"Let not yours be the outward adorning
with braiding of hair, decoration of gold,
or wearing of fine clothing. But let it be:
the hidden person of the heart,
with the imperishable jewel
of a gentle and quiet spirit.
This is precious in God's sight."
1 Pet 3, 3-4

"Appropriate clothing makes us human."

                                        William C. Breda

"A clear-headed and sensible man moves through his world in decent and suitable clothing."

                                         G.K. Chesterton

Outward appearance and clothing have always been essential markers of personality. Besides its functionality, clothing has, in a certain way, expressed a person's nature. The questions surrounding how we dress reach back to ancient times, where one must look for the origins of certain rules concerning dress that have remained established down to the present day. Clothing is a symbol rich in nuance: it represents dignity - royal, priestly or prophetic; the garment a believer wears is woven from evangelical attitudes: mercy, goodness, humility.

In the Bible, clothing is a symbol of identity, dignity, and condition, and points to what is in someone's heart. In the stories of creation, God clothes Adam and Eve, who, after committing sin, realise that they are naked. The nakedness that here gives rise to shame points to the experience of human frailty, of the wretchedness caused by sin, which severs the relationship with God, and, as a consequence of that act, they lose the dignity of God's children: "They realised that they were naked." They were naked before the rebellion too, but they were not 'ashamed' of it then (Gen 2,25). Now that nakedness has become unbearable to them: "They took fig leaves and made themselves clothing." They seek refuge in covering themselves: they hide from each other's gaze. They must 'show themselves' in order to hide the being they have become, or rather, what they have lost of their being, and because of which they find themselves 'stripped bare'; it is a 'lack' that they must hide from the eyes of others, of themselves, and of God.

Barthélemy explains the need for clothing in this way: "Man is a being who seeks far more to cover himself than to dress himself. He tries to play a role, to appear, to have the look... of an angel, and so does woman. But, to be precise, this is man's attempt to show himself; to exist, at least in the eyes of others, if he cannot with sufficient certainty exist in his own eyes. This gives at least a little peace: the realisation that he may seem attractive or dear to someone else. After this "first sin" man feels himself watched, that is, judged. The gaze of the other is his torment. He is afraid of it, but he cannot help himself. Clothing is the means that allows him to show himself while at the same time hiding. But God's gaze passes through the garment and the hiding place in which he finds himself: «They heard the sound of God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from God among the trees of the garden. God called to the man: "Where are you?" he said. "I heard the sound of you in the garden," he answered, "and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself."

In the parable of the merciful father, too, the symbol of clothing prevails: in leaving home, the son not only squandered his goods, but, together with rejecting his father, also cast off his identity as a son. On returning home, the father, the only one who could do so, had him dressed in the finest robe, showing that he is a son, and not a servant (Lk 15,22).

St Paul explicitly uses the image of a garment for what happens in baptism: "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal 3,27). This is what happens in baptism: we clothe ourselves in Christ, He gives us His own clothing, and this is not an outward thing. It means that we enter into an existential communion with Him, that His being and ours are united, interpenetrate one another: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" - this is how Paul himself, in the Letter to the Galatians (2,20), describes the event of his own baptism. Christ bore our clothing: the pain and joy of being human, hunger, thirst, weariness, hopes and disappointments, the fear of death, all our anguish - even unto death. And He gave us His own "garment". What Paul sets out in the Letter to the Galatians as a simple "fact" is, in the Letter to the Ephesians, a lasting task: "You must put off your old self with its former way of life! … [You must] put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness". For the Christian, indeed, expresses through his behaviour the values of Christ that live within him, namely: gentleness, goodness, humility, meekness, generosity, mercy, kindness.

 In the Book of Revelation, clothing is a mark of the martyrs (Rev 6,11), but also of the great multitude, which no one could number, whose robes have been washed in the blood of the Lamb; the angels, too, are clothed in pure linen, pointing to the priestly function they will perform; the bright robe of fine linen, of great worth, stands in contrast to the rich and glittering attire of the harlot (17,4; 18,16).

