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Bathing Customs In Communities


brandelynmarie

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faithcecelia

[quote name='LaPetiteSoeur' timestamp='1317771575' post='2315400']
I know about the beards, but do any orders let women with dark hair bleach mustaches? I bleach mine every few weeks, as I have really dark hair. Mustached ladies don't look very presentable!
[/quote]

I was trying to remember earlier some of the things I had seen in the depotrix's tray ay Q (you used to put her a note then she left whet you had asked for in a tray outside the depot). I definately saw facial wax strips and [i]think[/i] there may also have been Jolene. Even if I hadn't seen it, it would probably have been allowed if a sister asked for it.

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faithcecelia

[quote name='LaPetiteSoeur' timestamp='1317771686' post='2315402']

I have some sofe shorts I wear under all my skirts and dresses. After Catholic school, I never go anywhere in a skirt without something underneath other than undies. I will definitely see if I can wear them in the convent!
[/quote]

I think I would melt with an extra layer. On very hot days, if my work allowed (ie I wouldn't need to tuck up) I would leave my cotte off too. t was the hardest thing about the habit for me actually, and I was so relieved that the one terribly hot week I was there in the habit was a week I was in retreat, so only actually wore my habit at all for Mass! I had all sorts of plans for long walks, what I was going to cook myself to eat etc, and I just spent the week lying on the sofa sewing, studying in razzle dazzle baths, and scavenging for fruit in the kitchen garden! :hehe2:

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brandelynmarie

Faith, could you please explain what you wear under the habit? I'm sure it has been talked about on here before somewhere, but right now my mind is drawing a blank.

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faithcecelia

[quote name='brandelynmarie' timestamp='1317773393' post='2315412']
Faith, could you please explain what you wear under the habit? I'm sure it has been talked about on here before somewhere, but right now my mind is drawing a blank.
[/quote]


I can tell you what we wore at Q and what I gather they wear at NH - communities and orders will vary.

Obviously, you have underwear, and in winter some sisters would have thermals or wear leggings - I had taken some but never once wore then, it was just too hot for me.

Then you have the cotte (underskirt, shorter than the habit) and a top - at Q we wore 'normal' tops, like a t-shirt or jumper in winter, NH have tunics in either white or beige.

Over that goes the habit. This is usually fairly shapeless, though that does vary again, and does up the front with poppers or a zip. Then the belt and the collar (this is Carmel, or course) or tocque depending which they wear. Then the scapular over that. Cardigans on top when cold - I found these better than more underclothes as they were far easier to add and remove when necessary!

As we had old style veils but without tocques, we had to have something to pin them to, so had a choice of fabric bands, triangles or caps, then the veil on top.

Hope this helps.

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brandelynmarie

Thanks. :blush: i was drawing a blank with the underskirt/top/tunic. Do you always have to wear them? (I'm guessing they protect the habit.) In warmer months, I would be tempted to go without something! :notme:

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AccountDeleted

Pretty much the same at the Carmels with the traditional habit, but they also wore a white toque (referred to as a wimple in other orders) that encloses the head and goes under the chin. At WV, we could choose to have this stitched up under the chin or use straight pins to close it. I had straight pins but sometimes they would get dislodged and stick me, so I think the stitched up ones are probably safer and more comfortable - but not as adjustable for comfort. The underveil was pinned to the toque and worn all the time. Then an overveil was worn over this for Choir and Mass, but taken off and folded for doing work (like gardening or kitchen duties, etc).

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faithcecelia

[quote name='brandelynmarie' timestamp='1317774259' post='2315422']
Thanks. :blush: i was drawing a blank with the underskirt/top/tunic. Do you always have to wear them? (I'm guessing they protect the habit.) In warmer months, I would be tempted to go without something! :notme:
[/quote]


The top you could possibly get away without, but bear in mind Q was exceptional in washing habits regularly every month - on the whole it tends to be about 6mthly! It is far nicer knowing you can get the clothes touching you skin washed, especially as if its that hot you are probably perspiring :blush: I had to wear it as most of my work was in the kitchen and we took our habits off for that and wore smocks, changing in a little cubbyroom! The cotte actually made the habit far more comfortable - I had cotton for summer and wool for winter, with a polyester habit - but I did occasionally leave it off if I knew I could keep my habit at full length.


Oh and for Compline many of us would have our nightwear under our habits instead! :saint:

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AccountDeleted

[quote name='brandelynmarie' timestamp='1317774259' post='2315422']
Thanks. :blush: i was drawing a blank with the underskirt/top/tunic. Do you always have to wear them? (I'm guessing they protect the habit.) In warmer months, I would be tempted to go without something! :notme:
[/quote]


The underclothes are pretty much a personal choice. We wore the cotte and cotton undertunic (and I wore pettipants) and as faith said, it was optional to wear more underclothes (like long sleeved singlets in the cold) but in the summer, in addition to wearing a lighter weight habit, we could choose to wear less underneath (although we always wore the cotte). At Edmonton, we had a 'working habit' that we changed into before starting work (every time!!) and this was a lighter weight cotton cassock. They developed this custom in Macau (where they came from) because of the intense heat)... but it seemed silly to me in Canada where the temps were 40C below! In England I liked the warmer clothes underneath because the monastery was cold and mostly unheated (heat turned on in certain places at certain times only).

