Life in a mud-brick house beside the desert was hot. Egyptian clothes were made to keep people cool.
Key idea
People wore light, white clothes of linen. Many wore wigs, and both men and women lined their eyes with dark eye paint.
Why it works
Linen is made from the flax plant. It is thin and lets air through, perfect for hot days. Men usually wore a wrapped kilt, and women a long, close-fitting dress. Many people kept their hair very short or shaved and wore wigs on special days. Eye paint, called kohl, was made from crushed minerals; it may also have helped shade the eyes from the sun's glare.
Worked example: From plant to dress
Put in order: weave the linen cloth; grow the flax; sew a dress.
- First the flax plant must grow.
- Its fibers are spun into thread and woven into linen.
- Then the cloth is made into clothes.
Answer: Grow the flax, weave the linen, sew a dress.
Common mistake
Thinking only women wore eye paint. Men and women both did, and so did children sometimes. Look at almost any Egyptian painting: the dark lines around the eyes are on everyone.
Little children often wore nothing at all in the heat. Rich people wore jewelry: bead collars, bracelets and earrings.