Should Postulant's Outfits Be More Aesthetically Pleasing?

[Pax_et bonum]

I don't think I've ever seen truly ugly postulant outfits--no stripes and polka dots together or anything
I want to wear one for the practical reason of not having to pick out what to wear everyday especially if that day begins at 5am-ish. Same for the postulant veil, so I don't have to mess with it or worry if it looks greasy. I don't really care what it looks like as long as I can do what I need to in it, and hopefully it's comfortable.

[Emma]

Here's my 2 cents. There's a difference between "aestetically pleasing" and fashionable. In my opinion, a postulant's uniform is great - it avoids focusing on clothes and unifies the new postulants. All the communities I am looking at have some form of uniform for postulants. I recently saw a fairly young sister who was not wearing a habit at a conference. While she was a professed sister, the example still works. How to put this nicely? she was "very well endowed" and I could see many of the men at the conference more interested in her figure than anything else. The fact that she was wearing a thin polo shirt only exacerbated this. A sensible and attractive uniform which flatters all figures is not difficult to make - witness the Nashies and several others that have been discussed on this thread. The little cape which we often associate with a traditional postulants attire covers "endowments" and is simply traditional. I don't really care if the uniform is a jumper or skirt and blouse so long as it is uniform and doesn't call attention to curves. I'm not suggesting that sisters try to disguise the fact that they are women but dressing modestly doesn't necessarily mean you are trying to hide what you are. I also like the idea of a little veil - some postulant outfits look like school girl uniforms and a veil clearly indicates that you are a religious and not a senior at Sacred Heart High. In looking at the pixs of postulant classes at Nashville and Ann Arbor - some of those girls have lots of hair - it must be a pain to blow dry and style in limited time. A little veil would avoid this issue.

[Strictlyinkblot]

Most places I visited postulants wear their own clothes but in the words of one Abbess 'Nothing that would distract in choir'. Personally I do like the idea of some kind of a uniform as it makes you feel more like you're part of the community, even though you're only at the beginning stages. And I would want to look neat and modest.

[the171]

Ehhh... I think, especially with active communities, it should be presentable, not fashionable, and workable. So... yes. Aesthetically pleasing mostly with active communities.

I voted "depends"

[dymphnamaria]

[quote name='Emma' timestamp='1326297841' post='2366936']
I also like the idea of a little veil - some postulant outfits look like school girl uniforms and a veil clearly indicates that you are a religious and not a senior at Sacred Heart High. In looking at the pixs of postulant classes at Nashville and Ann Arbor - some of those girls have lots of hair - it must be a pain to blow dry and style in limited time. A little veil would avoid this issue.
[/quote]

I remember when I told some postulants that it is better that a veil would be added to the habit. The superior when she heard about it told me it is exciting to wear veil during novitiate.

[emmaberry]

Edit: [img]http://www.poorclaresroswell.com/Postulant-in-the-Garden.jpg[/img][img]http://www.poorclaresroswell.com/PCC5.jpg[/img]

The Roswell Poor Clares has a scapular-tunic like dress that is not floor length, with a white long sleeve button down collared shirt underneath. I love that it includes a small veil. I see veils used more often for postulants in contemplative communities, which makes sense, since even with a veil there is a rather large jump from the postulants getup to the full-on Poor Clare habit: undertunic, floor length habit, rope belt, wimple, and all!

Though I'd love to see active postulants with a veil, I understand what the superior said about 'moving up', dymphnamaria. It makes sense that, for active with the simple veil and no guimp/tocque/wimple, the veil is held until the novitiate. If the active postulants wore the same postulant garb as the Roswell PCCs, there would not be much to move up to, as they are already wearing a tunic-dress and veil.

I voted depends, because though we here on VS may say it doesn't matter, if you speak with lay-people who see these postulants/Sisters in their garb, it does matter to them. The postulants outfit (and the habit), for that reason, should be beautiful for those onlookers who see it, not for the individual wearer, it seems. Many will argue that the ND/DSMME do not attract people with the habit alone, but it certainly helps!

Edited August 30, 2012 by emmaberry

[TheresaThoma]

I was told the SMMC postulants wear a veil since Mother knew the postulants would be working in a school with younger kids. She wanted the kids to understand the postulants were "Sisters in training" not just older girls from a different school.
I particularly love the SMMC outfit. As candidates (which lasts for a couple of months) they wear a navy blue (same fabric as the habit) jumper with a white blouse. Then when they officially become postulants they get a short veil. Simple uniform but not like the habit.

Edited August 30, 2012 by TheresaThoma

[OnlySunshine]

I wish the postulants for my Sisters wore a veil. In the USA, they wear lay clothes since they don't have a formation program here yet but, in the Motherhouse, they wear the white long-sleeve button shirt and a black jumper.

[AveMariaPurissima]

I seem to be somewhat in a minority, but I actually do like the Ann Arbor and Nashville postulant outfits.
Here's what I'm going to be wearing: (it's the only picture I can find that shows the outfit!)
[img]http://uniradioserver.com/userfiles/images/Monasterio_Monte_Tabor_001.jpg[/img]
We wear a blue jumper, the same shade as the habit, with a white tunic underneath. The postulants have a matching blue veil. And of course, we have a miraculous medal! The jumper is really long -- the one day I wore it I kept tripping on it getting up from kneeling, and it was a little bit of a challenge to negotiate it with all my tasks. The Sisters told me it takes time to get used to it, so eventually I should be fine.

