We are preparing a series of pages on national clothing styles. We now have over 70 countries listed in our country section. Most have a linked page with at least some basic information on clothing in that country. We have developed detailed information for several mostly European counties and the United States. Many of the country pages, however, are just being sketched out at this time. So don't expect too much yet. We have a lot of other pages to do, so it will be a while before we can focus on all the countries on our list. Of corse here we need your assisatnce. HBC does not have the capability to visit or even reserach all of these countries. Do let us know if you have any text or images to contribute about your country. We are interested in adding information about every different countries around the world. The current Euro-centric focus of HBC is because European readers have been the most willing to contribute information. We have tried to create a page for each country, even if only limited information is available. This provides a location for collecting information. We hope that our readers will contribute insights into fashion trends in their own countries. HBC has collected information on more than individual countries. The information on most of these countries still sketchy. We have, however, succeeded in collecting quite detailed infornation on America and several European countries.
Australian clothing styles were largely influenced by English styles. Australian boys wore short pants and knee socks, some times even to 15 or 16, sometimes older if their school required a short pants uniform. Gradually Australians have developed their own styles. Clothes are much more casual in New Zealand. School uniforms are still required at many schools, but more casual styles than in England. Since the 1970s jeans have become very popular with young people.
Germany proclaimed a protectorate over what at the time was called the New Britain Archipelago (1884). It was subsequently renamed the Bismarck Archipelago. The two principal islsands were New Britain and New Ireland whicvh the Germans also renamed. The Archipelao was located just to the north of the Solomon Islands. The Allies seized the islands during World War I. After Pearl Harbor, a string force of the Japanese attacked the islands, first bombing Rabaul fron Truk. Rabaul at the eastern tip of New Britain was the principal port in the Archipelago (January 1942). A substatial force of Japanese marines occupied both New Britain and New Ireland and smaller associated islands. The Allied campaign in the South Pacific Operation Cartwheel) centered on surounding and cutting off Rabaul. After the War, New Britain ad New Ireland became were eventually incorporated into Papua New Guina.
The Cook Island archepelago consists of fifteen small islands located in the South Pacific northeast of New Zealand. The different Cook Islands first was united as the Kingdom of Rarotonga (1858). Britain estanlished a protectorate and created a federal parliament (1888). A New Zealand began to become a more independent Dominion, Britain transfrred authority for the Cook Islands (1901). The Islands were beyond the area conquered by the Japanese in World War II and thus escaped the damage expeienced by other South Pacific islands. The Cook Islands today are a self-governing parliamentary democracy, freely associated with New Zealand. We do not yet have a Cook Island page, but we do have a Cook Island school page.
Fiji is a group of volcanic islands in the South Pacific lying between Vanuatu and Samoa. The principal island is Viti Levu. Melanesian and Polynesian peoples settled the Fijian islands about 1,500 BC. European traders and missionaries reached Fiji in the early 19th century. Conflicts led to wars among the native Fijian confederacies. Cakobau, a Ratu (chief), became the dominant force in the western islands (1850s). Continued conflict and unrest, however, convinced him and a convention of chiefs to accept British rule (1874). Under British rule, the countryside was pacified. Plantation agriculture was introduced and indentured workers were brought in from India. Traditional institutions, especially the system of communal land ownership, were maintained. A constitutional conference in London agreed that Fiji should become a fully sovereign and independent nation within the Commonwealth. Fiji became independent (1970). We do not yet have a Fiji page, but we do have a Fiji school page.
Indonesia has had a turbulent history. The people were first influenced by Indian culture and the then Islamic traders. Finally the Portugese and Dutch reached the islands and colonized them. Thus clothing and fashion have been influenced by many different cultural traditions. The Dutch East Indies were the Netherland's most important colony. The oil of the islands was the major objective of the Japanese military attack on Pearl Harbor. Indonesia after World War II achieved its independence after a short war of independence. Inonesia like Malaysia is a largely Islamic country , in fact the most populace Islamic country. There are also important religious and ethnic minorities. Differences in dress among these groups, however, seems much less pronounced than in Malaysia.
Kiribati was a British colony know as the Gilbert Islands. British Captain Thomas Gilbert sighted the islands (1788). The Japanese seized the Islands after Pearl Harbor and the Islands were the scene of a savage battle when the United States launched the Central Pacific campaign in the Gilberts. The caranage at Tarawa shocked Americans. The Gilbert and Ellice Islands gained self-rule (1971). They separated and were granted internal self-government (1975). Ellice Islands became the independent nation of Tuvalu (1978) The Gilbert Islands became independent as Kiribati (1979). The indigenous Gilbertese language name for the Gilbert Islands proper is "Tungaru". The new island state chose the name "Kiribati"--the Gilbertese pronunciation of "Gilberts" to acknowledge the inclusion of Banaba, the Line Islands, and the Phoenix Islands, which were never considered part of the Gilberts chain. We do not yet have a Kiribati page. We do have a Kiribati schools page.
New Caledonian is a French island group northeast of Austalia. It is peopled by French settlers (some relted to convicts transported to the island) and the idigenous Melanesian people, called Kanaks. The French annexthe island (1853). We do not yet have a page on the island. We do have some history pages on French colonial rule and the island's role in World War II. We also have a page on French colonial schools. There is liitle to say about the clothes the indigenous people wore. In the hot tropical climate, children rarely wore any clothing at all. Missionries when they arrive insisted that the natives wear at least some clothing. Today boys wear European-styled clothing suitable for tropical climate.
