Dear Duckies,
Mrs. Philocrites has asked me to speak about clerical dickies. You know, these little items that you buy for way too much money so that you don’t have to wear a whole shirt with a clerical collar?
Now, PeaceBang doesn’t wear a collar on a regular basis and has more mellow opinions about how to wear them than she does about other items of clergy attire. If PeaceBang felt obligated to wear a collar every day, she might also get overly-creative and make the blooper of which Mrs. Philocrites complains in a recent comment, which is to wear a sundress with a dickie collar.
Sacre bleu! Sacred blue cheese! That doesn’t sound like a good idea, duckies!
Because really, isn’t a clerical collar all about the projecting the dignity of the ordained ministry, and isn’t a sundress all about being a cute summery girl in strappy flat sandals? If you wear the two together, I fear the image you’re projecting is Cute Summer Minister, and I think that’s more about wanting to be seen as cute and feminine and being comfortable than living into the image of the office. What do you think, gals? Care to defend? I’d be interested to hear. It just seems like confused image to me.
(Of course, if you’re wearing a sundress and Birkenstocks or the like, rather than lovely sandals or shoes, I’m afraid that you’re definitely kayaking around the Isle of Frump.)
When I saw the comment from Mrs. Philocrites I remembered a conversation we had a month ago where she told me that some women actually wear dickie collars under items of clothes that gap and SHOW SKIN. Let me clarify. To provide a real-life example in response to my disbelieving face, she told me about a female priest who wears a loose tee-shirt with a deep scoop neck that obviously reveals that our good Rev. is wearing a dickie. And over that (help me, Lord), a jumper.
Pastors, don’t let this happen to you!! Holy social faux pas, Batman! The whole point of a dickie is to spare you the discomfort of an extra layer of clothing, not merely to provide the means for you to slap a collar around your neck. The public should not be able to tell that a priest is wearing a dickie any more than they should know a professional woman is wearing a bra by the sight of her bra straps (which should never, under any circumstance, be visible on professional women in the workplace).
Dickie duckies, do tuck those dickies in and look sharp for Jesus. And please, talk amongst yourselves about the outer limits of pairing Cute with Clericals.
(Here are some lovely young priests in collars. PeaceBang is not fond of the gray color — too industrial, and she urges slim-enough priests to tuck in their shirts whenever possible — the “outie” style just looks so unfinished. Both of these gals would look so much smarter if they tucked in their shirts and added terrific belts. In fact, tucked-in works for all but the most plump among us, I think).
And, of course, women wearing Roman collars (and tabs are Roman) seems a little incongruous. I have a dickie (that accommodates a full-round collar), but have not found an appropriate way to wear it, despite my fantasies prior to purchase. I have been known to wear a black clergy shirt un-tucked, with linen trousers (it would show through atrociously if tucked in), and also with shorts or full shorts (not a skort, but easily taken for a skirt, like a short culotte). For our strawberry festival, I wear my clergy shirt and collar (because I want to be quickly identifiable to visitors) with shorts. But not usually.
Wow; those colors are pretty awful. But yeah, collar with sundress – if I saw that in the street I would be aghast.
Real Women don’t wear Dickies. They wear Janies.
Or at least they have a look at there. Womenspirit makes them. (They also make a maternity clerical blouse! Rather frumpy-looking but it’s a start.)
Oops! I messed up the link to the Janies. Let me try again. Click here.
Thanks, PB, for addressing this important topic!
As to untucked dress shirts, the style for younger women is now generally to wear dress shirts untucked, as long as they are fitted and have a rounded hem. I took my clergy shirt to my tailor and she added darts and made the hem more rounded so I can wear it out. Tucking in shirts just seems to cut me in half.
The tucked in shirt is not my friend. Just by merely inserting the hemline of the shirt into the waistline of my pants – abracadabra! – she’s gained 15 pounds! But, alas, I do it for Jesus, in the spirit of not having little old ladies yell at me for not tucking in my shirt…
Those clergy women would also be prettier and more professional-looking if they’d stand up straight when someone’s taking their picture! It’s possible to look polished without tucking in the shirt, but the easiest way to look like a fifteen-year-old is to stand like one!
The dickey is nice under a jersey pantsuit with a wrap or tunic top–that’s how I usually wear mine. I have worn it under a similarly made dress, but one does have to be careful.
I have some fitted clergy shirts I wear out with a neckband collar. A nice jersey mock neck can also be fitted with a collar, and that’s a good otion particularly as a layer.
The women in the picture are doing some things right: their hair and makeup seem polished and professional. If the woman on the right can keep her hair looking that smooth and in place without constantly touching it, bravo. Also, the jewelry is understated. I don’t mind the light blue on that lady at all. It is a good color for her. With white instead of khaki, it would look quite polished.
The dark grey is somber and would definitely benefit from more a formal approach such as more fitted tailoring and a skirt in rich wool. Maybe a muted herringbone in black/grey?
In general, I’m of mixed feelings about the tucking issue. I really like Mrs. Phi’s rounded hem idea. I never used to wear my shirts out, but the newer styles of pants and skirts have lower and lower waistlines and sometimes it is very difficult to find something that is tuckable.
The woman in the khaki pants is sporting a look that doesn’t work on any of us: the totally wrinkled lap look. If your pants look like that after sitting a few hours, time to look for one of those new miracle fabrics. Do any of us really want to call attention to our laps?
And yes, yes, YES, do stand up straight! Notice how shlumpy one could look by putting one’s hands behind the back. It stretches the front of the blouse, leading to possible gapiosis of the buttons. While standing with arms straight down may feel a bit unnatural, it doesn’t look that way to others. Arms are at the ready for shaking hands, patting shoulders, and gratefully accepting cups of coffee.
I think the woman on the right is pregnant. As far as tucking goes, I always tuck, but lately it has been difficult with the waistline getting lower and lower on slacks.
oops i meant the woman on the left. my bad.
Having read this, I am now having a crisis. I haven’t misused a janie, but I am wearing my blouses untucked. I started wearing Faconnable brand blouses during CPE and that look really works for me. How thrilled I was when I found a similar 3/4 length sleeve with rounded tail clergy blouse at Women Spirit!
But there’s more… I’ve been wearing them with fun patterned skirts. And perhaps I have been looking cute! Yikes!
I have to say, the comments on this site have given me a good chuckle. My sister is one of the people in the photo above. What is funny is that the picture chosen for this article is a picture from an online catalogue. The photo’s main purpose is to sell the shirt. This is why the shirts are untucked. The women asked to tuck in the shirts but were told no. Also, the two women are not ministers but work in the head office of the denomination selling the shirts.
But, commenting on the photo gets away from the original intent. Ministers (both men and women) can look good, fashionable, and professional even within the dress expectations of their denomination. Ministers can also make huge fashion mistakes. Thankfully, some clerical shirts are now making clergy shirts that fit women properly (the shirts shown do not).
Unfortunately female ministers are often the target of criticism over fashion. I know many female ministers who have had inappropriate comments on what they were wearing even when they dressed appropriately and professionally. It is interesting that the gender bias of clergy appearance has not come up in this discussion.
Has anyone bought the shirts from Heavenly Comfort? They seem to be comfortable but I am worried if they look sufficiently “official” enough.
http://www.heavenlycomfort.com/product_line.htm#Style%20“I”%20White%20Insert%20Only
[Hi hon. I bought one and never wear it because it just doesn’t look official enough, but my friend Hank looks great in his. So I don’t know! – PB]