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Tartan RibbonThe Ancient Egyptian Kilt
The Scottish were not the only individuals to wear a kilt, ancient Egyptian men often wore short skirts of the same name. This was typical throughout the Old and Middle kingdoms.
The Kilt was the perfect answer for the Egyptian problem of finding something cool to wear in the desert. The Ancient Egytian had to work outside all day in the sun and that would get pretty hot! There is research that says the design of the kilt was perfect to eliminate chafing in the hot and humid weather.
The Weaving of Linen
Linen was a nice cool fabric that Egyptians wove from flax plant fibres. This was made from soacking the flax plant stems in water until only the fibres remain. The fibres were then combed into fine strands then spun into string. This string was then woven into linen.If you take a look at the type of clothing materials that the Ancient Egyptians made their clothes from, you will find that it is not that much different from the clothing of today. A variety of textured linens were used to create the clothing, such as coarse and fine textures.
A Kilt That Doesn't Leave Much To The Imagination
The linen woven for the kilt would have been quite transparent, but as ancient Egyptian art tells us the human form was embraced rather than hidden. The transparancy of the Kilts are shown in some of the paintings.
The Varied Styles of The Egyptian Kilt
The Kilt or loincloth was held up be either being tied with a knot or a belt was used. The style of kilts was varied, ranging from very simple loin cloths that were tied through the legs to extremely elaboratly decorated kilts which were heavily pleated. Younger men tended to wear short kilts and loin cloths while older men wore longer kilts. Egytian boys didn't wear clothing and went naked until adolesense.
During the period of the New Kingdom, noblemen added a long robe that was placed over his kilt. The women during this time placed a shawl over their long pleated dresses. Members of the royal family dressed differently than the people they ruled over. Some of the kings and queens during ancient times were dressed in ceremonials garb with a lot of decoration, such as sequins and feathers. On their feet, ancient Egyptians often walked about barefoot; sandals were worn during special engagements with the king possessing the most decorated of them all. It was not uncommon to see the king wear gloves as well. The way the ancient Egyptians designed their clothing was meant to provide comfort during the dry climate.
The wealthy people both men and women wore long see-through robes that were pleated. Noblemen would sometimes wear a long robe over his kilt, while the women wore long pleated dresses with a shawl. Some kings and queens wore decorative ceremonial clothing with feathers. Wealthy people wore sandals made of leather that had straps across the instep and between the first and second toes.
The Shendjyt Kilt
Picured here is a statue representing Tutankhamon standing in the classic Egyptian pose wearing what historians call a shendjyt kilt. He has a dagger with a falcon-headed handle under his belt.
The Egyptian Kilt Today