The history of costume in religious ceremonies and as worn by religious figures, such as priests or shamans or other spiritual leaders, has shown interest in, if not relevance of, distinguishing religious leaders from the greater population and endowing him/her with a certain authority. By virtue of marking distinction, ceremonial costume not only makes others aware of a spiritual figure’s role but can be appreciated to confirm to the wearer his own mission and responsibility to his respective belief-system.

Examples of costume in religion are available from every culture. In the western religions, we are most familiar, perhaps, with the dress of the Jewish rabbi or the Catholic priest or Christian minister, as well as the Muslim imam. The history of Jewish religious dress is more extensive and references to specific garments worn by the Jewish High Priest are even found in the Book of Exodus. According to Rabbinical study, each garment worn by the priest was meant to atone for a particular sin committed by the Children of Israel. The symbolism of different attributes of the garments is rich and has lasted through the Rabbinical tradition of millenia. Similarly, the early Catholic Church defined the ceremonial costume that is retained by Catholic clergy today. Certainly, the garments of priests within the hierarchy of the church have been somewhat embellished throughout the centuries but the basic cloak that underlies the embellished vestments is a relic of the Roman tunic that was the layman’s form of dress during the 4th and 5th centuries.

When fashions began to change in Europe and the simple tunic evolved into more gender-defined garments, with alterations in hemline and waist definition, the clergy held on to the tunic-robe form and in this manner classified themselves apart from the general population. The sacred vestments of the church would evolve to show distinctions in color (green, white, red, violet, and occasionally gold) but over time would essentially remain integral as a tradition. During the period of the religious reforms and the particular religious fervor at the turn of the first millenium, marked by the Crusades and religious pilgrimages, monasticism redefined itself through the establishment of the new mendicant orders. These ascetic orders, such as the Dominicans and the Franciscans, took vows of poverty and relied on the charity of the general populace. They also distinguished themselves in their garments, both from other Church figures and from greater society. Franciscans wore rough brown wool robes with ropes as belts and Dominicans wore white and black robes. Interestingly, the mendicant orders and the institutional church figures both had the intention of catering to the spiritual interests of the population though they did so from very different vantage points, as is apparent through the costumes they inhabited.

*image– various Roman garments
*image– St. Francis of Assisi, painting by El Greco
*image– Way of Salvation (detail), Triumph of the Dominicans, painting by Andrea da Firenze, 1365-68

Tags: Ancient History, Andrea da Firenze, Catholic priest costume, Christian minister costume, costumes and authority, costumes and distinction, Costumes in History, costumes in the crusades, el Greco, Jewish High Priest costume, Jewish rabbi costume, Medieval History, Religion in History, religious costumes, religious garments, religious pilgrimages, roman clothes, roman clothing, Roman garments, roman tunic, St. Francis of Assisi, The Crusades, Triumph of the Dominicans, Way of Salvation