A person’s attire very often becomes the identifier of his, her or their faith. So is the case with Christian apparels. The clothes which enabled people to show that they are believers of Christianity have seen a lot of changes. Traditional Christian apparel is starkly different from what we see today as modern Christian apparel.
Christian Apparel: As it was –
What picture comes to your mind when you hear the words “a Christian man” or “a Christian woman”? What is that person wearing? Most probably the clothes which you have imagined are the traditional attires indicating the person’s faith. The following are some of the important apparels traditionally wore by Christians:
- Cassocks – It is a Christian clerical coat worn by the clergy of the Catholic churches. They come in various styles, though no particular symbolism is attached to them. They sometimes have ornamental buttons. The garments are fastened with a sash near the waist. They are generally black except in the tropical countries where they are white due to the heat. Buttons and piping in various colours like black, purple and red are added according to the ranks like priests, chaplains, bishops and cardinals.
- Stole – It is a long and narrow piece of cloth draped round the neck. It marks a distinction and symbolizes ordination. It might be crossed or uncrossed at the front, depending on the priest or bishop wearing it.
- Head-covering – Many Christian women wear the head covering all the time except for when they are sleeping. The practice exists since the time of the early Church.
There are other traditional apparels like certain variations of vestments and accessories which can help the person identify himself or herself as belonging to Christianity.
Christian Apparel: As it is –
Most of the traditional Christian apparel exists to the present day. However, Christianity has embraced other attires to help spread the love for the almighty God.
- The modern Christian apparel available today eliminates the mainstream inappropriate language printed on apparels, making them suitable for everyone to wear anywhere.
- There are numerous tee shirts and casual dresses printed with words spreading the love for God. For instance, “with God everything is possible” or “How can I pray?”
- There are apparels in various styles and designs like V-necks and short sleeved ones. There are loose fitting tee shirts for those who want to wear them. There are some forms of nightwear available today which can fall under the category of Christian apparel.
Availability, Inclusivity and Modifiability:
- There is a wide range of such Christian apparel available in the modern day and age on the internet. This makes it simple for everyone to choose what they want to buy for wearing.
- They are simple, comfortable and fashionable at the same time.
- The Christian apparel, today, can be worn at variety of places, be it schools, gyms or while going to some friend’s place.
- Their variety makes them very inclusive toward people of all age groups and also to people belonging to various weather conditions.
- There are many online services which let people print whatever they want on their apparels. These can become a great place for Christians to print out their favourite Biblical verses or messages on their apparels to promote what they believe in.
Conclusion:
The modern Christian apparel, owing to its variety, fashionableness and modifiability, has allowed people to ignore the inappropriate apparels which have flooded the market. People no more need to buy the apparels covered in improper content like graphics, memes and even foul languages. Gone are the days when people needed to purchase apparels they did not want to because of the lack of proper choices. The Christian apparels of today, with their messages of love for God, faith and grace, would definitely give the wearer the power to do something special. Not only that, these apparels would also inspire others who get to read the messages on them.
