Fashion in the Age of European Exploration

Published: July 28, 2026 · Updated: July 28, 2026

In the age of European exploration, Dutch and then British navigators reached the coast of the continent; they wore the dress of their own time — 17th- and 18th-century Western clothing — and first met Indigenous dress.

Fashion in the Age of European Exploration — Author: Nathaniel Dance-Holland — Captain James Cook (1775) Public domain Source

Overview

From 1606, European explorers touched the coast intermittently, but there was no settlement yet.

Key garments and style

Dutch navigators, and later British explorers such as James Cook, appeared in the European clothing of their day — coats, breeches and hats. Encounters with Indigenous peoples were brief, and the mingling of dress was still slight.

Transition

When Britain founded a colony in 1788, Western dress was brought to the continent in earnest.

History of this period

European exploration 1606–1788