Fashion history of Egypt

Published: July 28, 2026 · Updated: July 28, 2026

Egyptian dress centred on white linen suited to the hot climate: the men's kilt (shendyt) and the women's close sheath dress (kalasiris), set off by broad collars, wigs and eye paint. Greek, Roman and Islamic dress later layered over it.

Fashion history of Egypt — Author: Tomb of Nebamun (New Kingdom) Public domain Source

Overview

Across three millennia of pharaonic rule the plain frame of a white linen kilt and sheath dress was kept, with fineness, pleating and jewellery marking rank.

The story of dress

After fine, pleated linen reached its height in the New Kingdom, dress moved through Ptolemaic Greek styles, the Fayum look of Roman Egypt, and the robes and turbans of the Islamic era; in modern times the galabeya and Western clothing coexist.

Periods

Fashion in Predynastic Egypt c. 6000–c. 3100 BC
Fashion in the Early Dynastic Period c. 3100–c. 2686 BC
Fashion in the Old Kingdom c. 2686–c. 2181 BC
Fashion in the First Intermediate Period c. 2181–c. 2055 BC
Fashion in the Middle Kingdom c. 2055–c. 1650 BC
Fashion in the Second Intermediate Period c. 1650–c. 1550 BC
Fashion in the New Kingdom c. 1550–c. 1069 BC
Fashion in the Third Intermediate Period c. 1069–664 BC
Fashion in the Late Period 664–332 BC
Fashion in Ptolemaic Egypt 332–30 BC
Fashion in Roman Egypt 30 BC–AD 641
Fashion in Early Islamic Egypt 641–1250
Fashion in the Mamluk Sultanate 1250–1517
Fashion in Ottoman Egypt 1517–1805
Fashion in the Muhammad Ali dynasty 1805–1882
Fashion in Modern Egypt 1882–present