“Fashion police” used to be literal, and the breach of fashion rules could get violators criminally prosecuted and punished. Fashion policing has since been relegated to the realm of public opinion and social norms. The public being what it is, things are sometimes liable to get out of hand. Like when American cities experienced riots over what kinds of hats people wore, and when they wore them. Or when widespread mob violence engulfed American cities from coast to coast over what kinds of clothes teenagers wore. Below are fifteen fascinating facts about American riots that were triggered by fashion choices.
15. The Original Fashion Police Literally Criminalized Breaches of Fashion Rules
Fashion rules – to the extent that such rules still exist – are not taken as seriously today as they were in years and centuries past. At their most extreme, such as in Middle Ages Europe, fashion rules were codified in highly restrictive sumptuary laws. “Fashion police” back then was not a figure of speech, and breaking fashion rules was literally breaking the law and an actual crime. For example, England enacted sumptuary laws during the reign of King Edward III. They dictated what colors, types of clothing, furs, fabrics, and trims, people of various ranks and incomes could wear. Violators were subject to criminal and civil penalties. The idea was to reinforce social hierarchies, and prevent people from “dressing above their station“. The fashion rules were specifically targeted at commoners, especially the emerging class of wealthy commoner merchants and businessmen who were as rich as, and sometimes richer than, aristocrats.
