Sumptuary Laws
A "sumptuary law" is a law that seeks to regulate or limit the consumption, use, or wearing of specific items. Historically, sumptuary laws were commonly used in Europe in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance to limit demand for foreign goods, to prevent commoners from imitating nobility, to "protect" citizen's morals, or to bolster a native industry. Some examples include: restrictions in England regarding the use of purple cloth and Cloth of Gold (restricted to certain noble classes or royalty), laws in Renaissance Venice on the size and shape of women's sleeves (to "protect" them from scandalous French fashion), and requirements in Elizabethan England that all males over the age of six own an English woolen cap (to help economically encourage the native cap-making industry and keep the Spanish hat industry from thriving).
In the Current Middle Ages, sumptuary laws are generally used to reserve specific items of clothing or display to specific sets of people. The Society-wide sumptuary laws are regulated by the College of Arms.
Society-wide Sumptuary Laws
The College of Arms maintains the full list in the official Ordinary and Armorial. The areas in which questions often arise are:
- The kingdom crowns are worn only by the King and Queen of the kingdom
- White belts are reserved to Knights
- An unadorned loop of chain is reserved to Knights
- White baldrics are reserved to Masters of Arms
- White livery collars are reserved for Masters of Defense
- Wreath of roses are reserved to companions of the Rose
- Laurel wreaths are reserved to companions of the Order of the Laurel, and on a shield to denote the arms of a territory
- A depiction of a Pelican in its Piety is reserved to companions of the Order of the Pelican
Kingdom Sumptuary Laws
Many kingdoms of the Known World have sumptuary laws, usually included as part of their Kingdom Laws. Caid has no sumptuary laws beyond those defined in Corpora and by the Society College of Arms. People who move to Caid from elsewhere sometimes mistake the laws of their prior kingdom as being true in Caid, as well.
The most common areas in which questions about sumptuary laws arise are:
