Why Do Some Quakers Dress Plain?

[@spacecorgi3074]

"Quakers dress pretty much like everyone else" To me, this is just the modern contextualisation of the Quaker belief of plain dress is. To me, George Fox's advocacy for plain attire wasn't about any particular "look" as much as it is about just not dressing *up* for reasons such as vanity or arbitrary superiority, etc. I don't think he'd be driving a stake in the ground of the fashion timeline and saying "This is plain dress from now and forever", I think he was just saying "Wear what's plain for whenever you're alive"

[@user_kH9bw3ns1]

LOL I agree! Every dude tryna look like Jared Leto on an island retreat in cool light linen and a big hat would be funny. Plain but a whole thing!

[@emilysha418]

It seems to me like modern plain dress would be jeans a black t shirt.

[@mariedmarie187]

I've always thought of "plain dress" as dressing in a manner that does not draw attention. So, I agree with your interpretation of "plain dress".

[@daisymaygames]

I am standing here in black jeans, a plain black shirt, black sweater, and a simple small black head cover. 😂 you’re 100% correct (but also I’m a goth girl at heart, it’s plain but also I still get to feel like the mistress of the night) my head covering is pretty vague so nobody ever pegs me as being religious

[@godofwealthfortuneandprosp6730]

​@@daisymaygames😂haha! Interesting. A picture of you would help, quite an imagination for me. Enjoy yourself, you deserve everything bit.

[@StaramarianQueen]

I’ve wanted to get connected with other plain dress Quakers. I’ve mentioned this before, but I don’t have an accessible meeting around me, so it often feels like I’m in my own little Quaker bubble.

[@chrisdavid1410]

Same here, but I see it as an advantage. All good things in time.

[@djsaintmusic7819]

Girl same

[@beau8966]

oh, same about the isolation. i enjoyed hearing people's versions & reasons of plain dress.

[@kassrripples3659]

Where are you near? Maybe someone could connect you in? I’m in Houston Texas but from Australia... I only discovered plain dressing this year because of discovering Mennonites.

[@chando8338]

Have you considered starting your own Meeting? The PDF "When you're the only Friend in Town" is really helpful.

[@caitzs]

I've always been drawn to modest dress, thrifted or handmade clothes, natural fibers, practical washable clothes, and avoiding brand names. I wore whatever hairstyle was easy and simple, including a covering for a while to keep bangs out of my face. I never realized this qualified as Quaker plain dress.

[@stevenwebb2241]

Im reminded of a quote from the 8th Century English Monk Alcuin of York: "It is better to adorn with good habits the soul which will live forever than to deck in choice garments the body which will soon decay in the dust"

[@KellyTawni]

Appreciated all the different perspectives and reasons that draw people to plain dress.

[@esthermarcen7587]

I am a Quaker in Finland and I do dress normally, but plain and simple.

[@theonlyenekoeneko]

I don’t wear advertising on clothing either.

[@lizfield4816]

When Quakers first espoused 'plain dress' including grey or undyed homespun, the way one dressed was an indication of class and status. Only wealthy people could afford pretty colours, and could wear particular garments. So Quakers decided to dress plain and also not be wasteful with extra lace and other decorations. Clothes were all natural fibres, cotton, wool, linen, silk. These differences do not exist in our society. Clothes for all income levels are brightly coloured. Unfortunately, clothing has become so cheap and badly made that people buy new clothes continually, and vast quantities are recycled or end up on rubbish tips. It is ironic that cotton clothes, once the mainstay of inexpensive dressing have become a rarity and pure wool is extremely expensive. So, my response to dressing is to wear my clothes till they fall apart and buy second hand clothes when possible. I still have and wear pure wool jumpers and sleeveless pullovers that my mother knitted me; and they are all between twenty and thirty years old. As an aside, a typical Quaker woman in my YM wears sensible shoes, slacks, jeans or a skirt, and blouse, jumper, T-shirt or whatever is appropriate for the weather conditions. The men also wear sensible shoes, trousers or jeans, in fact similar to what the women wear except the skirts. Ties rarely make an appearance.

[@sylviadailey9126]

Your comment clarifies things so much. Thank you. One of the Quaker values is equality. Having everybody wear plain clothes helps support that. That is so the rich won't show off and try to lord over everybody else. You are right about the color thing. The best example of this is how purple and blue are associated with royalty even to this day. That has its orgions in expensive dye made from seashells. The royalty wore purple clothes to show off, just like how they wore golden bejeweld crowns to show off. Things are different now. Blue is a very common color in modern clothes especially jeans. Purple is less abundant. However it has more to do with being feminine and less to do with being expensive. I am a poor person living off of government welfare. Yet even I have brightly colored shirts. I got them from every color of the rainbow, even blue and purple. I do prefer to stick to solid colors. There is nothing too fancy. I like wearing dark pants, typically black and navy blue. They are solid too. So I think I fit the Quaker idea of plainess a little bit. The guys in the video have duller colors than I do though. I prefer to dress for comfort and practicality as opposed to looking pretty. I do not like the fashion industry. It is too superficial for my taste. I think it can have a corrupting effect on women and girls that get into it way too much. This can lead to eating disorders, and that is gross. If Quakers, even Quaker women, can resist this corruption, then that is great by me.

[@remedyke1]

Oh this is what my elderly uncle was talking about years back when he asked if I wore a bonnet. I thought he thought I was Amish. So interesting. Thx for this.

[@effluviah7544]

I really want to get into plain dress, but I don't have the ability to cycle out what clothing I currently have due to my financial situation; I just can't afford to get basics of anything aside from what I've already got, even though wearing all the patterns and the complexity of organising what I have currently is increasingly uncomfortable for me. However, I look forward to being able to one day express my faith in a way that is comfortable and suitable for me and my expression of faith. In my case, that means plain dress (and donating my current clothes to charity once I can, at least the ones still nice enough to do so)! This is a wonderful video that only reassures me further that I have made the right choice and that plain dress is something I am looking forward to being able to do. (And for those thinking I can make my own, apparently I have a learning disability which makes tailoring/sewing very difficult as I can't understand measurements. I tried anyway, but the results weren't very good, and I don't want to waste any more fabric that someone else could put to much better use!)

[@kassrripples3659]

Is there a way that you could connect with a group for a clothes swap? Or perhaps check into a goodwill or charity reuse store, to find the odd item to add in to your wardrobe while you pull out to donate any items you decide are no longer serving you, even if you decide to cut up that item to use as a cleaning cloth ... repurpose... look up project 333 perhaps you could be a minimalist and approach what you wear with a different perspective.

[@sianjasper2153]

I’m a Quaker & 99% of Quakers don’t dress like this. However, we probably wouldn’t be too big on the blingy aspects of clothing & fashion. We dress like everyone else. It these people want to plain dress that’s their choice.

[@kenarcade6224]

I personally don't like the beards, too messy looking. But I'm not a man, so I won't judge. Dressing plain sounds okay, but sometimes a bit of color in your shirt or dress just makes you feel happy. Can you be plain, but colorful? After all, God made the flowers and they're colorful.

[@plusbonus1165]

Wear what you want. You don't need to dress drab to externalise your beliefs. Ps, is Ken a girls name or are you non binary or something. Not judging , just intrigued.

[@salyluz6535]

@@plusbonus1165 Kendra

[@jalabi99]

3:59 Sikhs have a similar belief around the way they dress - they don't want to blend in, they want to stand out and be clearly known as Sikh. So interesting how two vastly different religions have common aspects like this.

[@gracerc6154]

When I wore a type of plain dress, I found myself just slipping into judgementalism. I stopped because I didnt like that feeling. Now I just try to be fairly simple and not stand out.

[@caitlinsoliman1658]

I like her head covering

[@MarinaMichaels]

Fast fashion is an environmental and social problem, and I do my best to not contribute to it. Starting at 1:49, it sounds like I've been dressing like a Quaker my entire life: plain, non-fancy clothes (made from natural fibers); thrift store clothing; making my own clothes; no words or brand names on my clothing (not liking the idea of being a walking advertisement); and usually no more than two pairs of comfortable shoes ("comfortable" means no high heels or fashionable shoes, since those are never comfortable). My preferences arise out of having been raised wearing thrift store clothing, and wanting to be comfortable. In the 1990s, when I read that polyester clothing was a major reason for oil consumption, I realized that caring about the environment means paying attention to what you wear. I've always liked simple, practical, natural fiber clothes, so giving up polyester fibers was easy. I recently read an article in which the writer said they had "limited" themselves to "only" buying 30-40 items of clothing each month, and I realized just how different some people's lifestyles are from mine. I'm not a Quaker, though I attended a meeting house for a while when I was young, and my daughter's father's side of the family has a billion Truebloods in the family tree. (On my mother's side, my daughter and I have many Mennonite ancestors.)

