The sumptuary laws are perhaps the silliest thing that I have read about it this sourcebook. There are too many of these laws to enforce practically, and the sheer concept of restricting social mobility through dress is a laughable reason to prevent women from wearing certain clothing items.
With the two dates given for the sets of laws from Venice and from England, one must wonder why the sumptuary laws are even being enforced with people dying in the streets from the bubonic plague. 1299 and 1363 are dates that land right in that window of the Black Death.
Digging a little deeper in the text of the laws, I can imagine that if someone were to be found guilty of dressing above their social class, the fine would prove really if they deserved to belong to that group as they would have the money to pay for the fine.
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