The Marianas islands are the most northerly part of the Micronesia island groups. The wee part of the Spanish colonial Empire. The Spanish sold most of the islands to the Germans. The United States seized Guam in the Spanish-American War (1898). The Japanese seized the Islands from Germany during World War I and the League of Nations awarded the Japanese a trusteeeship. The Islands were the scene of a bitterly fought World War II fighting. The Japanese deployed the Imperial Fleet in an effort to stop the American landings. The American victory provided bases to begin an air campaign against the Japanese Home Islands. The current government of the Marianas is under a different jurisdiction from most of the rest of Micronesia which now consist of several independent countries. The Marianas Islands consiust of two U.S. jurisdictions: the territory of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
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New Zealand was settled by the Maori people. Europeans began arriving in the mid-19th century and after a series of war with the Maoris seized control. Most of the original settlers were British and the islands was eventually annexed by the British. The Maori today are a substantial minority along with Pacific islanders. New Zealand boys essentially dressed in British styles with some concessions to the local climate until after World War II. The major difference until after the War was that New Zealand boys commonly went barefoot in the milder New Zealand climate. Gradually more casual fashions became more accepted both at school and at home. Since the 1970s, American fashions have become increasingly important.
Papua New Guina is the eastern half of the island of New Guinea. This is the second largest island in the world. The central core od the island has a rugged mountenous spine, the Own Stanley Mountains. The population includes Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, and Polynesian peoples. Britain and New Guina in the final era of colonial expansion divided eastern New Guina between Germany which received the the northern sector and Britain which received the southern sector (1885). Britain transferred responsibility for its sector to Australia in (1902). Substantial areas of the island well into the 20th century remained largely unexplored. Australian forces occupied the German sector during World War I (1914-18) and in the peace settlement the Germans lost all of their Pacific colonial posssions, some of which were transferred to Japan. Australia retained resonsibility for the former German northern sector which was united with the southern sector. New Guinea was the scene of bitter fighting during the Pacific War (1941-45). Japan seized the norther sector (1942), but after a series of stunning victories, a Japanese naval taskforce heading to seize Port Moresby in the south was turned back by the U.S. Navy at the Coral Sea (May 1942). Heavy fighting continued on the island throughout 1942 and 43. Australia continued to administer Papua New Guinea after the War until independence (1975). A number of islands to the east are part of New Guinea. Bougainville, another World War II battlefield, is one of those islands. A secessionist revolt (1988-97) resulted in the loss of 20,000 lives.
A Filipina (this is the Tagalog spelling and there's no English one) reader tells us that clothing styles have been affected by the Spanish which ruled the islands for three centuries. Traditional clothing for boys was baro and for girls saya. America which seized the Philippines from Spain (1898) also influenced fashion. The Japanese which occupied the country (1942-45) during World war II had less influence. The Philippines became independent after the War (1948). Our Filipina
reader writes, "Currently we wear what Americans wear. But I have to admit I believe that we are more modest than the Americans because we are more concious about how much skin we show, due to our religion. Also the climate is very warm and sometimes very rainy, we wear what suits the climate.
While we do not yet have a Philippines page, we do have a page on First Communion. We also have pages on
Filipino school uniforms and Filipino Scouts.
Pitcairn Island may be among the most isolated places on earth. Pitcairn is the Pacific island where in 1790 the Bounty's mutineers landed. Fletcher Christian led the mutineers to this remote island, was a son of the Coroner of Cumberland and of Manx descent on his father's side. He is still remembered as the founder and first leader of the settlement. By 1800 John Adams was the only male survivor of the party that had landed just 10 years before. The community was made up of ten Polynesian women and twenty-three children.
In 1808 the little colony was discovered by Captain Mayhew Folger, an American sealing captain, but his visit was brief. The HMS Briton and Tagus rediscovered the settlement 6 years later on September 17, 1814. All the Pitcairn inhabitants joined Seventh Day Adventist Church (1887).
The Solomons located just east of New Guinea were virtually unknown before World War II. They are a twin chain of volcanic islands streaching 900 miles in a parallel arangement north and south. The water area between the two chains came to be called the Slot. The volcanic islands are mounatenous and heavily covered with tropical vegetation. There are also small coral atols. There are about 1,000 islands and atolls. The population is primarily Melanesian (93 percent. The remainder is Polynesian, Micronesian, and other. Most of the population is Christian, divided into many different demominations: Anglican (Archdiocese of Melanesia), Roman Catholic, South Sea Evangelical, United Church (Methodist), Seventh-day Adventist. The principsal language is English in part because a common lsngusge was needed. There are many vernacular languageds, including Solomon Islands pidgin.
The major islands include the British Protectorates of Guadacanal, Malaita, New Georgia, Santa Cruz Isles (group), Choiseul, Santa Isabel, San Cristobal, and Shortland. The Santa Cruz Islands are an outlier, well to the eadt of the rest of the Sollomons. Bougainville and Buka in the north were administered by Australia as a part of the New Guinea Mandate. The main exports were copra and timber. The Solomons had few resources. What they did have was a strategic location. As a result, some of the critical battles of the Pacific War were fought in the Sollomons.
Vanuatu before independence was a French-British "Condiminium" known as the New Heberdies. There were both British and French settlers with the French predominating. During World War II, The New Hebredes were an important supply and stagiung area for the Allied South Pacific offesive talong Guadacanal and the rest of the Solomons.
An independence movement gained strength (1970s). The islands became indeopendent as the Republic of Vanuatu (1980). The population is lsargely rural, although Port Vila and Luganville have grown in population. The Vanuatu population (Ni-Vanuatu) are mostly Melanesian with a few Europeans, Asians and other Pacific islanders. We do not yet have a page on Vanuatu, but we do have a schools page.
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