Figure 1.--Auistralians are well known for their love of outsoor activities and beach asctivitities. Thus swimwear is an important item. Here is a beachwear offered in a 2009 catalog. . |
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We note some Australian catalogs in the 1900s, but surely there were earlier ones. The fashions illustrated in the 1900s looked very similar to English clothing, despite the difference in climates. The basic difference was that it was more common for Australian boys to o barefoot, but this does not seem to have been reflected in the store catalogs. After World war I we note boy's clothing becoming more casual, better atuned to Australian climatic conditions. After World War II we see a greater American influence. There are many sporty styles in the 1980s, including outfits for skate boarding. Sun Safe clothes appear in the 1990s. School uniforms are a perenial feature of Austrlian catalogs. Catalogs in th 2000s shown Sun Safe uniform styles. Our archive of Australian catalogs is very limited at this time. We do note some school uniform ads in school publications.
We note some Australian catalogs in the 1900s, but surely there were earlier ones. The fashions illustrated in the 1900s looked very similar to English clothing, despite the difference in climates. The basic difference was that it was more common for Australian boys to go barefoot, but this does not seem to have been reflected in the store catalogs.
We have found some information on Australian 1910s catalogs. A Sydney department store, Grace Brothers, in an April (meaning Fall) 1910 catalog offered boys suits including sailor suits for younger boys. Wide-brimmed hats were still on offer. Eton collars and botgh single and double-breasted suits were offered. We also see Norfolk suits. The suits were done with both stright-leg knee pants and knickers. We do not see short pnts style depicted. The styles look very English to us and coild hav comre from an English catalog.
After World War I we note boy's clothing becoming more casual, better atuned to Australian climatic conditions. School uniforms are a perenial feature of Austrlian catalogs, although at first they were primarily for private schools.
After World War II we see a greater American influence. A majoe exception here was school uniforms which become much more common in state schools during the 1950. We note school uniform advertisements in school publications.
There are many sporty styles in the 1980s, including outfits for skate boarding. Here we see an advertisement from a department store catalogue from the 1980's. This was the style of clothing they were pushing for boys who enjoyed skate boarding. If you blow up the image, you will see the two outer boys outfits made up entirely of skulls and skeletons.
Sun Safe clothes appear in the 1990s.
Catalogs in th 2000s shown Sun Safe school uniform styles. We also note girls wearing trousers. Girls from an early point wore blazzers, but only in the 1990s did girls begin wearing long trousers. This appears to have become more common in the 2000s. The store, 'John Martins' was taken over by 'David Jones' Their 2003 website show various school uniforms items from their annual return to school catalogue.
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