Most fashion history students know of the ‘Egyptomania’ that inspired fashionable dress following the opening of King Tut’s tomb in November 1922 (Mendes & de la Haye, 1999). This paper explores the ways in which the discovery of the young king’s tomb eased anxieties about societal pressures of the time, as well as promoted “original” American design, not dependent upon Paris. Data for this study included analysis of the popular (The New York Times), trade (Women’s Wear), and fashion (Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar) press.