Sumptuary Laws In The Elizabethan Era

The phrase, don’t judge a book by its cover, is commonly used in modern society when discussing the treatment of others. Yet in Elizabethan England, this phrase did not apply among the people. In fact, the population was encouraged to criticize others based on their appearance and the clothing they wore. Citizens of all genders were evaluated based on the complexity and material of their clothes, as well as the colors. The government also supported class clothing distinction by creating laws. Fashion within the Elizabethan era varied among the social classes, within each gender, and were influenced by government laws.

Most of the time only the rich could afford to have their clothes tailored. This is because it could take “several fittings a month” (Source 2. 6) just to get a coat made. This was not the case when tailoring first started out however. When tailoring first started out people often had to be sewn into their clothes making getting dressed difficult.

Lower classes, such as the Merchants, Yeomanry and the Labourers often worked to be able to provide for themselves and their families. Merchants, for example, usually earned through selling and trading everyday goods from a foreign country to a specific trade. Modern commerce greatly developed throughout the Elizabethan era, with daily goods such as cloth and weaving becoming essential to the people 's needs. This resulted in frequently increasing prices for imported common merchandise, whilst most merchants greatly benefitted in wealth through delivering trades of essential goods that they believed would benefit their country.

Women typically wore comfortable pants and tops rather than fancy

Can you imagine living in a world with no drive through and microwaved Ramen noodles? Well that is the kind of world that William Shakespeare lived in. During the Elizabethan Era new foods from the New World were being discovered, like tomatoes and potatoes. Food in the Renaissance Period was much different than it is today.

Mark Twain once stated, "History never repeats itself, but it does rhyme." Through this quote, the author suggests that, like a rhyme, history sounds very similar. This is evident when viewing the Elizabethan Era and comparing it to today. Specific details might differ but some key points do shine through. The social classes of the Elizabethan era are similar to todays through the merchants control of the middle class, the support for the poor, and the separate lifestyles of the ranks.

There were also various classes of common people. There were farmers, who were very efficient. There were merchants, who would travel and trade. These people had a fair amount of freedom to be independent and wear stylish clothes. There were artisans of different kinds.

Wealthy men wore fabrics that were colorful with lace that were made out of gold and silver. They would also wear hats. Hats were mandatory in public especially for the upper class group of women and men, if they did not wear a hat during the Renaissance they would get a fine. I chose Romeos

A lord was given the freedom to wear anything, and no constraints. Knights had freedom of clothing depending on how much their land was worth. A knight with land worth 400 marks has a few limitations, but may dress as they will, while a knight with land worth 200 marks has many restraints. Correspondingly, as people continue down the line of rank, they get more and more regulations. The royal families also have absolutely no restriction as to what to wear (Mortimer).

Aristocratic fashions constantly evolved, changing direction from time to time, and steadily filtered down through society. (Friese) However, the middle class was not the only group imitating

Unlike today’s society, different types of clothing were reserved for a certain occasion. Queen Elizabeth had huge impact on women’s clothing because she wanted women to seem “virgin-esque.” In order to seem “virgin-esque” women had to cover their bodies and couldn’t seem provocative. Another group who influenced clothing was prostitutes. They started trends such as wearing platform shoes and tight clothing (“Daily Life”).

Do you usually have strange shapes and unusual colors on your plate at every mean? In the Elizabethan Era, they loved to have unusual colors and strange shapes on their plate at every meal. They would have many different kinds of dishes that would make your plate look like a rainbow. Also, you would find many strange different shapes, consisting of circles and then looking like a blob of slime. Depending on your wealth, being rich or poor, would determine how much food you could eat, or afford. Very wealthy people could afford to go to banquets and feast, but on the other hand, the non wealthy could not afford going to them. At the banquets and feast, it was important that the food was served for nobility. Also, still to this day, people still engage in banquets like the people in the Elizabethan Era. At

The Act for the Relief of the Poor, primarily known as the Elizabethan Poor Law, was passed in 1601. It was required in order to establish a law system for the poor in England and Wales.

There were two different classes during Elizabethan Era. The upper class was called Nobility and the poor was called the Commoners. The Nobility, being accused of a serious crime could well result in torture. People in the upper class are sometimes accused of spying, murder, and rebellion. The Commoners, being accused of a small crime could be a death sentence.

• The upper class used Linen for undergarments. • The upper class used velvet, brocade and silk for outer garments. • The lower class used wool for outer garments.