Christian Clothing

[Rival]

It just occurred to me that Christians don't have any specific clothing they wear. It struck me as odd. Why is this? Most religious groups have some kind of requirement; Sikhs have turbans and even swords; Jews have kippot, shaving restrictions etc.; Muslims wear kufis, hijab, thawb, long dresses etc.; Dharmics have salwar kameez, dhoti etc.

I'm wondering why Christians have nothing like this? It seems to be a large feature in many religions.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

It just occurred to me that Christians don't have any specific clothing they wear. It struck me as odd. Why is this? Most religious groups have some kind of requirement; Sikhs have turbans and even swords; Jews have kippot, shaving restrictions etc.; Muslims wear kufis, hijab, thawb, long dresses etc.; Dharmics have salwar kameez, dhoti etc.

I'm wondering why Christians have nothing like this? It seems to be a large feature in many religions.

I assume because Jesus promoted a very ascetic lifestyle, so it's hard to work special clothes into that.
Mormons have special underwear they wear to services.

 

[exchemist]

It just occurred to me that Christians don't have any specific clothing they wear. It struck me as odd. Why is this? Most religious groups have some kind of requirement; Sikhs have turbans and even swords; Jews have kippot, shaving restrictions etc.; Muslims wear kufis, hijab, thawb, long dresses etc.; Dharmics have salwar kameez, dhoti etc.

I'm wondering why Christians have nothing like this? It seems to be a large feature in many religions.

But most Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Buddhists do not wear any special clothing either. It is only those who wish to make a point of it, for some reason.

 

[Rival]

But most Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Buddhists do not wear any special clothing either. It is only those who wish to make a point of it, for some reason.

What I'm saying is that this clothing exists at all, if they want to have some religious clothing it's there. It says 'I'm a Jew/Muslim/Dharmic' etc. If Christians wanted to do this, it doesn't exist.

 

[Nimos]

It just occurred to me that Christians don't have any specific clothing they wear. It struck me as odd. Why is this? Most religious groups have some kind of requirement; Sikhs have turbans and even swords; Jews have kippot, shaving restrictions etc.; Muslims wear kufis, hijab, thawb, long dresses etc.; Dharmics have salwar kameez, dhoti etc.

I'm wondering why Christians have nothing like this? It seems to be a large feature in many religions.

Priests, munks, pope, cardinals, nuns etc. For the more general public, a lot might wear a cross, but yeah no special clothing as such for the common believers.

 

[Sirona]

Today's free preaching

Romans 13:13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

 

[Rival]

Priests, munks, pope, cardinals, nuns etc. For the more general public, a lot might wear a cross, but yeah no special clothing as such.

This is true but I'm talking about layfolk. There's nothing like a hijab or kippah.

 

[exchemist]

What I'm saying is that this clothing exists at all, if they want to have some religious clothing it's there. It says 'I'm a Jew/Muslim/Dharmic' etc. If Christians wanted to do this, it doesn't exist.

Yes I suppose that's true. I suspect it will be because there is nothing in Christian scripture about how one should dress and because in most Christian countries, for centuries, Christianity has been the default for everybody so it would not have seemed to serve any purpose to mark oneself out.

 

[Nimos]

This is true but I'm talking about layfolk. There's nothing like a hijab or kippah.

Yeah, I know, I updated the post as it sounded like I was provoking you a bit, in the way I wrote it. Which was not my intention, I merely meant that they might just wear a cross, which is not clothing and that I agreed with you

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Yes I suppose that's true. I suspect it will be because there is nothing in Christian scripture about how one should dress and because in most Christian countries, for centuries, Christianity has been the default for everybody so it would not have seemed to serve any purpose to mark oneself out.

Yes, there actually is a good deal about how Christians should be dressed, and per scripture it would look more like the Amish or Mennonites.

 

[exchemist]

Yes, there actually is a good deal about how Christians should be dressed, and per scripture it would look more like the Amish or Mennonites.

Where?

 

[Jainarayan]

Dharmics have salwar kameez, dhoti etc.

