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The best Cleopatra costume for women is our five-piece Womens Cleopatra Egyptian Costume: a jewel-belted dress, a jewelled collar, a cape, a beaded headpiece, and two wrist cuffs in one pack, sized UK 8 to 22. It is sized on height rather than dress size, and the only things you add are a wig and sandals.
Table of Contents
- Which Egyptian costume is best for you?
- What makes a Cleopatra costume flattering?
- What accessories make a Cleopatra costume look authentic?
- What does he wear to match?
- What is the best Egyptian costume for kids and school days?
- What did Cleopatra actually wear?
- How should Egyptian fancy dress fit?
- Frequently asked questions
Which Egyptian costume is best for you?
Six costumes cover the theme: a jewelled five-piece for her, a gold-caped pharaoh for him, and lighter sets for kids' parties and school Egyptian days. Pack contents, and the sizes live as we write this, are below.
| Costume | Best for | What's in the pack | UK sizes (live) | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Womens Cleopatra Egyptian Costume | Best overall for women | Jewel-belted dress, jewelled collar, cape, beaded headpiece, 2 wrist cuffs | 8 to 22 (S to XL) | £35.99 |
| Womens Queen of the Nile | The glam night-out cut | Off-shoulder mini-dress, gold-printed collar, arm cuffs with mesh drapes, gold headpiece | 12-14 and 20 to 30 | £35.99 |
| Womens Egyptian Pharaoh Queen | Widest size run, matches his pharaoh | Maxi dress, head scarf, neckpiece, arm cuffs with attached cape | 8 to 30, all sizes | £32.99 |
| Mens Egyptian Pharaoh | Him, and couples looks | Headdress, shirt, skirt, cape, arm cuffs, necklace | Chest 38 to 50in | £40.99 |
| Kids Egyptian Pharaoh | School Egyptian day | White top and trousers, striped headpiece, neck collar, belt, wrist cuffs | Ages 7 to 12 | £20.99 |
| Girls Pink Cleopatra | Girls' parties and dress-up days | Jewel-belted dress, pink cape, collar, beaded headpiece, 2 wrist cuffs | Age 4 to 6 | £26.99 |
Our call: the five-piece Womens Cleopatra is the best overall buy, and for UK 24 to 30 two picks deliver, with the Pharaoh Queen carrying the full 8 to 30 run. If Halloween is the occasion, our best Halloween costumes guide sets Cleopatra against the rest of this year's picks, and the full historical fancy dress range holds the rest of the theme.
What makes a Cleopatra costume flattering?
A Cleopatra costume flatters when the dress drapes instead of clinging and the belt marks the waist once, with the collar and headpiece pulling the eye up to the face. All the sparkle sits at the neckline, which is why the shape suits so many bodies. Our best Halloween costumes for women guide runs the same test across the catalogue.
1. Womens Cleopatra Egyptian Costume: the complete look in one box
The Womens Cleopatra Egyptian Costume wins on completeness. The blue-and-gold set holds all five pieces: a cream jewel-belted dress, a wide jewelled collar, sheer cape panels, a beaded headpiece, and two wrist cuffs. It runs S (UK 8-10) to XL (UK 20-22), sized on height, which is what keeps a long drape from pooling or riding short. £35.99.
2. Queen of the Nile: the night-out cut
The Womens Queen of the Nile Egyptian Costume swaps the long dress for a black-and-gold off-shoulder mini-dress, with a gold-printed collar, a gold headpiece, and arm cuffs trailing dark mesh drapes that move when you do. The 100% polyester is light and stretchy, so a short cut stays comfortable across a full night out. Sizes live today run M (UK 12-14) and XL to XXXL (UK 20 to 30). £35.99.
3. Egyptian Pharaoh Queen: every size from UK 8 to 30
The Womens Egyptian Pharaoh Queen Costume is the widest size run in our Egyptian range: all six sizes from S (UK 8-10) to XXXL (UK 28-30) are live as we write this. The black sleeveless maxi has side slits and gold trim, topped with a striped head scarf, a patterned neckpiece, and gold arm cuffs with an attached cape, so the drape follows your arms. It is also the one to choose if he is going as our men's pharaoh. £32.99.
What accessories make a Cleopatra costume look authentic?
Four accessories carry the Cleopatra look: a broad gold collar, a beaded or snake-detail headpiece, cuffs on both wrists, and a black bobbed wig. The collar is the historically real one, copying the wesekh broad collar worn by the ancient Egyptian elite; the Cleveland Museum of Art's beaded collar shows the form. The eye make-up is honest history too: a 2022 paper in Scientific Reports notes that 85 of 87 previously analysed ancient Egyptian kohls were lead-mineral based, worn for hygienic, therapeutic, and religious reasons. The winged liner is history, not invention.
The honest shopping list:
- In the pack: every set on this page includes its headpiece or head scarf, a collar or necklace, and wrist cuffs; the Cleopatra sets and the kids pharaoh add a belt or belted dress.
- Add yourself: a black blunt-bob wig with a fringe, black or gold eyeliner for the winged flick, and flat gold sandals; none of our packs includes footwear or a wig.
