It was issued in the midst of the reformation called Tenryaku no chi (glorious Tenryaku rule) for the purpose of the regulation and the prohibition on extravagant magnificence or variance of clothing among lower-ranking government officials in order to strictly maintain the order of the social status.
天暦の治と呼ばれる改革を進められていた中で、下級官人の華美な服飾華美（過差）を規制・禁止して身分秩序の遵守を図るものであった。