The kalasiris was a distinctive ancient Egyptian dress.

It was a long linen dress, typically reaching down the leg between mid-calf and ankle length. In its earliest form, the kalasiris was a very close-fitting tube dress, sewn at the side, held up by two straps attached behind the neck. The straps came together at the front and the breasts were exposed. Other versions of the dress had a single strap that went over one shoulder but were still nearly formfitting. Later on, however, the dress was extended further up to cover the breasts. The typical kalasiris was white, but can be dyed into other colors, and often were adorned with detailed patterns. Wealthy women wore kalasirises of finely woven fabric, some so thin that the dresses became transparent. Kalasirises typically extended down the leg to between mid-calf and ankle length.

Costume historians state that the depictions of the kalasiris most likely were idealized images, not accurate pictures of real dresses, as to tailor such close-fitting garments would have required great skill.

See also

• clothing
• dress
• long_dress
• egyptian_clothing
• kalasiris
• shendyt