More On Clergy Shirts

January 31, 2007 on 2:47 am | In Vestments And Clericals | No Comments

Good evening, petunias!

PeaceBang is actually very happy to be back at church, attending meetings, planning the stewardship campaign, and eating comforting bowls of soup.

(Fashion note to self: we love those big dangly necklaces that are so popular lately, but we do not love them in the Italian Wedding Soup by Progresso.)

Those of you who can sew (PeaceBang’s hands flutter helplessly at the wrists at the mere thought of sewing, and she even has her dry cleaner do her buttons for her after having stabbed herself in the finger with a needle once too many times) might want to looky here in the comments. Some fabulously caring and attentive readers have done serious research into clergy shirt patterns, bless their hearts!

http://beautytipsforministers.blogspot.com/2007/01/burning-questions.html

Going Native

January 28, 2007 on 9:53 pm | In Clergy Image | 3 Comments


Originally uploaded by Peacebang.

This is Jamie, my new friend. We met at Posada Santiago de Atitlan in Guatemala and she was a hoot.
She bought that beautiful huipile (a kind of shirt) in the village. Doesn’t she look adorable in it? It’s really made to be tucked into a long sarong-style skirt, but it looks great as a poncho.

Jamie is a respected dog behaviorist in Chicago. I bet you a million dogs that she won’t be wearing that outfit to work on Monday, or ever. Or maybe I’m wrong. Maybe she’ll pair the huipile with a denim skirt and a pair of boots, or belt it and wear it with trousers.

Ministers, I’ve noticed, like to don lots of native textiles and garments to show that they’re down with God’s people. I think this is a perfectly benign and understandable urge — after all, we live in a global village and there’s no reason to feel obligated to the Western uniform of suits and ties or skirts and jackets. However, some care should be taken that we do not assume that “indigenous” automatically means “appropriate.”

What are we trying to communicate by wearing a specific garment? Are we expressing a solidarity with a people who may or may not be “solid” with us? our savvy as international shoppers? or our sense of entitlement to wear whatever we want whenever we want?

If we wearing the garment out of context, ,do we have any responsibilities to explain ourselves (eg, “This is what the women in Guatemala wear every day, and I just wanted to show you their amazing embroidery skills?” or “Indian women would never wear this anywhere but a wedding, but I was so excited to show you, I wore it today”)?

We’ve raised these issues before, but they’re worth raising again every now and then. Comment away, mis estimados!

The Iron Is Your Friend

January 28, 2007 on 9:20 pm | In Basic Grooming Issues | No Comments

Whilst I was away, I got this comment from Anonymous:


“I must say, I went to my first big gathering of UU ministers the other day, and all of a sudden the need for this blog became very clear to me. I mean, I am not all about super-cute shoes or special mascara, but hey – let’s iron our clothes, people. There were only other ministers around, so it made it less painful, but I couldn’t help but realize that everyone probably didn’t dress down for the event – these were what they typically wore. There were exceptions, for sure, but it was not good overall. Yikes. Double yikes.”

Anonymous, my honest amigo/a, thank you for reminding us that the household iron is not an instrument of oppression if used in moderation.
PeaceBang is about to get very serious, for she deeply believes the following things about wrinkled clothes:

1. Failure to iron completely destroys the fit of the garment. If you absolutely refuse to iron, buy a size bigger. If you are a woman, you can be assured that a wrinkled button-down shirt will be gapping and revealing your bra. There will be no “Festival of Inappropriate Sharing” joke here: you’ve already heard it.

2. Wrinkled clothes are slovenly. There is no other word for it. When I see a wrinkled garment, I expect to see dirt. And why should I not?

3. Wearing wrinkled clothing takes away all the focus from your face, where it should be.

4. Wrinkled clothing communicates that you cannot take care of yourself as an adult. I only expect to see wrinkled clothing on college students, the extremely bereaved, and abandoned men of the generation and upbringing who expect womanfolk to iron their clothes for them. When I see an extremely wrinkled adult, it always tempts me to say to them, “There, there, little boy/girl… are you losted?” and hand them a lollie. They always seem so helpless and hapless.

