How does one deal with wearing a habit?

[Archus]

I mean seriously, how do you go to the loo or other everyday things? I’m contemplating it as an option and invariably I will be wearing the habit and I was thinking how would I do these things?

This is meant to be light-hearted and humorous so feel free to give us a picture of everyday wearing of habits!

 

[JPUSC]

If you’re thinking of a nun’s habit, that’s considered crossdressing, dude.

 

[Ocarm]

This is meant to be light-hearted and humorous so feel free to give us a picture of everyday wearing of habits!

Um, they’re just clothes like any other. But if you’re not used to wearing a dress, it may be a little difficult at first.

When I first started wearing the habit the two biggest challenges were that I would trip over the hem when I walked up and down stairs, and also that I would kneel on the cloth and make it bunch up so that I would then have to fight with the material when I stood up again. But now I am properly at ease with the many layers of my habit and can glide across the floor effortlessly and elegantly.

Usually.

 

[Catholic90]

If you’re thinking of a nun’s habit, that’s considered crossdressing, dude.

Since he is a guy, I think it safe to assume he was referring to a priest’s or a monk’s habit. (that clothing is also called a habit, you know!).

To the OP, most robes life off, so you could remove them, then go the usual way.

 

[LilyM]

It’s not that difficult. Even as a female I don’t wear long dresses (or even skirts) that often, but it only takes a little practice to get used to the stairs thing and the other little tricks.

I’d imagine most monks robes or other male habits are usually a bit shorter than those for nuns anyway, so less problematic in a lot of ways.

 

[Ocarm]

I’d imagine most monks robes or other male habits are usually a bit shorter than those for nuns anyway, so less problematic in a lot of ways.

Most male religious clothing is worn down to the ankle - that’s to say, the feet/footwear are usually visible to others, but little or none of the calf. These days it’s about the same for most female religious who wear habits, but of course in the past their garb would have been even longer.

Often it’s the layers rather than the length that are challenging - hot on warm days, but pleasantly insulating when it’s cold. I wear three layers - tunic, scapular and capuche - and occasionally a mantle on top. Because of the added weight that does sometimes become difficult to bear gracefully!

And you have to look out when eating, since a habit covered in food stains is not very becoming.

 

[Toribus]

I have to admit I wish Dominican sisters still had floor-length tunics, so they could look like they were levitating across the ground.

 

[JReducation]

We have two versions, the floor length tunic and the work tunic that reaches down just past the pockets on your pants. Most of the time I’m wearing the shorter tunic with jeans. Life is pretty normal. The short tunic is identical to the long tunic (capuche and all), but no cincture.

The long tunic has a cincture. The tunic must be no more than two inches from the floor. You learn to kick as you walk and you simply lift the front when climbing steps. You learn to do this in a very discrete way so that it’s barely noticeable that your lifting it. You lift high enough to raise your foot. When you go down steps you just pull the back forward so as not to trip the person behind you and to avoid wear and tear on the fabric. We have only two, one long and one short. They have to last a long time.

To go to the bathroom in the long tunic it’s simple. Our tunic has a 6" zipper at the neck. You open it and take it off. It pulls off like a shirt. We don’t have layers as do other Franciscans, Carmelites and Dominicans. It’s simple tunic with a capuche sewn on to it.

The Tau is won under the capuche so that when you take off the tunic it remains on the habit. It all comes on and off in one swift movement.

The most difficult part is learning to drive with the long tunic, something that I rarely do, because I drive a stick. But you learn. I can’t explain the mechanics, because it’s not something that you think about. You just do it. Ahhhhhh, there is one thing. I put the cincrture in my pocket. For those who don’t know, the cincture is the chord. It is very dangerous if you are in an accident and it gets caught on something. You can’t get out of a car quickly enough. I always fold the sleeves up, whether in short or long tunic, because they are wide and can get stuck when shifting gears.

Obviously, there were no cars when the classic men’s habits were adopted. LOL

I’m glad that Franciscans do not wear cassocks. I would be in agony having to wear the stiff choker style collar. I can hardly tolerate when I have to wear a Roman collar shirt. I was the kid who never zipped my jacket or wrapped my scarf around my neck. I don’t think I could deal with the buttons on a cassock either. I imagine it must be like wearing a coat over your clothes.

But in the end, I guess you get used to almost anything.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[RobNY]

And you have to look out when eating, since a habit covered in food stains is not very becoming.

Especially if you have a white habit…

I mean seriously, how do you go to the loo or other everyday things? I’m contemplating it as an option and invariably I will be wearing the habit and I was thinking how would I do these things?

This is meant to be light-hearted and humorous so feel free to give us a picture of everyday wearing of habits!

The Dominicans, and other orders, have the scapular on their habit blessed. So if you watch a Dominican closely when he sits, you’ll see him move the scapular out of the way before he sits down. Something else to get in the way!

 

[Toribus]

One of the small joys (and small-t “traditions”) of the Dominicans I’ve heard about is that Spaghetti is served for dinner after investiture.

That is, once the novices have just received their shiny, new, television-advertisement bright, white habits, they are fed spaghetti. Imagine how terrified they would be to get bright red sauce stains on that just-blessed scapular!

My investiture in the laity was only with the scapular medallion, and after the ceremony it’s generally worn under the clothing. Still, God willing I’ll be clothed again - this time with spaghetti to follow.

 

[RobNY]

One of the small joys (and small-t “traditions”) of the Dominicans I’ve heard about is that Spaghetti is served for dinner after investiture.

That is, once the novices have just received their shiny, new, television-advertisement bright, white habits, they are fed spaghetti. Imagine how terrified they would be to get bright red sauce stains on that just-blessed scapular!

Crazy. I’d have to eat only milk and mozzarella cheese.

My investiture in the laity was only with the scapular medallion, and after the ceremony it’s generally worn under the clothing. Still, God willing I’ll be clothed again - this time with spaghetti to follow.

When are you aspiring to enter?

-Rob

 

[JReducation]

Our novices wear a scapular called a caperone (small cape). When we were novices we always ended up putting those dumb things into soup, sauce and anything that would stain them nice and good. The worse part of it is that we only wash our habits once a week and wear them daily. You had to do the best you could with a wet cloth and some soap.

Were I a Dominican I would wear my black mantle to dinner every day. LOL

Br. JR, OSF

 

[Ocarm]

Especially if you have a white habit…

Fortunately, although we are called whitefriars, we Carmelites wear brown habits - a colour than can absorb a lot of different food types.

Our ceremonial mantles are purest (!) white, however, which is just one of the reasons we only wear them occasionally.

When you go down steps you just pull the back forward so as not to trip the person behind you and to avoid wear and tear on the fabric.

This is one of the dangers of wearing a floor-length scapular! Walk downstairs followed by another friar and they will invariably stand on the hem of your scapular trapping it underfoot and risking garrotting you as it pulls tight around your neck. A great way to thin the ranks of the community.

 

[JReducation]

Fortunately, although we are called whitefriars, we Carmelites wear brown habits - a colour than can absorb a lot of different food types.

Our ceremonial mantles are purest (!) white, however, which is just one of the reasons we only wear them occasionally.

This is one of the dangers of wearing a floor-length scapular! Walk downstairs followed by another friar and they will invariably stand on the hem of your scapular trapping it underfoot and risking garrotting you as it pulls tight around your neck. A great way to thin the ranks of the community.

Thank God that religious can’t sue their own communities.

Can you imagine filing for workmen’s comp because the friar behind you sent you down the steps and choked you at the same time by stepping on your trailing scapular? LOL

JR