Enforcing Statutes of Apparel
[Greenwich, 15 June 1574, 16 Elizabeth I]
The excess of apparel and the superfluity of unnecessary foreign
wares thereto belonging now of late years is grown by sufferance
to such an extremity that the manifest decay of the whole realm
generally is like to follow (by bringing into the realm such
superfluities of silks, cloths of gold, silver, and other most
vain devices of so great cost for the quantity thereof as of
necessity the moneys and treasure of the realm is and must be
yearly conveyed out of the same to answer the said excess) but
also particularly the wasting and undoing of a great number of
young gentlemen, otherwise serviceable, and others seeking by
show of apparel to be esteemed as gentlemen, who, allured by the
vain show of those things, do not only consume themselves, their
goods, and lands which their parents left unto them, but also run
into such debts and shifts as they cannot live out of danger of
laws without attempting unlawful acts, whereby they are not any
ways serviceable to their country as otherwise they might be:
Which great abuses, tending both to so manifest a decay of the
wealth of the realm and to the ruin of a multitude of serviceable
young men and gentlemen and of many good families, the
Queen's majesty hath of her own princely wisdom so considered
as she hath of late with great charged to her council commanded
the same to be presently and speedily remedied both in her own
court and in all other places of her realm, according to the
sundry good laws heretofore provided.
For reformation whereof, although her highness might take great
advantage and profit by execution of the said laws and statutes,
yet of her princely clemency her majesty is content at this time
to give warning to her loving subjects to reform themselves, and
not to extend forthwith the rigor of her laws for the offences
heretofore past, so as they shall now reform themselves according
to such orders as at this present, jointly with this
proclamation, are set forth, whereby the statute of the
24th year of her majesty's most noble father King
Henry VIII and the statute made in the second year of her late
dear sister Queen Mary are in some part moderated according to
this time.
Wherefore her majesty willeth and straightly commandeth all
manner of persons in all places within 12 days after the
publication of this present proclamation to reform their apparel
according to the tenor of certain articles and clauses taken out
of the said statutes and with some moderations annexed to this
proclamation, upon pain of her highness's indignation, and
punishment for their contempts, and such other pains as in the
said several statutes be expressed.
For the execution of which orders her majesty first giveth
special charge to all such as do bear office within her most
honorable house to look unto it, each person in his degree and
office, that the said articles and orders be duly observed, and
the contrary reformed in her majesty's court by all them who
are under their office, thereby to give example to the rest of
the realm; and further generally to all noblemen, of what estate
or degree soever they be, and all and every person of her privy
council, to all archbishops and bishops, and to the rest of the
clergy according to their degrees, that they do see the same
speedily and duly executed in their private households and
families; and to all mayors and other head officers of cities,
towns, and corporations, to the chancellors of the universities,
to governors of colleges, to the ancients and benchers in every
the Inns of Court and Chancery, and generally to all that hath
any superiority or government over and upon any multitude, and
each man in his own household for their children and servants,
that they likewise do cause the said orders to be kept by all
lawful means that they can.
And to the intent the same might be better kept generally
throughout all the realm, her majesty giveth also special charge
to all justices of the peace to inquire of the defaults and
breaking of those orders in their quarter sessions, and to see
them redressed in all open assemblies by all wise, godly, and
lawful means; and also to all Justices of Assizes in their
circuits to cause inquiry and due presentment to be made at their
next assizes how these orders be kept; and so orderly, twice a
year at every assize after each other circuits done, to certify
in writing to her highness's Privy Council under their hands,
with as convenient speed as they may, what hath been found and
done as well by the justices of the peace in their quarter
sessions, of whom they shall take their certificate for each
quarter session, as also at the assizes, for the observing of the
said orders and reformation of the abuses.
A brief content of certain clauses of the statute of King
Henry VIII and Queen Mary, with some moderation thereof, to be
observed according to her majesty's proclamation above
mentioned.
