Favorite postulant outfits..2.0

[FlowerofCarmel]

Whats your favorite postulant outfit...? and what order is it from!

 

Also, how many Carmelite communities you think still retain the traditional "St Theresa of the Andes" postulant habit? 

[Swami Mommy]

I loved Julie Andrews' postulant outfit in the Sound of Music (esp. the buttoned tab collar) and the one that Audrey Hepburn wore in The Nun's Story.  (I know you wanted real orders' postulant garb, but I think most postulant outfits today look like throwbacks to the '50's and '60's and are not at all attractive).  

I don't understand why orders select such homely garments for their postulants.  At least the regular habits of fully professed nuns have some interesting features.  Nowadays, what young woman would be caught dead wearing a Peter Pan collar?  Who wears baggy shifts?  Who wears belts around a shapeless jumper?  What twenty-something young woman wears sleeveless vest sweaters?  I would like to see a six gore midi-length skirt in the order's habit color, a simple white jewel neckline blouse which is princess-seamed and of medium weight, which buttons in the back at the neck, and which ends just below the skirt waistband to give a tailored, neat appearance, a short cape to match the skirt color to rest the hands under, a simple long silver necklace chain with a religious medal depicting the order's founder, and nylons or tights (black if it's a black skirt) and slip-on rubber soled plain flats for the feet. It would also be nice, too, to have a very short veil to cover the hair to reduce prep time in the morning.

See the photo of Julie Andrews kneeling with the Mother Abbess: http://www.frockflicks.com/top-15-iconic-costumes-from-the-sound-of-music-1965/

And Audrey Hepburn's postulant outfit in The Nun's Story: http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/2009/the-nuns-story-1959/413/ 

Something like this long skirt and the second blouse with a jewel neck: https://www.etsy.com/listing/199816124/womens-skirt-pattern-gored-skirt-or-bias?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_b-craft_supplies_and_tools-other&utm_custom1=54dd0e87-11ea-47b3-8193-05cdbc2048f1&gclid=CjwKEAiAi4a2BRCu_eXo3O_k3hUSJABmN9N1N-MLDu_ok-Hu-ieE1ciDeGcVbXSZeCkRvwxt9dcSPxoCRRjw_wcB 

And something like this for a cape: http://www.sewnews.com/articles/Sew_A_Chic_Capelet?bc=c

I think a Postulant should be able to wear something that will give her the feel of wearing a modified, simple habit. 

[NadaTeTurbe]

13 minutes ago, Swami Mommy said:

I don't understand why orders select such homely garments for their postulants.  

Modesty and humility. As said a sister to us : "The postulant outfit is not pretty, because you're not here to be pretty." 

I like the postulant outfit of the little sisters of the lamb. It's the skirt of the same fabric than their regular habit, with a white t-shirt and a cross. Outside of that, postulant outfit is not common in France. 

 

[MarysLittleFlower]

As much as I like Audrey Hepburn's outfit (especially the cape), I don't really mind the 'homely' ones like the jumpers or vests. I think just coming into the convent, if I had a really nice outfit I would feel elegant and my attention would be on that. If I wore something plain it would help me to get rid of the vanity I've developed over my life. The actual habit may be beautiful which many are, but when I just come in I think there is an advantage to wearing something I dislike.

I really don't mind peter pan collars though ;) 

[emma8201986]

My daughter wears a simple grey skirt and vest but the shirt has kind of a peter pan collar.  To me she looks like a high school student.  At least if she had a little veil,  it would be clear she is a sister.  She never says anything about it but I don't think she likes it.  I understand that  no one should care and it's a vanity to worry about clothes, but we're all human beings.   Sisters are still women and the young women entering today are mostly college graduates or women in the 20's - why make them dress like they are children? 

[DominicanHeart]

Personally I think some of the modern postulant outfits are quite cute

[NadaTeTurbe]

But postulants aren't sisters... That's why they aren't dressed as sisters. Because they are not. 

