site.btaMarch 14, 1897: Law Requiring Civil Servants to Wear Apparel, Footwear Made in Bulgaria Is Gazetted

A law requiring civil servants to wear apparel and footwear made in Bulgaria was promulgated in the State Gazette on March 14, 1897 and entered into force six months later, on September 14, 1897. Passed by the 9th Ordinary National Assembly on February 22, 1897, the law stipulated that central-government, municipal and district officials, salaried employees, and MPs must wear Bulgarian-made clothes and shoes while performing their official duties.

The law was moved by Finance Minister and acting Commerce and Agriculture Minister Ivan Evstratiev Geshov at a time when Bulgaria was transitioning from a long period of Ottoman rule to a capitalist economy. While the textile and leather industries made up a substantial portion of Bulgaria's economy, agriculture still dominated. The modernization of Bulgarian industry was making slow progress. The consumer market was shrinking as many Muslims, who once bought domestically made apparel, emigrated. The urban population increasingly favoured imported goods, which were often cheaper. 

The law was intended basically to promote the manufacture of apparel and footwear in Bulgaria while reducing reliance on imports. An analysis accompanying the law said that the measure was expected to have a positive impact by creating jobs and boosting income for many workers employed in the industries concerned.

The law imposed penalties for non-compliance, including fines for individuals who do not wear the prescribed products and fines and one to six months' imprisonment for manufacturers or merchants who sell foreign-made materials for apparel and footwear instead of locally produced ones. 

There is no record of the law having ever been expressly repealed. It apparently remained in effect until the Tarnovo Constitution practically ceased to operate following the coup d'etat in 1944 that ushered in totalitarian rule in Bulgaria.