23 Feb: MANTLE OF MALICE: Aspects of Tudor life: 3. Clothes

Sumptuary Laws or Statutes of Apparel had been in force for about 300 years by the time Henry VIII came to the throne and were amended several times by Henry and his children. When Elizabeth came to the throne, her sumptuary laws were very strict. The reason for such laws was to maintain control over the population. During Henry’s reign, a new wealthy class of merchant arose, especially when England was the main source of wool for export to Europe. Because these men were rich, they could afford luxury goods that had been the remit of the upper classes and nobility, but for a man to dress above his status in society was illegal. The Sumptuary laws were not confined to clothes, but also jewellery, swords and daggers.

The poor were permitted to dress in wool, linen or sheepskin. In 1571, a law was passed that everyone over the age of 6 had to wear a woollen cap on Sundays and holidays and the taller the cap the more important the man. Colours were also restricted for the poor. Brown, yellow, orange, green grey and woad-dyed blue were allowed.

The further up the social scale you were, the greater the range of colours and fabrics were permitted. So, for example, knights could wear garments made from silk, damask and taffeta, unless they were part of the monarch’s household when they could also wear velvet. Only the monarch and the immediate royal family were permitted to dress in purple, but the next class down might have purple linings in their cloaks. Dukes or Knight of the Garter or members of the Privy Council were permitted to dress in scarlet and crimson.

The codpiece was originally a triangular piece of fabric sewn to a man’s hose and held in place by buttons or ties. During Henry VIII’s reign, codpieces became much larger - look at any portrait of Henry and the codpiece is very prominent denoting his virility. Because of this increase in size, it became normal to carry small weapons or items of jewellery in the codpiece, which is the origin of the phrase “family jewels” for mens’ genitalia.

Mantle of Malice, Book 3 in The Tudor Enigma will be published on 23rd February 2015.

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