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Clerical clothing
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Clerical clothing is non-liturgical clothing worn exclusively by clergy. It is distinct from vestments in that it is not reserved specifically for services. Practices vary: clerical clothing is sometimes worn under vestments, and sometimes as the everyday clothing or street wear of a priest, minister, or other clergy member. In some cases, it can be similar or identical to the habit of a monk or nun.
In modern times, many Christian clergy have adopted the use of a clergy shirt with a clerical collar.
See also Degrees of Eastern Orthodox monasticism
In Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism, a useful distinction between liturgical vestments and clerical clothing is that vestments are required to be blessed before being worn.
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Encyclopedia
Clerical clothing is non-liturgical clothing worn exclusively by clergy. It is distinct from vestments in that it is not reserved specifically for services. Practices vary: clerical clothing is sometimes worn under vestments, and sometimes as the everyday clothing or street wear of a priest, minister, or other clergy member. In some cases, it can be similar or identical to the habit of a monk or nun.
In modern times, many Christian clergy have adopted the use of a clergy shirt with a clerical collar.
Eastern Christianity
- See also Degrees of Eastern Orthodox monasticism
In Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism, a useful distinction between liturgical vestments and clerical clothing is that vestments are required to be blessed before being worn. Conversely, clerical clothing is not, and is regarded as daily wear.
- Inner Cassock: The inner cassock (more commonly, simply Cassock) is a floor length garment, usually black, worn by all clergy members, monastics, and seminarians.
- Outer Cassock: Called a Ryasa (Russian: ????) or Exorason, the outer cassock is a large, flowing garment worn over the inner cassock by bishops, priests, deacons, and monastics.
- Skufia: A soft-sided cap worn by monastics or awarded to clergy as a mark of honor.
- Kamilavka: A stiff hat worn by monastics or awarded to clergy as a mark of honor.
- Apostolnik: A veil worn either by nuns, either alone or with a Skufia.
- Epanokamelavkion: A veil extending over the back, worn with the Kamilavka by all monastics and bishops.
- Klobuk: A Kamilavka with an Epanokamelavkion permanently attached; more common in the Russian tradition.
In 1215, a church council made it mandatory for all the Christian clergy to wear a distinctive dress. Its purpose was not to necessarily elevate the status of the Christian clerics; it was intended that they would catch the public eye if any member of the clergy visited a tavern, a house of prostitution, etc.
- Cassock: A long-sleeved, hoodless garment most often made of lightweight black fabric. Cassocks are generally ankle-length.
- Clergy shirt: There are several types of clergy shirts:
- High banded collar: This is probably the most common type of shirt. It resembles a standard dress shirt, but has a standing black collar that is sewn to accommodate a white cloth or soft plastic insert, leaving a small white square at the base of the throat.
- Neckband: A collarless shirt (similar to a banded collar shirt) with a thin strip of cloth that fits over the neck of the shirt, creating a solid white collar that surrounds the neck, like a turtleneck sweater. The collar may be fastened with collar stays or buttons. These shirts are traditional in Catholicism but most often worn by Anglican clergy, particularly broad church clergy.
- Tab-Collar: A collared shirt that resembles a standard dress shirt, but with a smaller collar. The collar either buttons or pins flat against the shirt, and a white strip (about the size of a tongue depressor) is inserted to form a small white square. These shirts are the norm, as part of a Clerical Suit, for both Roman Catholic and Lutheran clergy.
- Full collar shirt and cassock: These are very similar to banded collar shirts, except the collar is higher. These are worn under a cassock or a a waist-length shirt modeled after a cassock, so that only the white square shows up (as in the tab collar shirt). When the cassock is placed over the shirt, the Nehru-like collar of the cassock (or cassock-style shirt) exposes only a small white square of the full collar shirt, creating the familiar "Roman" collar. It is not, however, a white collar attached to a contrasting color shirt, as in the case of the neckband shirt, but an all-white, high-collar shirt worn under the cassock or cassock-like shirt, so that only the white at the collar shows forth. However, most clergy choose to attach a clerical collar to the inside of the Nehru-like collar of the cassock or shirt, rather than wear a full collar shirt.
- "rabat", stock, or shirt-front: These shirts are similar to backless waistcoats; they are only shirt fronts with a neckstrap and waist strap to hold them on. They generally have a raised black collar (like a Nehru jacket) with a cut out section that reveals a white collar from behind. These shirts are very popular for clergy who do not normally wear clericals, as they may be slipped over the existing shirt in a situation where a clerical shirt is required. "Dickie"-style clerical shirts are designed to imitate a full collar shirt with a cassock-like shirt over top, and are typically indistinguishable from a full collar shirt when worn under a jacket.
Most Roman Catholic clergy choose to wear the cassock-style shirt with a full clerical collar or the tab-collar shirt, with the small white insert. In Rome, Roman Catholic clergy are permitted to wear black, grey, and blue clerical shirts, while in the United States they are permitted to wear only black, quite likely because of long-standing custom.
Anglicanism
Anglicanism generally follows the same traditions as Roman Catholicism in regards to clerical clothing, with some notable variations. Unlike the practice of most Roman Catholic clergy, many Anglicans prefer using the wrap-around collar (often colloquially referred to as a "dog collar") alongside the tab-collar. The use of the high-band collar is rare among Anglican clergy. The wrap-around collar is affixed by a stud to the top button-hole of the shirt, and a stud clipping the two ends of the collar together with the shirt at the back. Traditionally, Anglican clergy have worn the collar with a black shirt and attire; but many today wear shirts of a variety of colours and patterns with the collar. As with their Roman Catholic counterparts, more formal Anglican clergy may wear a rabat, perhaps with traditional pinstriped trousers and black jacket.
Anglican bishops alone are entitled to wear a purple clergy shirt as a sign of their office. Along with the pectoral cross and episcopal ring, this marks them off from other clergy in appearance. Clergy of the royal peculiars, senior chaplains to the forces, members of the Chapels Royal and Honorary Chaplains to the Queen may wear a scarlet cassock and a special badge (Queens cypher surmounted by St Edwards crown surrounded in oak and laurel leafs) on their stole.
Traditionally, Anglican clergy regularly wore the cassock in public. Although this is now rare, some clergy still elect to wear a cassock when within the precincts of their parish church. This may be worn with a Canterbury cap. Also traditionally, in a complementary fashion, bishops and archdeacons would wear a shortened version of the cassock, called an apron (which hung just above the knee), along with gaiters. The gaiters, buttoned up the side, would cover the trouser leg to a point just below the knee. This form of everyday vesture, common up until the 1960s, is now almost extinct.
Unlike their Roman Catholic counterparts, Anglican clergy typically favour the double-breasted over the single-breasted cassock; often with an external button at chest level on which to hook an academic hood (which is worn as part of the choir habit). Like Roman Catholic clergy, some Anglican clergy wear the fascia around the waist, while others prefer a belt.
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