When my daughter first arrived from Sudan she had a backpack, a baseball cap and some toys that had been given to her on the plane. Over top of her jeans she was wearing two dresses which were her Sunday dresses, a reflection of her Orthodox Ethiopian upbringing. These were important dresses, which not only shaped her, but also spoke clearly about what was deep within her. Religion, faith or spirituality has had a long connection with fashion. It has defined people of faith as to what they believe or did not believe.
Clergy collars are good examples of a response to fashion. At a time when men’s collars were getting larger and becoming very fancy, clergy made a statement by keeping their collars simple, again showing what they believed and who they were. Historically other religious groups have used fashion to define themselves as an outward expression of their faith. Is our fashion an outward expression of our inner belief, or does our fashion shape our inner being?
We all know the problems and the issues with the fashion world: poor employment standards, bulimic models, drugs and sex. It is the calling of people of faith to draw attention to these issues and work at changing their effect on folk especially children.
Is there a connection between resurgence in the fashion of the fifties and a search for faith? I have recently experienced young men coming back to church. I would describe their fashion sense as French cuffs, bow ties, fedoras and suits. These young men seem to have walked off the set of ‘Mad Men’.
It seems to me they are looking to discover something of a time gone by. We have seen it in other eras, a rediscovery of the past, nostalgia for earlier times.
The place where these young men are looking for spirituality is the traditional worship service. They are looking to bring ritual and ceremony into their lives through the traditional language and hymns. However it is not just a one-day-of-the-week experience they are looking for but also a lifestyle change. The outward dress and style is a reflection of the inward form they desire to create.
We see this connection in an ancient letter written by a man called Paul: ”Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it.” Paul in his letter to the community in Colosse uses the connection between faith and fashion. It is a connection between outer appearance and inner self.
Is fashion a choice that is made solely by those who market clothing or is there a connection between what we feel is important and what we wear as an outward expression of our belief? If so, rowdiness, modesty, creativity, imagination, cheekiness, and even brashness reflect what we believe to be true in the world and in the realm of spirituality. How does our faith shape our understanding of masculinity, femininity, identity, and even justice issues?
As we continue to search for a statement to make because of what we believe about faith and spirituality can we be helped by these words from an ancient letter?
“Dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense.”
What are we saying with what we wear and how we dress? How will people look at us because of our outward appearance? How is our spirituality, faith or religion shaping our fashion statements?
The Right Reverend Logan McMenamie is the Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of British Columbia
*This article was also published in the print edition of the Times Colonist on August 9 2014
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