[mantellata]

I agree about the Nashville and DSMME postulant outfits. (I think they are quite nice and functional). On a level of personal aesthetics (which really doesn't make a difference when you are wearing it only for one year) I prefer the look of a skirt and blouse with a vest to a jumper. The jumper very often makes the wearer look like they are 12. The plus of a jumper is that it is less likely to be confused with an airline stewardess when one is out and about!

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='mantellata' timestamp='1346513312' post='2477151']
I agree about the Nashville and DSMME postulant outfits. (I think they are quite nice and functional). On a level of personal aesthetics (which really doesn't make a difference when you are wearing it only for one year) I prefer the look of a skirt and blouse with a vest to a jumper. The jumper very often makes the wearer look like they are 12. The plus of a jumper is that it is less likely to be confused with an airline stewardess when one is out and about!
[/quote]

I love jumpers. I have a denim one that I often wear to Mass. I don't mind the skirt and vest but I am glad that my Sisters have the jumper.

[mantellata]

^^^ truly a situation of personal taste!

The best part about either is that it is a lovely outward sign of the commitment one hopes to one day make! Also - being that it is simple and the same as everybody else - it helps work on that whole womanly desire to "stand out" with our attire. Happily claimed for the Lord, there is no need to impress!

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='mantellata' timestamp='1346522522' post='2477203']
^^^ truly a situation of personal taste!

The best part about either is that it is a lovely outward sign of the commitment one hopes to one day make! Also - being that it is simple and the same as everybody else - it helps work on that whole womanly desire to "stand out" with our attire. Happily claimed for the Lord, there is no need to impress!
[/quote]

Absolutely! Like I said last night, I wish the postulants for my community wore a veil but it's not a make or break situation so I love them nonetheless. I'm just really happy to even be at the point in my discernment with my community. I'm praying I hear something very soon.

[mantellata]

Prayers that they get back to you quickly -- waiting for acceptance is such a hard thing... worse than interviewing for job positions IMO.

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='mantellata' timestamp='1346541029' post='2477341']
Prayers that they get back to you quickly -- waiting for acceptance is such a hard thing... worse than interviewing for job positions IMO.
[/quote]

Thanks! My mom got after me tonight for mentioning it because she thinks that even talking about it is not letting go of it and letting God take care of it. I've rarely mentioned it! I told her that it was OK to think and talk about it as long as I'm not obsessing or driving myself crazy...

[dominicansoul]

to respond to the original post...

I think postulant uniforms should be the ugliest things you've ever worn, because it makes you really really really long for the habit


AND

You can use the wearing of the ugly thing as a source of many "offering ups" for the more struggling sisters in your group.

AND

Its a small price to pay when you will be wearing the most beautiful "uniform" you will have ever worn for the rest of your life! (the habit!)

[maximillion]

My three cents worth.............

In my time in community we went from having Postulants wear a very heavy, ugly sort of fit-you-all version of the habit (except it wasn't the habit, it was just a bulky black pinafore dress over a white blouse with a cape). The Possies wore a black lace mantilla to chapel and we had to put our cape on whenever we were not in the noviciate common room, but take it off for work. It was impractical and gave one every reason/opportunity to 'offer up' as well as LONG for the holy habit.

Then we went to grey habits and the Postulants wore a grey skirt and white blouse with a grey cardigan and a white lace mantilla for chapel.

Then it was proposed we all get an allowance and buy 'something grey' with it, and the Possies came ( few of them and fewer ) in their own clothing and wore nothing on their head in chapel.
Now, this is a fully enclosed community I am talking about.
I left before I had to buy anything grey( via the over worked externs).

I like that the outfit for postulants is in the same or a similar colour as the sisters, that they are distinctive and most definitely a Postulant and not a girl guide or school girl, so a medal, or a distinctive embroidery....but not a veil. I think when we go into the Holy Habit and the true significance of the veil, that is for Clothing, when we become a nun or a sister as the case may be.

[Katiebobatie94]

well i know the daughters of st paul have a formal "uniform" that they where to professions, and when they do media shows and whatnot, but normally they wear like a white/blue/grey/black polo or button down shirt with a navy blue skirt and sometimes like a sweater vest. and they also wear that through their novitiate too. they don't recieve a veil or habit until they make their first profession of vows.

[Mary's Child]

I haven't seen any orders that wear any sort of veil as part of their postulant outfit. At least not outside the chapel. I know the Carmelites of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles have a chapel veil for their postulants but they don't wear it otherwise. Actually I hadn't even considered wearing a veil as a postulant only because I hadnt seen it done but I would like that I just feel like the hair needs to be covered. I wore a chapel veil for a short time but I dont anymore partly because the pastor at my parish asked me not to. I keep trying to find ways ways to cover my hair when I go out. I.E. hats, bandannas etc.
As far as the postulant outfits I like the one worn by the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart is beautiful. It's just a skirt and vest with a white blouse underneath and when they become novices they just add a white veil. They also wear a small gold pin with the shield of their community.

[Chiquitunga]

Most Carmels I know of have a simple veil for their postulants. I've only seen a handful that don't. My favorite is this one

[img]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lABHR20abt8/T40pmRcSYuI/AAAAAAAABFk/hvk3mmnWuac/s512/postulante.jpg[/img]