The evolution of clothing in Malta after World War II till the 1980s

Abstract

In a letter to the editor of the Times of Malta in 1965, a woman asked why Maltese traditional attire was being constantly excluded from fashion shows held in Malta. Foreign influence in fashion was relentlessly penetrating, relegating Maltese traditional dress to the status of folk costume. After World War II, both Maltese men and women eagerly started to adapt to modern ideas, not least in the manner in which they dressed. Advances in technology, science, industry and economy set the scene for several changes. Most significant was the development in communication, which brought countries and individuals closer together than ever before so that after World War II one is able to identify the connection between Malta and other countries among other things through the manner in which Maltese men and women dressed. As war rationing for clothing in Malta ended, interest in fashion augmented. Chiefly, Malta became greatly influenced by British, Italian, French and also German and American clothes wear. Undoubtedly, the presence of the British colony in Malta played some part in inspiring the inhabitants to adopt looks similar to those of the British who were staying among them. Another crucial factor which impacted Maltese attire was fashion magazines. Already by 1914, Miller Distributers Limited had initiated the distribution of English magazines in Malta. By 1965 Italian and French magazines were being imported and then by the 1980s they introduced German ones.