English dress in the second half of the sixteenth century has been studied in depth, yet remarkably little has been written on the earlier years, or indeed on male clothing for the whole century. The few studies that do cover these neglected areas have tended to be quite general, focusing upon garments rather than the wearers. As such this present volume will fill an important gap by providing a detailed analysis of not only what people wore in Henry's reign, but why. The book describes and analyses dress in England through a variety of primary sources, particularly sumptuary legislation, or the four 'Acts of Apparel' passed by Henry between 1509 and 1547. Combing the consideration of such documents with modern scholarly analysis, this book will prove invaluable for anyone with an interest in the history of fashion, clothing, consumption in Tudor society.