One of the more bizarre Laws passed during the Elizabethan period were the ‘Sumptuary Laws’ the whole idea behind these laws was the notion that people should dress according to their status or position in life. This would be achieved by limiting the extravagance of the lower working orders.
The ruling Elizabethan classes were concern about what they thought were light-hearted and ill considered displays of wealth by people who could ill afford to do so, there being at the time a considerable worry that England’s enemies may invade at any moment, therefore people of little wealth would do better spending their money on the more important items like horses and weapons. There by improving their lot as well as the nations security.
After all where would you be if the blacksmith dressed like the lord of the manor ?
Practical considerations meant that these laws were very hard if not impossible to enforce, Elizabeth’s court did not employ any fashion police ! So it would appear that this piece of legislation was little more macho chest beating by the ruling classes concerned at preserving their own status and position in life, so what self important and vain in the end.
The main restrictions were that no one except the immediate royal family could wear any purple silk, or gold cloth neither any fur of sables, earls and dukes could wear similar material but only in prescribed clothing for example linings of cloaks. However they must not spend more than £100 per annum on these items of clothing, £100 in Elizabethan times would have been a considerable sum of money.
People of the lower ranks sons of knights, were able to expend only £40 per annum.
Gentlemen of birth are disallowed from carrying weapons on their person, daggers or spurs etc unless you were within the queens inner circle that is.
However there was a mechanism in place for reporting anybody, say the blacksmith, for dressing above their lot in life, as a rule this resulted in a fine rather than imprisonment.
A further addendum to this was that your sword could only so long, should you be stopped and it was found to be to long (the sword I mean), then the weapon could be broken in half. A some what pointless exercise I’m sure you’ll agree.
So far we have touched upon mens clothing mainly although women were also subject to these restrictions, one of the more amusing restrictions, women are not allowed to wear silk in a petticoat.
I wonder how they confirmed this…