Fashion and the dog collar

“I thought you oughta to know that if you want become a priest you will need to change how you dress. You cannot wear such fancy clothes.” OUCH! 

And I thought my dress was lovely.

This particular comment was made when I was still discerning the vocation of becoming a priest and it eventually became the starting topic for my undergraduate degree dissertation. Yes it upset me that much that I choose to write 9400 words based on one comment. I think it made me so angry because I love clothes and I reflect who I am through them. It also hurt me because it made me think that people must box up what a priest is and looks like. I then began to question, does this mean do I need to look like a white male? Do I need to rethink my appearance? Do people expect a 20year old women to  dress like a man and disguise herself? Sorry but I'm not prepared to do that.  I can be me and respectively represent Jesus to.

I hate to break it to people but the church is changing and many trainee priests and current priests are no longer hiding behind a male image. Consequently those who want to are reflecting their personalities through dress and becoming much more experimental in dressing with the dog collar. This is also reflected in recent articles in the church times. Nevertheless, female priests seem to be heavily scrutinised for their clothing choices. Sally Hitchiner was scrutinised for her dress by a blogger who described her as a:

‘sort of spectacle that traditional Anglicans feared when they allowed the ordination of women[…] We wouldn't expect a policewoman to accessorise her uniform like this - nor do her hair up like she's off to a ball[…] It's as though she's not taking the church seriously[...] Hitchiner was "parading" herself on TV with a "dog collar attached to a clubber's outfit", a combination which makes the church look ridiculous’.

Despite this, Hitchiner maintained her choice of clothing was suitable for her job as a priest and a university chaplain. She also questioned why it was wrong for a priest to be concerned and interested in fashion and Prada. I see no problem with this. As a result of Hitchiner’s style choices and other more daring priests they have paved the way for other women. As originally Hitchiner followed ‘the unwritten rules of the church’ and dressed dowdily, but ‘now she dresses in a way which reflects her personality’. And I am very glad she does this!

The women I interviewed for my dissertation all had stories of being scrutinised for their dress. I understand that priests should dress for the situation, but they should be able to enjoy the world of clothes and fashion! For example, it may not be appropriate to wear your biker jacket with your dog collar when visiting the new elderly couple in the parish, they may not appreciate it as much as you do. But, wearing it to visit the local biker pub would be a great opportunity to evangelise as, they’ll perceive you as being more on their wavelength and connect with you more easily.

 I feel many people have become lost in what the church has looked like and still does in some cases. Nevertheless, the church is an exciting place to be that is looking forward and the change in how's women priests are dressing is a small reflection of this.

In my opinion, it is good for a priest to be creative with how they dress as it leads to conversations and creates a new image of the church. So next time you’re out shopping and you see a pretty selection of high necked tops let me know because it'll go great with a dog collar.

 Be blessed

Steph