Daily life in modern Maltese history was mainly dependent on two distinct economic spheres. The Grand Harbour area was centred on maritime activity, which along the centuries was driven by trade, industry, strategic importance and wartime replenishment, thereby generating years of considerable prosperity. Up to the mid-twentieth century the rest of the archipelago remained heavily reliant on agriculture. This dichotomy is also reflected in dress, since like all other forms of art, costumes reflect the society that produces and adopt them.
