A Review on the Sumptuary Laws of Western Costume

서양복식사에 나타난 금제고찰

The object of this study lies in reviewing of the western costume history in the light of the negative regulations concerning costumes and adornments. Readings related with the subject lead to the following findings; 1. the principal purpose of the sumptuary laws has relationship with the social stratification of the feudalism and the frequency of their occurrence is related with the formation of feudal system, its decline, the appearance of imperial regimes and the start of civil revolutions. 2. Sumptuary regulations spread westward with the flow of civilization, eg., in the sequence of Italy, swiss, France, Britain and new world. 3. Sumptuary laws are also found in abundance in the english colonies of America, and their object seems to be rather of the moral concern than class distinction of economical restriction.4. The reviewed sumptuary regulations are concerned with : A. Material gold or silver clothes, silks, ermine, marten or miniver furs, velvets, laces and embroies. B. Colors-Purple, scarlet and red. Other colors do not show consistent pattern of color-status symbol; C. Form-Length and width of headdresses, shoes, collars, trains or hoops. E. numbers of dresses allowed to be worn.