What did people wear in ancient Egypt?

Answer 1

For centuries Egyptian culture has been a source of inspiration for art and architecture. This is also true of Egyptian dress. When we think of ancient Egyptian clothes many of us conjure images of the stunning elaborate costumes from classic Hollywood movies such as Cleopatra. This lavish guise overshadows the simplicity of the white linen schenti (a man's loincloth or kilt), and the kalasiris a long close-fitting sheath dress worn by women.
The dry, hot climate and the environmental conditions at many burial sites have helped to preserve clothing, bracelets and artefacts that historians use to study Egyptian clothes and lifestyle.
Clothing changed little throughout the history of ancient Egypt. When new garments and styles were introduced, they were worn alongside the ancient ones. In the early days garments were simple and roughly triangular in shape. Because of the extreme heat, clothes were roomy, light and spare. Complete nakedness for an elite Egyptian was not acceptable, only children, slaves and peasants could go about naked. Such an Egyptian would not raise an eyebrow at the sight of thousands of naked slaves working on the construction of a monument but would upbraid one of their own for showing too much flesh.
It was quite permissible for both men and women to keep the upper body bare, although women covered themselves more than men. The proportions of clothing lines were similar, though the female dress had a higher waistline, whilst male clothing emphasised the hips. As in later ages women's clothing was far more restrictive than that worn by men, perhaps an indication that men had a more active lifestyle.
Clothes reflected the well defined hierarchical nature of Egyptian society. It distinguished social rank. The quality of cloth denoted your position in the pecking order. The higher a person's rank, the better the cloth he or she wore. The Pharaoh's kilt was made of the finest linen, possibly embroidered with gold, whereas the commoner's schenti or kalasiris was made of linen of a poorer quality.