s Egypt. Bracelet styles common in 1830s Egypt. Pendants worn in the hair, particularly in the safa hairstyle. a Diamond kurs, which was attached to the cap in a 19th-century lady's headdress Nose rings, now uncommon in Egypt. Simple anklets Various ornaments attached to the hair or to a woman's turban or headscarf. the Kussah and 'En'ebeh, jeweled fillets that attach to the hair or headdress. These are similar to the Algerian Khit errouh.

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f Houston, Mary G.; Hornblower, Florence S. Ancient Egyptian Assyrian and Persian Costumes And Decorations. pp. 1–41.
2. ^ a b c Vogelsang-Eastwood, Gillian. "Slow Fashion". rawi-publishing.com. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
3. ^ Tortora, Phyllis G. Survey of historic costume : a history of Western dress. p. 29.
4. ^ "Ramesses Girdle". National Museums Liverpool. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
5. ^ Veldmeijer, André J. "If The Shoe Fits". rawi-publishing.com. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
6. ^ a b Ntsal. "Keeping Up With The Alexandrians". rawi-publishing.com. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
7. ^ Salam, Mohamed Abdel. "Ambassadors of Style". rawi-publishing.com. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
8. ^ a b Hanna, Engy. "A Matter of Faith". rawi-publishing.com. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
9. ^ Sokoly, Jochen. "Fatamid Fancies". rawi-publishing.com. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
10. ^ Ellenger, Shireen. "Silk Splendor". rawi-publishing.com. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
11. ^ a b c Vogelsang-Engelwood, Gillian. "Turbans and Textiles". rawi-publishing.com. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
12. ^ Stillman, Yedida K. Arab dress: a short history; from the dawn of Islam to modern times.
13. ^ Cho, Woohyun; Yi, Jaeyoon; Kim, Jinyoung (2015-09-01). "The dress of the Mongol Empire: Genealogy and diaspora of the Terlig". Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae. 68 (3): 22–29. doi:10.1556/062.2015.68.3.2. ISSN 0001-6446.
14. ^ Flood, Finbarr Barry. "A Turk in the Dukhang? Comparative Perspectives on Elite Dress in Medieval Ladakh and the Caucasus". `{{cite journal}}`: Cite journal requires `|journal=` (help)
15. ^ Tolba, Dina. "Echoes From The Past". rawi-publishing.com. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
16. ^ a b c d e f g Krody, Sumru. "Foreign Fashion". rawi-publishing.com. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
17. ^ a b Van Roode, Sigird. "Of Shoes and Daggers". rawi-publishing.com. Retrieved 2024-06-26.