- Skip: plastic snakes and oversized sceptres. They end up on a table by the second hour, and the collar carries the look without them.
What does he wear to match?
He wears a pharaoh: our six-piece Mens Egyptian Pharaoh Costume pairs a striped headdress and gold cape with a shirt, skirt, arm cuffs, and necklace, sized in inches from 38 to 50. Cleopatra and pharaoh is the rare couples costume where nobody spends the night explaining who they are.
4. Mens Egyptian Pharaoh: the king's share of the outfit
The Mens Egyptian Pharaoh Costume is six pieces: a gold-and-black striped headdress, a shirt, a skirt with a gold-trimmed apron panel, a long gold cape, arm cuffs, and a necklace. The 100% polyester build is lightweight and stretchy, so a full-length cape stays wearable all night. Add your own sandals. Sizes run M (38-40in) to XXL (48-50in). £40.99.
For pairings beyond Egypt, our best couples Halloween costumes guide has the rest.
What is the best Egyptian costume for kids and school days?
The best Cleopatra costume for girls is our Girls Pink Cleopatra Costume, sized for ages 4 to 6. Its five-piece pack holds a jewel-belted dress, a pink cape, a jewelled collar, a beaded headpiece, and two wrist cuffs. For boys, or any child whose class is doing the ancient Egypt topic, the Kids Egyptian Pharaoh Costume covers ages 7 to 12. Both sets are 100% polyester a child can wear through a full school day, and the kids historical costumes range has the rest of the class covered.
5. Kids Egyptian Pharaoh: the school Egyptian day answer
The Kids Egyptian Pharaoh Costume is five pieces: white top and trousers, a striped headpiece, a decorative neck collar, a large adorned belt, and golden wrist cuffs. The white base layer is the clever bit for school: full costume with the headpiece on, ordinary clothes once the accessories come off for lessons. Sizes M (7-9 yrs) and L (10-12 yrs) are live now. £20.99.
6. Girls Pink Cleopatra: the queen of the dress-up box
The Girls Pink Cleopatra Costume is the women's five-piece scaled down: a jewel-belted dress, a flowing pink cape, a shimmering collar, a beaded headpiece, and two wrist cuffs. The pink sits in the cape and the jewels over a cream dress, so it photographs as royal rather than princess-pink. One size is live, S (age 4 to 6), so check the size chart before you order. £26.99.
What did Cleopatra actually wear?
The real Cleopatra dressed to be read two ways at once, as a Greek ruler and as an Egyptian queen, and the costume we all recognise owes more to a film set than to her wardrobe. Cleopatra VII ruled from 51 to 30 BCE as the last ruler of Egypt before Rome annexed it, a Macedonian Greek presenting herself in Egyptian royal style. The look on this page comes from 1963: Elizabeth Taylor wore a record-setting 65 costumes in the film Cleopatra, a production the New York Times reported was influencing virtually every division of the fashion industry. We copy that film's Cleopatra too, because she is the one people recognise on sight.
How should Egyptian fancy dress fit?
Egyptian fancy dress should be loose enough to drape and move, which means measuring rather than trusting a label. Our five-piece Cleopatra is sized on height, because on a long dress the drape matters more than the dress size; the men's pharaoh is sized in inches, 38 to 50. Every product page carries its own size chart, so a tape measure before you order saves a returns label after. Between sizes, go up: spare fabric drapes, a tight seam does not. On our side of it, every costume goes through over 30 measurement checks, and we run 500,000+ quality checks a year. Then there is the unglamorous part: hand wash only, never the machine, because a jewelled collar and gold trim are the first things a drum wrecks.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Cleopatra costume good for Halloween?
Yes, Cleopatra is a Halloween classic that reads instantly at a party, and it works just as well for themed nights, hen dos, and history dress-up days the rest of the year. One practical note: 57% of British Halloween shoppers only start looking a week before the night (YouGov, 2025), so ordering early beats the last-minute scramble.
What accessories make a Cleopatra costume look authentic?
A broad gold collar, a beaded headpiece, wrist cuffs, and a black bobbed wig do the authenticity work, with winged eyeliner as the finishing touch. Our Cleopatra sets include the collar, headpiece, and cuffs; you add the wig, the liner, and flat gold sandals.
What should my child wear for Egyptian day at school?
Our Kids Egyptian Pharaoh Costume (ages 7 to 12) is built for school Egyptian days: a white top and trousers base with a headpiece, collar, belt, and cuffs that come off for lessons. Younger children can wear the Girls Pink Cleopatra Costume, sized for ages 4 to 6.
Do your Egyptian costumes come with the headpiece?
Yes, every Egyptian costume on this page includes its headpiece or headdress in the pack, along with a collar or necklace and wrist cuffs. What is in the pack matches what the listing shows, which is our no unwanted surprises promise doing its job.
How do I wash a Cleopatra costume?
Hand wash only, in cool water, then dry flat away from direct heat or sunlight. Never machine wash these sets: the jewelled collars and beaded headpieces are what a drum ruins first. Store the collar and headpiece flat between wears so they hold their shape.
Pick your queen first, then work outwards: the historical fancy dress collection has the pharaoh and the kids covered. We make your best times better with costumes.
