The first thing you need to know about the Wars of the Roses is that
the
men had these really neat clothes - brocade tunics,
large padded sleeves.
And remember, this is the heyday of the cod piece!
The cause of it all? The main weakness of feudal society.
Order, and the rule of law depended upon the mighty man at the top
- the king -
being mightier than the mighty men around him.
THAT depended on how well he played the Patronage Game.
How well he played one lord off against another - who he handed the big lucrative jobs out to,
jobs like Lord of the Welsh marches, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Captain of Calais -
or playing this heiress off against that heir -
If he failed to do this well, then the wheels seriously
started to come off the wagon. 
