Clothing Timeline

1150s -

decrees allegedly by Charlemagne

-peasants were not permitted to wear elaborate or colorful clothes, instead gray and cheap

-shirt and trouser combined could have no more than seven ells of material

-only plain leather shoes could be worn by peasants

-peasants were permitted to carry rod, but not sword, to Sunday church


1244 Bavarian Peace

-improper clothes were confiscated from peasants and wearers were charged with a fine

-women could not wear silk trimmings or nice, colorful scarves

-long hair was restricted for peasants, ear length at most

-noblemen/women at this time found it fashionable to have long hair


late 1200s

-poets were writing of wealthy peasants and their attempts to emulate higher society with elaborate wool coats and embroidered shirts and hoods


1350s

-laws were established as to whom could wear what jewelry

-knights were restricted from wearing rings

1363

-craftspeople were not allowed to buy or wear cloth that cost over 4 shillings or cloth made of silk, silver, or gold

-furs other than cat, lamb, rabbit, or fox were forbidden


1463

-gold was prohibied to be worn except by parliament members


1490 The Ship of Fools

play written by Sebastian Brant

-could be considered biased opinion of peasants by upper class

-complained of tendency for peasants to become immodest and extravagant in attempts to copy the upper class



1497 Decree of Lindau

-peasants were restricted from using fabrics worth more than half a guilder per ell, adorned with gold, pearl, velvet, silk, or patchwork

1525 Great Peasants’ War

-protest groups were identified by laced-up shoes.

-peasants often wore laced-up shoes: leather ‘held together by long thongs running through leather loops attached to the upper side of the shoe’


1582 - Common Council of London

This law regulates that apprentices can only wear what has been given to them by their master. They wore caps instead of hats. Doublet and breeches could only be made of canvas, fustian and sack cloth, English leather, and wool. THey were allowed to carry a knife, but not a sword or dagger (Buck, 155).