Susan Crane's observation regarding the importance of clothing to late medieval court life identifies how the choice of attire brought together symbols of status, household affiliation, and sub textual message to project the identity of the wearer as a type of ‘visual manifesto’. The rise of the importance of clothing in this period was due to a number of developments which meant that the fifteenth century onwards saw new modes of supply, production and distribution which affected clothing, along with the manufacturing of other products. Trading routes to the Far East which supplied silks were re-established during this time, and the flow of ideas on fashioning garments from raw cloth expanded as cultural exchange deepened through greater transmission with Europe, India, and Africa. As Rosenthal observes, clothing was greatly affected by this new trading and cultural exchange:

In this new market economy fabric and clothing were commoditised and were part of a fresh exchange of cultures and techniques. The court of Henry VIII, notorious for its love of fashion, displayed the European influences introduced by his wives. Katherine of Aragon brought the Spanish farthingale (a hooped petticoat) and from her time in France, Anne Boleyn initiated the drapery of the square-necked bodice, while Anne of Cleves transported the Flemish leg-of-mutton sleeves.