[MarysLittleFlower]

One thing I appreciated about the St Teresa of the Andes postulant outfit (in the movie..) is the simplicity of it. You really get that sense of giving up everything for God especially compared to just seeing her dressed in.the pretty dresses with lace etc in the rest of the movie. 

Some of the outfits back in the day were actually quite nice, like Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity. But their general clothing had more detail in it so I don't think it felt as fancy to them. 

[Sr Mary Catharine OP]

48 minutes ago, emma8201986 said:

My daughter wears a simple grey skirt and vest but the shirt has kind of a peter pan collar.  To me she looks like a high school student.  At least if she had a little veil,  it would be clear she is a sister.  She never says anything about it but I don't think she likes it.  I understand that  no one should care and it's a vanity to worry about clothes, but we're all human beings.   Sisters are still women and the young women entering today are mostly college graduates or women in the 20's - why make them dress like they are children? 

Actually, your daughter isn't a sister. There is no specified "habit" for postulants and in Europe they mostly wear lay clothes. That is more the custom from the past, not a little habit with cape.
If a community provides a sort of uniform for postulants it tends to be something simple and modest. It's sort of impossible to have a postulant uniform be "modern". I'm not a fan of Peter Pan collars for anyone over 12!

4 hours ago, NadaTeTurbe said:

Modesty and humility. As said a sister to us : "The postulant outfit is not pretty, because you're not here to be pretty." 

5 hours ago, Swami Mommy said:

I loved Julie Andrews' postulant outfit in the Sound of Music (esp. the buttoned tab collar) and the one that Audrey Hepburn wore in The Nun's Story.  (I know you wanted real orders' postulant garb, but I think most postulant outfits today look like throwbacks to the '50's and '60's and are not at all attractive).  

I don't understand why orders select such homely garments for their postulants.  At least the regular habits of fully professed nuns have some interesting features.  Nowadays, what young woman would be caught dead wearing a Peter Pan collar?  Who wears baggy shifts?  Who wears belts around a shapeless jumper?  What twenty-something young woman wears sleeveless vest sweaters?  I would like to see a six gore midi-length skirt in the order's habit color, a simple white jewel neckline blouse which is princess-seamed and of medium weight, which buttons in the back at the neck, and which ends just below the skirt waistband to give a tailored, neat appearance, a short cape to match the skirt color to rest the hands under, a simple long silver necklace chain with a religious medal depicting the order's founder, and nylons or tights (black if it's a black skirt) and slip-on rubber soled plain flats for the feet. It would also be nice, too, to have a very short veil to cover the hair to reduce prep time in the morning.

See the photo of Julie Andrews kneeling with the Mother Abbess: http://www.frockflicks.com/top-15-iconic-costumes-from-the-sound-of-music-1965/

And Audrey Hepburn's postulant outfit in The Nun's Story: http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/2009/the-nuns-story-1959/413/ 

Something like this long skirt and the second blouse with a jewel neck: https://www.etsy.com/listing/199816124/womens-skirt-pattern-gored-skirt-or-bias?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_b-craft_supplies_and_tools-other&utm_custom1=54dd0e87-11ea-47b3-8193-05cdbc2048f1&gclid=CjwKEAiAi4a2BRCu_eXo3O_k3hUSJABmN9N1N-MLDu_ok-Hu-ieE1ciDeGcVbXSZeCkRvwxt9dcSPxoCRRjw_wcB 

And something like this for a cape: http://www.sewnews.com/articles/Sew_A_Chic_Capelet?bc=c

I think a Postulant should be able to wear something that will give her the feel of wearing a modified, simple habit. 

Since the usual style of today seems to be a style-less t shirt with jeans I'm not sure what the fuss is all about regarding postulant clothing. Postulants come and go and their clothing is temporary. The more designed it is the more fitted it has to be to the particular person. We have a closet FULL of jumpers in every size, length, etc. and believe it or not, someone STILL can't find one that fits!

