Category:Apparel

---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Apparel - In Old Testament times the distinction between male and female attire was not very marked. The statute forbidding men to wear female apparel (Deuteronomy 22:5) referred especially to ornaments and head-dresses. Both men and women wore (1.) an under garment or tunic, which was bound by a girdle. One who had only this tunic on was spoken of as "naked" (1 Samuel 19:24; Job 24:10; Isaiah 20:2). Those in high stations sometimes wore two tunics, the outer being called the "upper garment" (1 Samuel 15:27; 1 Samuel 18:4; 1 Samuel 24:5; Job 1:20). (2.) They wore in common an over-garment ("mantle," Isaiah 3:22; 1 Kings 19:13; 2 Kings 2:13), a loose and flowing robe. The folds of this upper garment could be formed into a lap (Ruth 3:15; Psalms 79:12; Proverbs 17:23; Luke 6:38). Generals of armies usually wore scarlet robes (Judges 8:26; Nahum 2:3). A form of conspicuous raiment is mentioned in Luke 20:46; compare Matthew 23:5. Priests alone wore trousers. Both men and women wore turbans. Kings and nobles usually had a store of costly garments for festive occasions (Isaiah 3:22; Zechariah 3:4) and for presents (Genesis 45:22; Esther 4:4; Esther 6:8, Esther 6:11; 1 Samuel 18:4; 2 Kings 5:5; 2 Kings 10:22). Prophets and ascetics wore coarse garments (Isaiah 20:2; Zechariah 13:4; Matthew 3:4).