The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-09-06
DRESS OF ANCIENT EGYPrIANS
The Softness and Harmony of the
Rainbow.

AAoAhDO"s
| Under the old empire in ancient Egypt
both queen and peasant wore, as a rule,
the same close-fitting robe, which
reached from the shoulder to the ankle
this was either supported by two straps
somewhat like the modern braces worn
by men, or it covered the shoulders and
Opened on the chest in V form, These
dresses were made of linen, sometimes
of an unbeached yellow hue, though
white was preferred as the coolest and
most cleanly.
When later the great conquests of the
Egyptians opened out the country to
foreign influences and customs, we find
a great change in the fashion of dress /;
Then 1t was that both men and women
began to wear the long transparent
robes, more decorative, perhaps, than
useful; these are found represented
most perfectly in the sculptures of
Abydos, though some of the casts from
the tombs of the kings at Thebes in the
British Museum give us very good
idea OF their beauty. The outer robe.
which covered the old close fitting gar
ment, descended in graceful folds to the
teet. IL was sometimes made without
sleeves, part of the dress hanging over
the shoulders and tied in front with
long bows; at other times the left arm
only was put through sleeve and tn.
| right arm lett free; or there might he
| lwo sleeves either almost close fitting to
| the arms or hanging down nearly as far
as the knees. These dresses were cana
ble of artistic drapIng. according to the
taste OF the individual but ALWAYS in the
case of the woman followed the beauti-
tul lines of her figure, and were never
forced, Ike some of the mems clothes i'm
ancient Egypt aud some of the modern
dresses OF our own country, to represent
an exaggerated shape which could be-
long TO human being. The dress simply
clothed the figure, the woman, too un-
conscious of her beauty to try to hide il.
allowed the long sweeping lines to be
seen, until the Greeks taught them those
beautiful elaborate folds of drapery
which win the admiration of the world
The material found IN such quantities in
the tOmbs Is never made up" into
dresses, partly because such dresses as
worn required little making, partly, per
haps, because the living friends and re-
Iations thought that the fashions might
alter 80 much in the course eff years that
t''C 'h'1 "hO "hS BOlle W lHe Hidden
Land would rather have her trousseau
in such form that she could use it rs she
liked. This material is always of linen,
generally toned by age to a beautiful
yellow or tawny brown. Notwith,
standing their love for white, we often
find the Egyptians represented their
goddesses or their deceased friends in
robes remarkable for the wealth of COL
oring lavished upon them. These dresses
are sometimes yellow, with red sashes
tied in front, the long ends reaching to
the bottom of the robe; sometimes red
covered with yellow stars; others are
embroidered in diamond patterns, with
pearls and precious stones, designs of
lotus or papyrus forming beautiful bor-
der at the top and bottom. This coloring
may seem to us crude and harsh, and |
indeed it is quite unsuied for our dull |
climate, but IN the atmosphere of Egypt |
the brilliance of the sunshine takes out |
all vivid colOring and blends il into the |
softness and harmony of a rainbow,