"It is illegal to stand within 100 yards of the reigning monarch without wearing socks", but they better be English wool: a study of England's sumptuary laws from the perspective of protectionist interests

Vizuete Hernández, Adrián

"It is illegal to stand within 100 yards of the reigning monarch without wearing socks", but they better be English wool: a study of England's sumptuary laws from the perspective of protectionist interests

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Vizuete Hernández, A. "It is illegal to stand within 100 yards of the reigning monarch without wearing socks", but they better be English wool: a study of England's sumptuary laws from the perspective of protectionist interests. 2024. handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10230/61150

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Abstract

The present Final Year Project explores the economic motivations, particularly the protectionist aims, behind the proclamation of sumptuary laws in England, which regulated consumption of luxury commodities. By examining these measures, this work intends to shed light on the reasoning behind the dress codes that evolved from past regulations and are still present in today’s society. The paper compiles and analyses the main laws enacted from the late Middle Ages to the end of the Early Modern Period, organised chronologically according to the monarchs who approved them. The main objectives derived from the statutes and proclamations include the enforcement of social hierarchies and the limitation of extravagant expenditure to strengthen the national economy. Furthermore, the analysis reveals the existence of an explicit interest in protecting domestic manufacturers, namely the English woollen and fur industries, as well as restricting the use of foreign goods. It points to future research opportunities into the underlying protectionist interests embedded into these laws. This work uses artificial intelligence to translate various provisions written in Middle English.