Fifteenth Century Fashion

Interesting that, in the article, the writer makes the same statement
about art that is made by Jonathan Hughes: artwork was meant to be
symbolic, not realistic. No big surprise here, but I think Hughes goes
too far when he suggests that Richard was unduly swayed by the deeper
meanings 'inherent' in fifteenth century artwork, literature. etc.

From the reign of Edward I on, there had been sumptuary laws that were
attempts to regulate what the various social classes could wear.

I recall that one was that a tunic had to be long enough to cover the
buttocks and "privy parts". There were also laws concerning the
colors and types of fabric that could be worn, but the obsession in
Richard's time seems to be concerned with the length of the toes of
shoes. (I am not making this up...see
http://podiatry.curtin.edu.au/sump.html#worship
and scroll don through the various reigns.)

Of course, Richard would have been exempt from the sumptuary laws
anyway so he could wear whatever he dared to wear.

Katy