Regional Variations.

Urban and courtly clothing differed greatly from region to region throughout the Renaissance, with the styles favored in England vastly different from those of southern France or Italy. One factor that sustained this regional variation was the numerous sumptuary laws enacted in various European cities and states. Whereas a law in one place might forbid an item to be used in dressing, another place might allow it, and the highly specific laws designed to contain fashion's excesses frequently inspired new styles. Florentine law, for instance, forbade the use of embroidery and decoration on women's clothing for many decades, except at the sleeves. Thus sleeves were often one of the most complex parts of women's outfits, and Florentine tailors began to create detachable sleeves that might be adapted for wear on several different gowns. While tailors often devised cleverly ingenuous fashion solutions to...