That springs more from a cultural thing than religious, I think. Most men at temple wear western clothes though most women do wear saris or salwar kameez. A few women wear western clothes, almost all kids and young people do. On rare occasions I wear a dhoti and angavastram (the shawl men drape over the shoulders). On day an older woman complimented me, and motioned to her husband saying “I wish he’d dress like that”.

 

[Batya]

It just occurred to me that Christians don't have any specific clothing they wear. It struck me as odd. Why is this? Most religious groups have some kind of requirement; Sikhs have turbans and even swords; Jews have kippot, shaving restrictions etc.; Muslims wear kufis, hijab, thawb, long dresses etc.; Dharmics have salwar kameez, dhoti etc.

I'm wondering why Christians have nothing like this? It seems to be a large feature in many religions.

I actually do think wearing head coverings of some kind should be part of Christianity, due to both the example in the tanach and instructions in the NT. This did used to be a practice to a large degree I believe (although it was probably common with most women in those times), with references to it in early writings and even in more recent times such as the pilgrims. Also I think up into this past century it was common for women to wear hats to church, but now it's all pretty much fallen out of practice.
Of course that's still only for women, but it would still be something in the vein of what you're talking about. Other than that, maybe one reason why Believers don't have certain distinguishing clothing is that we were told to be known to others by the way we treat each other and our walk of faith rather than outward clothing or accessories.

 

[pearl]

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

 

[Rival]

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Meanwhile I'm pretty sure Paul says something about wearing headcoverings at worship.

 

[Heyo]

It just occurred to me that Christians don't have any specific clothing they wear. It struck me as odd. Why is this? Most religious groups have some kind of requirement; Sikhs have turbans and even swords; Jews have kippot, shaving restrictions etc.; Muslims wear kufis, hijab, thawb, long dresses etc.; Dharmics have salwar kameez, dhoti etc.

I'm wondering why Christians have nothing like this? It seems to be a large feature in many religions.

Historically they had. There are the commandments (no mixed fabric, no hook and eye) and there were lots of clothing regulations in medieval times, given out by churchly and secular leaders, often repeating and interpreting the bible to keep people modest.
This quasi theocracy strongly connected to feudalism led to the erosion of clothing rules with the erosion of the monarchs and the power of the RCC. Some conventions were kept alive as folk traditions (wearing some head covering outside, dresses and skirts are for women (and should be at least as long to cover the knee), trousers and shirts are for men, etc.). Some of them were still seen as "Christian" 'till the '60s of the last century.

 

[Rival]

Historically they had. There are the commandments (no mixed fabric, no hook and eye) and there were lots of clothing regulations

While I don't debate much of what you wrote, the above isn't true. These regulations apply to Jews and always did only apply to Jews, not Christians.

 

[Heyo]

While I don't debate much of what you wrote, the above isn't true. These regulations apply to Jews and always did only apply to Jews, not Christians.

Christians were always good at picking what applied to them and what not, especially when it was about what should apply to their subjects or congregation.

 

[Rival]

Christians were always good at picking what applied to them and what not, especially when it was about what should apply to their subjects or congregation.

This was actually hashed out in the time of the apostles, according to Acts. It was decided that non-Jews had no need to take on Jewish laws, which is based on the Jewish understanding that non-Jews are not beholden to the Torah, only to the 7 Noachide Laws.

 

[Vee]

It just occurred to me that Christians don't have any specific clothing they wear. It struck me as odd. Why is this? Most religious groups have some kind of requirement; Sikhs have turbans and even swords; Jews have kippot, shaving restrictions etc.; Muslims wear kufis, hijab, thawb, long dresses etc.; Dharmics have salwar kameez, dhoti etc.

I'm wondering why Christians have nothing like this? It seems to be a large feature in many religions.

The Bible says people should dress modestly, but it doesn't impose any specific styles, which I think is cool. Different cultures have their own styles, fabrics, colors, etc and Christians can easily adapt wherever they are. A man wearing a suit and tie in a certain country is not more Christian than another man wearing a colorful attire with no tie in Africa. They can both be Christian.