None shall wear in his apparel:
Any silk of the color of purple, cloth of gold tissued, nor fur
of sables, but only the King, Queen, King's mother, children,
brethren, and sisters, uncles and aunts; and except dukes,
marquises, and earls, who may wear the same in doublets, jerkins,
linings of cloaks, gowns, and hose; and those of the Garter,
purple in mantles only.
Cloth of gold, silver, tinseled satin, silk, or cloth mixed or
embroidered with any gold or silver: except all degrees above
viscounts, and viscounts, barons, and other persons of like
degree, in doublets, jerkins, linings of cloaks, gowns, and
hose.
Woolen cloth made out of the realm, but in caps only; velvet,
crimson, or scarlet; furs, black genets, lucernes; embroidery or
tailor's work having gold or silver or pearl therein: except
dukes, marquises, earls, and their children, viscounts, barons,
and knights being companions of the Garter, or any person being
of the Privy Council.
Velvet in gowns, coats, or other uttermost garments; fur of
leopards; embroidery with any silk: except men of the degrees
above mentioned, barons' sons, knights and gentlemen in
ordinary office attendant upon her majesty's person, and such
as have been employed in embassages to foreign princes.
Caps, hats, hatbands, capbands, garters, or boothose trimmed with
gold or silver or pearl; silk netherstocks; enameled chains,
buttons, aglets: except men of the degrees above mentioned, the
gentlemen attending upon the Queen's person in her
highness's Privy chamber or in the office of cupbearer,
carver, sewer [server], esquire for the body, gentlemen ushers,
or esquires of the stable.
Satin, damask, silk, camlet, or taffeta in gown, coat, hose, or
uppermost garments; fur whereof the kind groweth not in the
Queen's dominions, except foins, grey genets, and
budge:
except the degrees and persons above mentioned, and men that may
dispend £100 by the year, and so valued in the subsidy
book.
Hat, bonnet, girdle, scabbards of swords, daggers, etc.; shoes
and pantofles of velvet: except the degrees and persons above
names and the son and heir apparent of a knight.
Silk other than satin, damask, taffeta, camlet, in doublets; and
sarcanet, camlet, or taffeta in facing of gowns and cloaks, and
in coats, jackets, jerkins, coifs, purses being not of the color
scarlet, crimson, or blue; fur of foins, grey genets, or other as
the like groweth not in the Queen's dominions: except men of
the degrees and persons above mentioned, son of a knight, or son
and heir apparent of a man of 300 marks land by the year, so
valued in the subsidy books, and men that may dispend £40
by the year, so valued ut supra.
None shall wear spurs, swords, rapiers, daggers, skeans,
woodknives, or hangers, buckles or girdles, gilt, silvered or
damasked: except knights and barons' sons, and others of
higher degree or place, and gentlemen in ordinary office
attendant upon the Queen's majesty's person; which
gentlemen so attendant may wear all the premises saving gilt,
silvered, or damasked spurs.
None shall wear in their trappings or harness of their horse any
studs, buckles, or other garniture gilt, silvered, or damasked;
nor stirrups gilt, silvered, or damasked; nor any velvet in
saddles or horse trappers: except the persons next before
mentioned and others of higher degree, and gentlemen in ordinary,
ut supra.
Note that the Lord Chancellor, Treasurer, President of the
council, Privy Seal, may wear any velvet, satin, or other silks
except purple, and furs black except black genets.
These may wear as they have heretofore used, viz. any of
the King's council, justices of either bench, Barons of the
Exchequer, Master of the Rolls, sergeants at law, Masters of the
Chancery, of the Queen's council, apprentices of law,
physicians of the King, queen, and Prince, mayors and other head
officers of any towns corporate, Barons of the Five Ports, except
velvet, damask, [or] satin of the color crimson, violet, purple,
blue.