The Book of Revelation describes a woman clothed with the sun (12,1) who, in biblical language, points to a beauty that reflects God Himself. For Christians, this woman is Mary, the mother of Jesus. She is, in turn, a sign of the Church in her deep identity as the presence of Christ in history, who brings forth the children of God. In the account of Christ's Transfiguration, His clothing became white as light, or dazzling, which points ahead to His paschal glory (cf. Mt 17,2; Mk 9,3; 9,29).

This subject was also a matter of concern to the early Church, as attested by the surviving works of early Christian writers as far back as Tertullian.  A more concise treatment of this theme is given to us somewhat later by St Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, in his little work De habitu Virginum (On the Dress of Virgins).

The very title indicates that the concept of dress here refers to the conduct and behaviour of virgins. Rather than through outward appearance, virgins should express themselves through inward beauty. That beauty is lasting and imperishable, unlike the jewellery and garments that adorn the body. Virgins are the splendour of the Church, and Bishop Cyprian, in this work, gives instructions on how virgins should conduct themselves. It should be noted straight away that St Cyprian does not turn young women away from marriage; indeed, marriage is something he encourages, but he rebukes licentiousness, fornication and false pretence. He addresses those who wish to serve the Church, but warns them how they should behave and what they should strive for, if they wish to receive God's gift for this. It is important to be trustworthy in whatever one chooses to serve - both one's family and God. Virgins are flores  Ecclesiae (the most beautiful flowers of the Church). Cyprian, as a bishop and an authority, encourages and exhorts them along this path in a spirit of friendship, but also warns them.

The structure of the writing is similar for each thesis: the statement of a position, support from a Scripture citation, a warning, and finally an encouragement. For instance, in the first passage, when speaking of discipline, he begins by setting out his position and the importance of discipline, and supports it from Scripture. Discipline is the guardian of hope, the bond of faith, the guide of the path of salvation, the spur and the nourishment of a well-formed natural gift, and the teacher of virtue. It makes it possible always to remain in Christ, to live unfailingly in God, and to reach the promised heavens and the divine reward. To follow discipline is profitable for salvation, and to neglect it is ruinous, which he supports with a citation from Scripture: "In the psalms the Holy Spirit says: 'Keep discipline, lest the Lord be angry, and you be led astray from the right way, and his wrath be quickly kindled against you from on high.'"

In the third chapter, Cyprian finally begins his discussion of virginity, where, at the very outset, he reveals what virginity truly means to him, and who the virgins are: "Now we must speak of virgins; the greater their glory, the greater the care they require. The virgin is the flower of the Church's stock, the beauty and ornament of spiritual grace, a joyful offshoot, an untouched and unimpaired work of honour and praise, the image of God answering to the holiness of the Lord, the more radiant portion of Christ's flock. The glorious fruitfulness of our mother the Church blossoms the more abundantly and rejoices through her, or through them. The more abundance of virgins is added to her order, the more the mother's joy increases. To them I address myself, and I encourage them, more by love than by authority. I do not fear that, being the least of all and conscious of my own lowliness, I should be judged; rather, cautious and concerned, I fear all the more the assaults of Satan."

Inward beauty is something one should strive for and by which one should attract attention, and wealth should be shown through helping others rather than through adorning one's own body. St Augustine did not wish to wear finer or more attractive clothing than those he was set over. If someone brought him a more ornate garment as a gift, he would accept it, but would order it to be sold, so that the money raised for it could be shared with others, since the garment itself could not be divided. He wished to surpass them in dignity and love, but to be their equal in dress.

St Ambrose says something similar in his Treatise on Virginity: "See how she walks along, puffed up, like an idol on a triumphal car, she who dresses with the intention of pleasing. Drawing to herself the attention and the gaze of all, by that very thing with which she seeks to please, she meets with contempt. She grows hateful to the people before she pleases her husband.". 

Pope Pius XII once declared: "Many women…have given in to the tyranny of fashion, to such an extent that it is now quite obvious that such dress is indecent. They have even lost the very notion of danger: they have lost their innate sense of modesty. People who are often "too easily led" or "too lazy" to exercise their own critical judgement frequently accept the first thing offered to them, and only later become aware of the mediocrity and indecency of a particular fashion."

