The Pharaonic era, with its rich history and captivating culture, continues to intrigue and inspire people worldwide. One aspect that has particularly captured the imagination is the attire and beauty standards of Pharaonic women. From elaborate headdresses to intricately woven garments, the clothing of Pharaonic women reflected not just their fashion sense but also their societal status and cultural identity Ancient Egyptian women were known for their keen interest in beauty and fashion, using cosmetics, jewelry, and clothing to enhance their appearance. They adorned themselves with intricate jewelry made from precious metals and stones, and their clothing was often made from fine linen, with colors and styles varying depending on their social status and the occasion.
As Christian Desroches Noblecourt mentioned in his book The Pharaonic Woman that the ancient Egyptian woman was concerned with styling her hair and elegant clothes. With the passage of time, the styles and shapes of clothes and adornments changed in terms of materials and shapes. It was always an essential element in her adornment that the presence of flowers on her clothes or hair was always concerned with styling her hair, so she was They resort to manipulating its shape in the form of braided or wavy strands. The style of hair has differed according to different historical eras.
And the social classes varied. In some eras, wigs surrounded the faces in the form of a short clump, and ribbons and flowers complemented this adornment, but with development and with time this changed, and braids remained present, and the forms of clothing changed from time to time from open clothes to modest clothes, and simple slippers were tied with Short thongs were worn by the most affluent and affluent women during the New Kingdom. The use of such sandals became common in the Ramesside الرعامسة) ) era. Their shape became characterized by an upward front, according to the jizum ( الجيزوم) style. They were made of white leather, and colored leather or even some gold may be added to them to decorate them after plastering.
In recent years, there has been a noticeable trend among female artists and public figures in Egypt to reclaim this ancient heritage, particularly in the way they dress. Influential women and there has been a resurgence of interest in Pharaonic fashion, with female artists and influencers embracing this ancient style and incorporating it into their modern wardrobes. Leading this movement are figures like Sawsan Badr, Nelly Karim, Basma, and Yousra have been seen donning modern interpretations of Pharaonic attire, paying homage to the rich history of their ancestors, who have not only embraced Pharaonic fashion but have also become ambassadors for this cultural revival.
The writer Tahia Kamel Hussein mentioned in her book Egyptian Fashion from the Pharaohs to the Era of Muhammad Ali, that Because the Egyptian woman was beautiful, she was keen to add more aesthetic touches, using cosmetics that were almost no different from what is produced by major contemporary cosmetic companies, wearing elegant clothes, and adorning herself with all kinds of jewelry.
Through a group of pictures, it clearly shows the extent of the Egyptian woman’s interest in her elegance and her care in choosing models and designs that highlight the charms of her body.
The fashion of pleated pleats is common in most fashions. Women used the skirt in its simplest form, and primitive and delicate women in particular. It consists of a straight piece of cloth fastened with a ribbon that is wrapped around the middle one or more times. One end hangs from the front below the knee. A cover for the shoulders is worn with this garment. A cape is a piece. Another straight piece of cloth is placed on the shoulders from the back, its end dangles, and its ends hang over the chest. It is knotted and then decorated with a collar (which is the jewelry that adorns the ancient Egyptian costume. It extends from the neck to the shoulders and chest. It was made with beads of different shapes, arranged in special wires in different beautiful shapes. These beads are It is made of painted ceramics, semi-fat stones, or gold. You may see some colors of black and white beads) and the rest of the body is left naked.
The dress design is considered the elegance of the design, coordination, and patterning of the outfit in length and width, and includes the key of life, the Ankh, among the accessory pieces on the hand, chest, and heels. Another outfit is considered the pinnacle of richness and elegance, and it is noted in it the elegant diversification in the directions of the trimmings in the cloth worn by the god Mut, and in her hand is the key of life, the Ankh. An ostrich feather in the other hand
The diversity of the shapes of the robe for women. In the latter part of the Eighteenth Dynasty, another wide garment appeared, rarely found before that time, covering the shoulders, chest, and upper part of the arms. It consists of a piece of cloth twice as wide as the person’s height. The cloth is folded in half and an opening is left in it at the neck, as in men’s costume, and it is closed. The sides are sewn, and sometimes left open. Then the two ends of the robe are joined on both sides and tied with a thin ribbon hanging from the front, leaving the back without folds, or the ends of the two sides are tied with a knot directly under the chest.
This resurgence of interest in Pharaonic fashion can be seen as a form of cultural reclamation, as these artists seek to revive and celebrate a part of their heritage that has long been overshadowed by more contemporary influences. Through their choice of clothing, they are not only making a fashion statement but also asserting a sense of pride in their identity and history.
The interest of Egyptians in their ancient Egyptian culture did not lie only in the artists and their appearance in Pharaonic clothes, but it also extended to students in universities, as the graduation ceremony of the 32nd batch in Minya Medicine for the year 2021 witnessed all the graduates, women and men, wearing Pharaonic clothes and photographing them as a photo shoot for the graduation ceremony. It was a new, impressive, and unusual idea and Out of the ordinary.
