Culture of Australia - Clothing and Apparel

Clothing and Apparel

Australia has no official designated national dress, but iconic local styles include bushwear and surfwear. Australian designers and models also feature at international creative glamour fashion industry gatherings. The country's best-known fashion event is Australian Fashion Week, a twice yearly industry gathering showcasing the latest seasonal collections from Australian and Asia Pacific Designers. Top Australian models include Elle Macpherson, Lara Bingle and Jennifer Hawkins (Miss Universe 2004).

Major examples of clothing brands associated with bushwear are the broad brimmed Akubra hats and R.M. Williams bushmen's outfitters (featuring in particular: moleskin trousers, riding boots and merino woolwear). Blundstone Footwear and Country Road are also linked to this tradition. The cork hat is a type of headgear strongly associated with Australia, and comprises cork strung from the brim, to ward off insects. It is traditionally worn by jackaroos and swagmen in the blow-fly infested Australian outback. Movement of the head causes the corks to swing, discouraging insects from swarming around the wearer's head. At the 2007 APEC Summit in Sydney and the 2009 Pacific Islands Forum in Cairns, the gathered world leaders were clothed in Australian bushwear: Driza-Bone jackets and R.M. Williams respectively. Driza-Bone coats were also worn by the stockmen and the music band at the 2000 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Sydney. Medal presenters during the 2000 Summer Olympic Games also wore Driza-Bone coats.

Famous surfwear labels include Billabong, Rip Curl, Mambo and Quiksilver, which are sold and recognised around the world.

Ugg boots are unisex sheepskin boots, made of twin-faced sheepskin with fleece on the inside and with a tanned outer surface, often with a synthetic sole which were first developed in Australia or New Zealand. Traditionally worn for comfort and favoured by the working classes in Australia, since 2000 the boot style has experienced a world-wide growth in popularity as fashion.

The slouch hat was first worn by military forces in Australia in 1885, looped up on one side so that rifles could be held at the slope without damaging the brim. After federation, the slouch hat became standard Australian Army headgear in 1903 and since then it has developed into an important national symbol and is worn on ceremonial occasions by the Australian army.