"Thou hast quarreled with a man for coughing in the street
because he hath wakened thy dog that hath lain
asleep in the sun. Didst thou not fall out with a tailor
for wearing his new doublet (jacket) before Easter? With
another, for tying his new shoes with old ribbon?
And yet thou wilt tutor me from quarreling?"
A work produced around the same time- Wits Miserie And The Worlds Madness (1596)- by English writer and physician Thomas Lodge contains a moralizing tale about a farmer who spends money he doesn't have to buy fancy new Easter duds: "The farmer that was contented in times past with his Russet Frocke & Mockado (fake silk velvet) sleeues, now sels a Cow against Easter to buy him silken geere for his Credit". Tsk.
Sunday 30 March 1662
(Easter day). Having my old black suit new furbished, I was pretty neat in clothes to-day, and my boy, his old suit new trimmed, very handsome. To church in the morning, and so home, leaving the two Sir Williams to take the Sacrament, which I blame myself that I have hitherto neglected all my life, but once or twice at Cambridge. Dined with my wife, a good shoulder of veal well dressed by Jane, and handsomely served to table, which pleased us much, and made us hope that she will serve our turn well enough.
My wife and I to church in the afternoon, and seated ourselves, she below me, and by that means the precedence of the pew, which my Lady Batten and her daughter takes, is confounded; and after sermon she and I did stay behind them in the pew, and went out by ourselves a good while after them, which we judge a very fine project hereafter to avoyd contention.
So my wife and I to walk an hour or two on the leads, which begins to be very pleasant, the garden being in good condition.
So to supper, which is also well served in. We had a lobster to supper, with a crabb Pegg Pen sent my wife this afternoon, the reason of which we cannot think; but something there is of plot or design in it, for we have a little while carried ourselves pretty strange to them.
After supper to bed.
At Easter let your clothes be new
Or else be sure you will it rue.
I mean, it's not exactly Shakespeare, but you get the point. Incidentally, Benjamin Franklin copied the style of Poor Robin's Almanac for his Poor Richard's Almanac (published from 1732-1758).
There's also an old Irish adage- I'm not sure how old- that states: "For Christmas, food and drink; for Easter, new clothes."
The more modern Easter Parade got its start in churches, specifically the New York churches: St. Thomas Episcopal, Trinity Episcopal, Christ Church, and St. Patrick's Cathedral. In the mid-1800's, these churches started bedecking their sanctuaries with flowers for their Easter services. Every year the displays became more elaborate and it seems that attendees felt challenged to wear outfits which would live up to their surroundings. A newspaper report of Easter 1873 described the service at Christ Church: "More than half the congregation were ladies, who displayed all the gorgeous and marvelous articles of dress... and the appearance of the body of the church thus vied in effect and magnificence with the pleasant and tasteful array of flowers which decorated the chancel."