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brandelynmarie

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1317774356' post='2315424']
Pretty much the same at the Carmels with the traditional habit, but they also wore a white toque (referred to as a wimple in other orders) that encloses the head and goes under the chin. At WV, we could choose to have this stitched up under the chin or use straight pins to close it. I had straight pins but sometimes they would get dislodged and stick me, so I think the stitched up ones are probably safer and more comfortable - but not as adjustable for comfort. The underveil was pinned to the toque and worn all the time. Then an overveil was worn over this for Choir and Mass, but taken off and folded for doing work (like gardening or kitchen duties, etc).
[/quote]

What you are describing kinda reminds me of what I saw in that recent movie about St. Teresa de los Andes.They most definitely had more than one veil.

[quote name='faithcecelia' timestamp='1317774623' post='2315433']


The top you could possibly get away without, but bear in mind Q was exceptional in washing habits regularly every month - on the whole it tends to be about 6mthly! It is far nicer knowing you can get the clothes touching you skin washed, especially as if its that hot you are probably perspiring :blush: I had to wear it as most of my work was in the kitchen and we took our habits off for that and wore smocks, changing in a little cubbyroom! The cotte actually made the habit far more comfortable - I had cotton for summer and wool for winter, with a polyester habit - but I did occasionally leave it off if I knew I could keep my habit at full length.


Oh and for Compline many of us would have our nightwear under our habits instead! :saint:
[/quote]

Wearing your night habit under everything sounds so razzle dazzle!

Edited by brandelynmarie
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brandelynmarie

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1317774931' post='2315443']


The underclothes are pretty much a personal choice. We wore the cotte and cotton undertunic (and I wore pettipants) and as faith said, it was optional to wear more underclothes (like long sleeved singlets in the cold) but in the summer, in addition to wearing a lighter weight habit, we could choose to wear less underneath (although we always wore the cotte). At Edmonton, we had a 'working habit' that we changed into before starting work (every time!!) and this was a lighter weight cotton cassock. They developed this custom in Macau (where they came from) because of the intense heat)... but it seemed silly to me in Canada where the temps were 40C below! In England I liked the warmer clothes underneath because the monastery was cold and mostly unheated (heat turned on in certain places at certain times only).
[/quote]

Clothing as penance! It sounds like you could possibly change your clothes fairly often in a day! (Far more often than I do in a day! :hehe:)

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AccountDeleted

[quote name='brandelynmarie' timestamp='1317775288' post='2315447']

Clothing as penance! It sounds like you could possibly change your clothes fairly often in a day! (Far more often than I do in a day! :hehe:)
[/quote]

Well, at Edmonton, we changed a lot, but at WV I would never change because it was too complicated with straight pins on the shoulders and all the layers, and sometimes the pins even stuck into my shoulders! Talk about penance! And as faith said, it was easier to wear a cardigan and take it off than to take off all the layers. And we never changed into nightwear before Compline because it would have been too complicated and there was only a half hour between Readings (Matins) and Compline anyway. After Compline, I would fetch a bucket of hot water and take it to our cell, strip off (and there was a precise way to take off the habit and fold it too) and then have a good wash before changing into my nightclothes and night scapular etc. So, it is different in each community.

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OnlySunshine

[quote name='LaPetiteSoeur' timestamp='1317771575' post='2315400']
I know about the beards, but do any orders let women with dark hair bleach mustaches? I bleach mine every few weeks, as I have really dark hair. Mustached ladies don't look very presentable!
[/quote]

This is a little embarrassing:

[spoiler]I have such fair, sensitive skin with rosacea that I'm going to have to ask permission to bring my preferred razors with me (Venus Ocean or Sensitive). Since I cannot use any chemicals on my face (unless it is VERY mild), I have to use a razor or tweezers to get rid of the little hairs. It doesn't help when you have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome which causes excess androgens which leads to excess facial hair (hirsuitism). I absolutely have to use a razor because it's quick and relatively painless (unless I nick myself, of course). I also have to ask to bring my facial care products like face cream since I have dry skin on my T-Zone, wet wipes or mild cleanser, and Sea Breeze Sensitive Astringent. I hope they don't turn me away because of my permissions. ;)[/spoiler]

Edited by MaterMisericordiae
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OnlySunshine

[quote name='In His Light' timestamp='1317784125' post='2315528']
Mater, I have PCOS also so I know where your coming from...totally!
[/quote]

Always good to know that I am not alone! :)

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