What Kind of Clothes Do Australians Wear?
Modern Australians wear Western clothing, and local styles can be sorted into two categories — beachwear and bushwear. According to the Australian Government, outfits near the beach or coastal areas often consist of bathing suits or surf board shorts with printed shirts. However, in the bush, people tend to wear rugged clothes, felt hats and boots.
Traditionally, Aboriginal people wore very little, and their everyday outfits often consisted of nothing but a waist or arm band with a pouch for carrying small items. During ceremonies, they decorated themselves with body paint and pendants made of natural objects like sea shells, and many people wore bones in their noses.
The hot and arid climate has dictated a lot of the fashion trends in Australia, and due to the sun’s intense rays, hats are often worn by Australians. School children are required to wear sunhats as part of their school uniform, but they are also worn by adults. Cabbage palm hats, made from the leaves of the cabbage tree, are a uniquely Australian hat, and they look like straw hats.
Bushwear was designed as a result of the harsh conditions in the bush. As early as the 1930s, Australian women in the bush were wearing pants, and both men and women tended to wear tough cotton pants or moleskin jeans. Oilskin coats also became popular because they are waterproof while still being breathable.
