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Kalasiris Virus: Tracing the Fabric and Fashion Evolution of Ancient Egypt’s Most Renown Garment

 Copyright  Textile Fabric Consultants

       The fashion industry is renown for allowing history to repeat itself, over and over again.  Fabrics and fashions are recycled every twenty years in an attempt to create a new trend revolution, and capitalize on a new generation’s disposable dollar.  Invoking nostalgia for revenues has become popular practice in the textiles world, and few classic styles have been able to sustain the whirlwind change.  The kalasiris of ancient Egypt may be the only garment worn today that looks just as it did in 1000 B.C. 

        The kalasiris began as a simple garment for men and women.  It was a rectangular length of cotton or flax (linen) material, folded over to match the height of the wearer.  A slit was cut on top to create a neckline, and the side seams were sewn together from the armhole to the ankle. It was created for comfort and ease of movement, and protection from the harsh Egyptian sun.  The garment looked very much like  a modern sleeveless Japanese kimono.  The kalasiris evolved shortly after its inception, and became what we know it as today: a tight, form-fitting, chest to ankle-length dress that hugs every curve.

        Due to their strong reverence for nature, the Egyptians chose to wear figure-tracing garments.  The first kalasiris prototype was functional in that it served to protect the Egyptians from overbearing weather elements; the second kalasiris was both functional and decorative.  It offered the same type of protection as the first, yet it was far more lavish and beautiful.  

       The new kalasiris was made of finely woven sheer flax (linen).  Gold threads were sewn in when they were used in royal ceremonies.  The process of construction for the kalasiris is still unknown, and no one has been able to figure out how they incorporated gold thread into the fine weave of the fabric.  The often strapless, sometimes long-sleeved sheer garment was the precursor to all Greco-Roman fashions.  Kalsiric designs set  the standard for unisex adornment, body-conscious clothing, and finely woven, sheer fabrics. 

       The simple yet refined beauty of the kalasiris has woven its thread all through history.  A garment that began as a covering for the common worker became the covering of choice for royal courts for generations to come.  Then it became the basis for some of the most celebrated garments in history: the tunic and the toga.  The popularity of the slim kalasiric silhouette has dwindled at times, but it’s always been in view.  Every since its inception, it’s had a dominant influence on fashions and fabrics.

             The Medieval Period brought a looser version of the kalasiris; the design was the same, yet the silhouette was a little less constrictive and body-conscious.  The two-piece garment, known as the chainse and sorquenie, also stretched from neck to ankle.  These two spin offs of the kalasiris remained popular throughout the 1300 and 1400’s. 

 The Renaissance of the 1500 and 1600’s brought us the vaquero- a tight-fitting bodice attached to a slightly form-hugging skirt.  The bodice followed the same rules as the kalasiris by hugging the curves of the upper body, yet allowing room to perform daily activities. 

       The French Empire Period ushered in the first a-line version of the kalasiris; the snug top that flowed into a loose skirt allowed total freedom of movement.  The empire dress mirrored the kalasiris in fashion and fabric use.   The cut of the dress and the sheer woven fabric remained true to the Egyptian tradition.  The Empire Period of the 1700’s also brought us the chemise, a more figure-conscious version of the empire dress.  The chemise represented a truer depiction of the original kalasiris since it was worn in either a strapless or halter style, and was composed of cotton or flax (linen) fabric.  The chemise snugly traced the female frame just as its Egyptian predecessor had done centuries before. 

       The 1800’s brought the Leroy gown into prominence.  The figure-tracing Leroy gown also originated in France, yet had a more relaxed skirt than the chemise.  The French, modeling their design after the Egyptian tradition, began to weave gold and platinum thread into the sheer fabric of the gown.  The French saved the sparkling threads of their kalasiris-like garments for royal ceremonies, much like the Egyptians did in order to show reverence for their Kings and Pharos. 

        The design and fabric usage of the kalasiris was most popular during the 20^th century.  As women were allowed more freedom and equality as citizens, they were also allowed more freedom in how they chose to express themselves with clothing.  The 1920’s and 1930’s brought back a kalasiris revolution with Coco Chanel’s “little black dress.”  Although her skin-hugging designs were often constructed with black crepe de chine or white satin, the “little black dress” was the ancient Egyptian kalasiris in its most blatant form; this reinvention was the epitome of the Chanel name, and symbolized her at her best.

        The “little black dress” of the 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s evolved into the form-fitting, pencil-slim sheath of the 1950’s.  The sheath hugged every curve, from halter sleeves to floor-length skirt, and was designed to fit like a glove.  The sheath, like many other formal kalsiris style gowns of the decade, was composed of fabrics that reflected financial prosperity; silks, satins, and clinging crepes were the most popular fabrics in use at the time.  The knee length cocktail gowns of the 1960’s also replicated the opulence of the previous decade by using lavish fabrics to compliment their kalasiric style.  The first half of the 20^th century helped reestablish the kalasiris as a garment of class and distinction, and served as a precursor for the chic or classy styles that are evident today.

        The advent of the “little black dress” created an opening for all types of “little” dresses.  Kalasiric style has become more popular due to a greater appreciation of the human form.  Dresses have become shorter and tighter than the original, utilizing fabrics that further accentuate the form-fitting design.   

 The invention of spandex, increased employment of knitted fabrications and technologies, as well as a more risqué society has forged the way for a new kalasiris.

        The new kalasiris is not limited to the wealthy or the royal, but is the preferred garment for any woman who is willing to reveal her figure.  The kalasiris is treasured by Hollywood starlets in satin, hip-hop music divas in flax (linen) and Lurex, and society ladies in silk.  This garment has not only played a part in merging the styles of different cultures, but it has also forged a fabric revolution. 

        The fabrics used throughout history were often a reflection of the wealth, status, and position of the women who wore them; today, the fabrics used are just a manifestation of personal preference and figure type.  The kalasiris changed the way women perceived their bodies; the fabrics used in achieving this goal mirrored the direction the society was moving towards: wealth, success, failure, or achievement. 

        This garment has experienced an evolution since its origin, yet the foundation that the kalasiris was built on still stands.  The fabrics and fashion of this garment were made to be functional, yet decorative, and comfortable, yet body-conscious, and it has achieved all of the above.  This modern example of an ancient fabric tradition proves that history does not always repeat itself- sometimes history just lives on.

BIBLIOGRAPHY  

1.  Bigelow, Marybelle S. Fashion In History: Western Dress, Prehistoric to Present (Second Edition). Macmillan Publishing Company, New York, 1979.pp.19-35.

 2.  www.tqjunior.thinkquest.org (broken link)

 3.  www.uky.edu/AS/Classics/wardlect.html  

Copyright  Textile Fabric Consultants