The Catholic journalist Marian Therese Horvat explains: "The cultural upheaval involves a shift in styles, giving rise to a "careless", "relaxed", levelling and vulgar manner of dress and conduct meant to replace the existing order and values fostered by Christian civilisation."
She goes on to explain how this shift affects our way of thinking and the health of society:
"Today, we can see that this levelling revolution has produced profound changes in people's mentality - even among conservatives. Dress is changing in a way that strongly imposes the idea of equality between the sexes (the same clothing for both sexes) and the levelling of social classes. The businessman and the lawyer no longer wear suits, the professor looks like a student, and the doctor like his own gardener. The consequence of the hidden philosophy behind this upheaval is the creation of a vulgar and sexually liberal culture meant to replace Catholic culture. Catholics are called to be a counterweight to this anti-Catholic cultural revolution. One of the ways in which they could, and should, do this is by choosing clothing that reflects our Christian faith."

The reason why the "inner need to safeguard…honour is much stronger in women" is explained by the Franciscans: "The female body is, in a certain sense, more sacred than the male, because her body is capable of bringing forth life, a new human person created in the image and likeness of God, with an immortal soul breathed into it that will last for all eternity. Since the female body has this power and dignity, it must be treated with respect, and it must be 'veiled' with modest clothing. Immodest clothing profanes its sacred character."

The late Cardinal Giuseppe Siri   says that "all children have an instinctive sense of their mother's honour and propriety". And so, although "a child does not know the definition of exposure, indecency or infidelity… it has an innate sixth sense to recognise it when it appears, suffers because of it, and can be bitterly wounded in its soul by it."

Pope Benedict XVI, at Mass on 5 April 2007: "the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy tells, in a short story, of a stern ruler who asked his priests and wise men to show him God, so that he might see Him. The wise men could not fulfil this wish of his. Then a shepherd, just returning from the fields, offered to take on the office of priest and scholar. The king learned from him that his eyes were not sufficient to see God, but he then wished at least to learn what God had done. 'For us to be able to answer your question – the shepherd said to the king – we must exchange our clothes'. Hesitantly, but driven by curiosity for the information he expected, the king agreed; he handed over his royal robes to the shepherd and had himself dressed in a simple, poor garment. And then comes the answer: 'This is what God does.' Indeed, the Son of God - true God from true God - abandoned His divine splendour: '...he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men; and being found in human form he humbled himself... unto death on a cross' (Phil 2,6 ). God – as the Fathers say – carried out the sacrum commercium (the sacred exchange): He took on what is ours, so that we might receive what is His, and become like God".

Pope Benedict XVI shares with us one of his own experiences and reflections on the importance of dress: "In 1968, in Tübingen, I experienced the student revolt at first hand, and it was striking to observe how these young people, who had rejected their fathers and the world in which they had grown up, dramatically emphasised this through their way of dressing too: for they knew that what they were had to be shown, had to find its expression. I think there is something important in this: the position that concerns us cannot remain purely internal, it must also show itself, must appear. Whoever hides himself does not bear witness and does not influence others, for it must be assumed that he himself doubts whether what he once did was truly right and is still worth living for".

Marko Marulić says that "those who strive to clothe and adorn their soul with the spiritual garment of virtue have no need of bodily clothing, except so far as natural necessity requires it.  Coarse and simpler clothing is, without doubt, a mark of a more restrained life, while soft and lavish clothing marks a more dissolute one.  As for footwear, it is well known that the apostles used only sandals, which in the book of Acts of the Apostles are called "caligae". And this kind of footwear does not cover the foot, but only supports it. By their example they showed that it is enough for the part of the foot that treads the earth to be covered, while the part turned toward heaven remains bare. For it is fitting that one who walks rightly and devoutly should be open to heaven and not to earth, to God and not to men. Let those laugh at this poverty who do not know that the Church which Peter founded once gloried in poverty, and lost her wonder-working power once she began to heap up riches. None of the rich now heal the sick by their word, yet in those days the half-naked high priests raised even the dead to life".