To answer the question what about what twenty-something would wear a the things you mentioned, most habits aren't exactly fashionable, either!
It didn't stop Sr. Cristina from performing on The Voice in Italy! Actually, the "generic" habit worn a lot in Italy (which she wears) is quite neat and tailored. It's not really a habit but more a simple dress.

 

[vee]

I like the Nashville Ops postulant outfit.

[josephine]

Most communities that i know don't have any postulant garb. Usually just a medal or a cross. After all, a postulant is not a part of the community, not a sister. She is someone who is looking into the life of the community and discerning to spend the rest of her life there.

Entering religious life is a pretty big shock so i can imagine it would be nice to, at least for the first 6 months - 1 year, wear your own normal clothes.

I do know that the sisters of Bethlehem and the community of st John have a huge dark blue "hoodie" during the beginning stages of religious life. It looks so incredibly comfortable that i would almost enter just to wear that 

 

 

[DominicanHeart]

1 hour ago, vee said:

I like the Nashville Ops postulant outfit.

Yeah I do too. And the fact that they have them wear the chapel veils 

[Nunsuch]

I think too much attention to something like this risks over-emphasizing the externals over the important spiritual and other internal dimensions of religious vocation. Ultimately, it doesn't matter. Even if one is interested in eventually wearing a habit--and many communities do not--any candidate uniform would only be worn for a very short time, and isn't really terribly important in the larger scheme of things. 

[Spem in alium]

Mine is my favourite  In my congregation, membership begins from postulancy, so as postulants we become "Sister". In congregational houses in Europe, from what I've seen postulants often wear jumpers and skirts...and a shirt with yes, you guessed it, a Peter Pan collar  In Asia, it looks like more of a modified version of the habit. There are no other pre-novices in my province, so we've had to sort of come with our own one... I just wear a white blouse, black skirt, and the medal I received at entrance. It's simple and comfortable for me. 

[Sister Leticia]

Here in the UK there may be one or two monasteries which have a regulation skirt or pinafore (what Americans call a jumper) or even a little veil for postulants, but the ones I've seen - or seen photos of - don't. The same goes for those apostolic orders who still wear any sort of habit. Their postulants wear their own clothes. The community might specify colours or that clothes be plain or discreetly patterned, or say only skirts and dresses - but a lot will simply leave it to the postulant's good sense to know what's appropriate.

This is nothing new. Even before Vatican II, when RSCJ wore a very full habit, postulants wore their own clothes, though in specified colours. And I think this may have been relaxed during and just after the War when clothes, wool and material were rationed. One good effect was that postulants from poorer families didn't have to spend money buying clothes unnecessarily - which they would only wear for about 6 or 7 months at most. And if they had to buy anything - for example if they didn't own any plain blouses or black skirts - then they could buy things in a sale, whatever was most economical, because they didn't have to buy specific collars or styles.

Postulants, as has been said already, are not yet sisters, even if their community calls them sister. Canonically, they're on the threshold, and this can be emphasised by the community excluding them from certain meetings or dispensing them from certain practices or obligations. So the difference in clothing is just an external part of this.

But as we're on the subject, I do have a question about postulant outfits...

I've seen blogs, FB pages etc from young women in the US desperately trying to raise the money with which to pay off their loans. And some of these also have long lists of things to buy, including very specific blouses, skirts, shoes etc. I don't know how much this comes to, but I assume it could be a few hundred dollars, especially as much of the list seems to contain things no young woman would already own. And some of these -like the skirts, blouses and pinafores - are things they might only wear for 12 months or less. This seems really tough, on top of paying off huge loans.

Meanwhile, postulants in the same congregation they've applied to join might leave, sometimes after only a few months - or become novices. Either way, they won't wear certain things any more, ever again. So what happens to the clothes they will no longer wear? Are they given to their families or do departing postulants take them when they go home? 

Is there any way the congregation can keep things which are in good condition in order to offer them to those future postulants struggling to raise money? I know people come in different shapes and sizes, but even one or two items might be a help. As Sr MC said, postulants come and go and their clothing is temporary: so to me it seems sensible not to waste lots of money buying whole new outfits.