Attire has played a major part in the dress codes
of different cultures since the down of mankind and the 17th Century maritime clothing was not left behind either since there was a specific dress that was worn by the sailors and the captain while at sea. Having a uniform dress code has helped develop a sense of unity among masses of solders or workers, leaders realized this early and introduced uniform that can be traced back since when people first began sailing.
Today the maritime clothing can easily be detected by its unique white color but this has not always been like that with meant different clothing styles being developed before the uniform was universally unified to match on all marine vessels. 17th Century maritime clothing also had a uniform code but this would vary from nation to nation, some aspects that made the uniforms similar is that most were made of heavy duty materials like soft cured leather.
Durable clothing and shoes was the main objective for the sailors since constant washing and cleaning would be required for conventional clothing but leather attire would require much less maintenance. Due to the limitation of time and space as well as facilities like fresh water it would be unpractical to use fragile clothing during the voyage. The sailors had to carry our hard laboring work on the vessel while at sea and having clothes that would simply tare under the pressure was not an option as the earlier sailors found out through experience.
The lack of facilities due to the lack of space made many of the early adventurers and sailors minimize the luggage needed to be carried to the bare minimal by adjusting to materials that would provide lasting quality and reusability. Until recently there was no way of communication of transportation around the world and travelers needed to carry all the necessary thing required but also consider keeping the weight and bulk as low as possible.
17thcentury maritime clothing were primarily made of
leather or heavy duty canvas that would serve other purposes if require out at sea. As marine vessels got bigger the clothing styles also changed with sailors adopting to lighter clothing that was easier to manage since vessels had grow larger and there was more space to store more things and improved hygiene and other issues that affected the early sailors.
The first documented usage of uniforms was made by the US navy on 27 August 1802 when an instruction was singed that would require the navy to wear a uniform that identified clearly among the public. The private sector has no clear records as to when this began but on individual vessels uniforms had began being used much before the 17th century maritime clothing or uniforms that are displayed in maritime museums around the world.
The 17th Century Maritime Clothing was certainly not the first to be used and the prevalence of uniforms is not expected to end soon either since they give a sense of unity to people who are involved in the same practice and have the same agenda of working together to make something work.
17th Century Maritime Clothing,