Note that her majesty's meaning is not, by this order, to
forbid in any person the wearing of silk buttons, the facing of
coats, cloaks, hats and caps, for comeliness only, with taffeta,
velvet, or other silk, as is commonly used.
Note also that the meaning of this order is not to prohibit a
servant from wearing any cognizance of his master, or henchmen,
heralds, pursuivants at arms; runners at jousts, tourneys, or
such martial feats, and such as wear apparel given them by the
Queen, and such as shall have license from the Queen for the
same.
Women's apparel
None shall wear
Any cloth of gold, tissue, nor fur of sables: except duchesses,
marquises, and countesses in their gowns, kirtles, partlets, and
sleeves; cloth of gold, silver, tinseled satin, silk, or cloth
mixed or embroidered with gold or silver or pearl, saving silk
mixed with gold or silver in linings of cowls, partlets, and
sleeves: except all degrees above viscountesses, and
viscountesses, baronesses, and other personages of like degrees
in their kirtles and sleeves.
Velvet (crimson, carnation); furs (black genets, lucerns);
embroidery or passment lace of gold or silver: except all degrees
above mentioned, the wives of knights of the Garter and of the
Privy Council, the ladies and gentlewomen of the privy chamber
and bedchamber, and maids of honor.
None shall wear any velvet in gowns, furs of leopards,
embroidery of silk: except the degrees and persons above
mentioned, the wives of barons' sons, or of knights.
Cowls, sleeves, partlets, and linings, trimmed with spangles
or pearls of gold, silver, or pearl; cowls of gold or silver, or
of silk mixed with gold or silver: except the degrees and persons
above mentioned; and trimmed with pearl, none under the degree of
baroness or like degrees.
Enameled chains, buttons, aglets, and borders: except the degrees
before mentioned.
Satin, damask, or tufted taffeta in gowns, kirtles, or velvet in
kirtles; fur whereof the kind groweth not within the Queen's
dominions, except foins, grey genets, bodge, and wolf: except the
degrees and persons above mentioned, or the wives of those that
may dispend £100 by the year and so valued in the subsidy
book.
Gowns of silk grosgrain, doubled sarcenet, camlet, or taffeta, or
kirtles of satin or damask: except the degrees and persons above
mentioned, and the wives of the sons and heirs of knights, and
the daughters of knights, and of such as may dispend 300 marks by
the year so valued ut supra, and the wives of those that may
dispend £40 by the year.
Gentlewomen attendant upon duchesses, marquises, countesses may
wear, in their liveries given them by their mistresses, as the
wives of those that may dispend £100 by the year and are so
valued ut supra.
None shall wear any velvet, tufted taffeta, satin, or any gold
or silver in their petticoats: except wives of barons, knights of
the order, or councilors' ladies, and gentlewomen of the
privy chamber and bed chamber, and the maids of honor.
Damask, taffeta, or other silk in their petticoats: except
knights' daughters and such as be matched with them in the
former article, who shall not wear a guard of any silk upon their
petticoats.
Velvet, tufted taffeta, satin, nor any gold or silver in any
cloak or safeguard: except the wives of barons, knights of the
order, or councilor's ladies and gentlewomen of the privy
chamber and bedchamber, and maids of honor, and the degrees above
them.
Damask, taffeta, or other silk in any cloak or safeguard: except
knights' wives, and the degrees and persons above
mentioned.
No persons under the degrees above specified shall wear any guard
or welt of silk upon any petticoat,
cloak, or safeguard.
Notes
Genets: Fur of the civet cat.
Back
Lucernes: Lynx fur. Back
Foins: Fur of the beech marten, a weasel-like
animal. Back
Budge: Shearling lambskin from
North Africa and, later, Spain. Also bodge. Back
Pantofles: Slip-on overshoes.
Back
Premises: Preceding items.
Back
Welt: Trim or braid.
Back
Illustrations: Lucernes Collar.
Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton, by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1530,
courtesy Tudor and Elizabethan Portraits.
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