You probably don’t wear headdresses regularly; it probably doesn’t hold too much significance. Back in ancient Egypt it was a different story. Headdresses represented class, region, and power.
Colour was one important characteristic of a headdress. A red crown was worn by pharaohs who ruled lower Egypt, Blue ruled upper Egypt and a red and blue crown ruled both. The material and design also said a lot in the headdress world of Egypt. Blue crowns molded of leather with gold sequins and a Uraeus on the center was a headdress worn by those with military power.
Animal characteristics were commonly the center of these ancient fashion accessories. A Nemes Headdress had a long lion tail the hanged down the center back; worn by rulers from the old to the new kingdom. Queens and Goddesses wore falcon headdresses. These headdresses had wings along the side of the head and the birds head sitting on top of the woman’s head.
For a little bit of lighter wear, headbands were worn by royalty that had a cobra coming out the front. “The lock of youth” was a simple headband that wrapped around the head of royal children. The Hemhemet crown was the opposite of lighter wear. It was a huge head piece worn for ceremonial occasions. This headdress was only worn rarely as it was very tall and heavy, making it an awkward piece to wear.
Though Egyptian headdresses aren’t a common piece in most wardrobes these days, there are certain pieces of fashion that similarly represent power. A suit and tie for example, represent a sense of professional hierarchy in the modern world much like the Egyptian headdress. Headdresses may have lost their flare over the years, but once upon an ancient Egypt time, they were quite the significant fashion statement.
References
Tortora, Phyllis G., and Sara B. Marcketti. Survey of Historic Costume. Fairchild Books, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Inc., 2015. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat02755a&AN=cul.b1033120&site=eds-live&scope=site
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