Overview
Amid postwar prosperity and multiculturalism, Australian dress added its own outdoor style to the Western mainstream.
Key garments and style
From the strong sun and a life by the sea, surfwear, boardshorts and sun hats became everyday wear. From rural tradition, practical dress became a national style — the felt akubra hat, the oilskin Driza-Bone coat, R.M. Williams boots. Multicultural migrants and Australian designers enriched dress, and Indigenous art and design live within it.
Transition
Modern Australian dress keeps its relaxed, outdoor and beach-rooted character within global fashion.