5. There are thousands of garments made especially for the iron-averse. Those who hate to iron should stay away from cotton in their professional wardrobe, which is made to look crisp and put-together. Don’t insult the integrity of cotton garments by donning them in wrinkly form.

6. We all know the difference between casual, light cotton that’s perfectly appropriate to wear wrinkly, and the kind that’s not. Don’t kid yourself. When in doubt, iron it out.

7. Pretty much everyone hates to iron. This is not a charming eccentricity but a common complaint. As my dear old grandmama used to say, “Want another pierogie, Vick?”
That’s what she would say, but I would say, “Suck it up, my doves, and get out that iron.”

iron

Corduroy Jumpers Yet Again

January 28, 2007 on 8:56 pm | In Fighting Frump | 6 Comments


Originally uploaded by Peacebang.

You know how I occasionally display just the tiniest bit of flexibility about one of my iron-clad clergy fashion rule?

You don’t?
Well, I do! It’s just *very* occasional.

Like I might say, “Please don’t wear batik muu-muus… UNLESS you’re lounging at the pool having drinks with colleagues at the end of a hard day at a conference in Scottsdale, Arizona.” Or, “You should never, ever ever carry a cotton tote bag to a formal networking event… UNLESS your professional handbag or briefcase was stolen and you’ve just come from filling out a police report and didn’t have time to change bags.”

Sometimes I’ll betray my own instincts and say to colleagues, “That shapeless smock would look appropriate for work if you make sure to add some fun earrings and do your hair and make-up nicely.”

But I have seen the error of my ways. I will never again betray your trust and lie to you. You have Miss Mandy Moore above to thank for my new resolve.

Mandy is wearing what PeaceBang refers to as The Corduroy Jumper. PeaceBang fears and loathes the Corduroy Jumper, as it is too often worn by clergywomen who would apparently rather communicate, “It’s juice and cookies time!” than “I am a serious religious leader.”

Mandy’s jumper is actually fashionable. She is wearing fashionable shoes and fashionable opaque stockings. Her hair is gorgeous and her make-up impeccable (if far too sultry for clergy gals). And yet for all that, all I can think of when I look at her is

Romper stomper bomber boo

Tell me tell me tell me do…

So let PeaceBang retract an earlier ruling she may have handed down regarding the Corduroy Jumper. If I ever said that female clergy might be able to get away with wearing one to church if you wear polished hair and make-up, I take it back.

I take it waaaay back. Unless you’re wearing it for the Pilgrim Pageant, that is, playing John and Priscilla Alden’s great aunt named Patience or Mercy or Prudence or Fortitude.

* Photo of Miss Moore courtesy of Go Fug Yourself, taken Jan 21, 2007 in Park City, UT.

Burning Questions

January 28, 2007 on 8:28 pm | In PeaceBang Personal | No Comments

Darling readers, I’m back!

PeaceBang’s plane got in from Miami (via Guatemala City) very late last night, so she spent the night in Boston. You can believe that as soon as she got into her car this morning she reached for her handy tweezer and PLUCKED the chin hairs that had grown completely out of control over the past ten days, rendering her a total bruja!

And now that PeaceBang is safely home, before she even lowers herself into a bubbly tub, she wants to know how you are, and how are your beautiful selves? What questions have you for the coming week as PB catches up with church and life in general?

Beautiful People, Bonitas Gentes

January 22, 2007 on 2:47 am | In PeaceBang Halo Of Praise | No Comments

Hola, mis estimados lindos!

I write to you from the highlands in Guatemala, where I am going about in an batik muu-muu and having drinks by the pool whilst gazing at volcanoes. It’ very “Bali Hai.”

Seriously, though, PeaceBang must tell you that Guatemalans are extremely beautiful people and that she is humbled and inspired by their use of colorful, gorgeous fabrics to adorn themselves. The men in this region wear embroidered calzones (pants) that come down to the knee, and the women are breathtaking in floral embroidered blouses.

I don’t have much time to write, but really I just miss you and wanted to say hello.
I hope you’re being beautiful and happy. And moisturizing!

Kiss, kiss,
muchos besos,
PB

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