[@SMD2308]

I am similar. I was very impacted by two books in the 1980s as a fairly new Christian, “Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger” and “Freedom of Simplicity”, and read how John Wesley said he bought quality clothing but wore it until it wore out, and never replaced it just because he was sick of it. I like you choose locally sourced, real fibres, because I too am very aware of the global problem of clothing wastage. I am not into fashion. I wear flat shoes, because I find heels uncomfortable (I later read about how heels came into our clothing, and it is from a pagan background, and has pagan symbolism, which I never realised). I have dropped makeup, which I am still psychologically adjusting to, initially because it was giving me eye infections, but it is another instance of God’s quiet voice prompting me to simplify, and to be more (for want of better words) pure, honest, and true. Not drawing attention to ‘me’.

[@maxb9315]

3:25 How does an earring, a decorative item, constitute plain dress?

[@convincedquaker]

It's personal expression.

[@maxb9315]

@@convincedquaker That's not an answer to the question.

[@maxb9315]

@Raqisa An earring is decorative. If you seek to be truly plain, you don't sport decorative items.

[@maxb9315]

@Raqisa Embellish: make more attractive by adding decorations. Plain: unembellished. Oxford English Dictionary. Have a good day yourself.

[@Dylan20]

Another question: is this something that has become more popular among Quakers recently? I used to hang out with some Friends and attended meetings off and on about 30 years ago, but never saw anyone with this style except on tje oatmeal box. 😀

[@paintingwithcammiebourke3984]

I wonder if you can do plainclothes with tattoos and also it just seems so simple not having to worry about your wardrobe

[@Dylan20]

What's with the long beards? Is that part of the "plain" style for men?

[@tzarinavictoria3531]

It’s probably to do with vanity and not being of the world, especially the military

[@petitevintageladybug]

As a Quaker I try to keep my way of dress simple, but it is also a personal choice for me to only wear dresses and skirts. I feel extremely uncomfortable in pants. I don't really think I stand out from the rest of society though.

[@PockASqueeno]

Interesting. I always defined “plain” as “not standing out,” and the way these folks dress definitely stands out. I don’t mean that as a judgment but simply as an observation. I wonder how they have come to define this as “plain.” Just through the words of the Holy Spirit?

[@Phoenixspin]

I already dressed plain so I'm good to go.

[@bf0n30hn3un]

We're not supposed to dress ostentatiously? Whoops... Guess I'll put away the hot pink leggings

[@messianichebrewshawnkawcak1550]

Love the beards the way God made you. My beard is a portable sunscreen, air filter, extension of the nerves. Long dresses and skirts as a lifestyle showcases the masterpiece ladies were created to be , instant respect. I see the headcovering as a crown for daughters of the King of the Universe. Dressing different is an accountability tool.

[@Rosepaku]

Completely agree may the lord bless you 🙏🕯💕

[@thejewishredneckprepper4675]

Dress modestly. We Jews that believe in and obey Jesus, we dress modest. Shalom

[@ETSCross]

Did the early Quakers have beards? I haven't seen any pictures of George Fox or his male associates with beards.

[@PUAlum]

I didn't know Quaker tradition affected dress styles. I have such admiration for the Quakers....but not sure what to make of a dress style that seems to say (shout!) "look at me". Seems ironic.

[@convincedquaker]

Exactly.

[@plusbonus1165]

High vis , is the new plain clothing. Just saying .

[@thetwelfth9987]

The main thing to keep in mind is that you’re way less likely to find an amish person strolling amidst the crowd than you are of bumping into a quaker :). Amish people prefer isolating themselves from modern society.

[@janeenbreyman212]

I was attracted to plain dress through Quaker Jane. She did a lot of her shopping in Amish stores.

[@abaddon2148]

idk why it's been hard for me to find resources like quaker jane, but i just want to quickly thank you for mentioning her name because it is helping me with my quaker journey a lot❤️

[@barefootanimist]

I've always been the sort who avoided blatant logos or brand-names on my clothing, if I could find such garments. It led me, in high-school, to look into becoming Amish, Mennonite or Quaker, because I have a definite appreciation for the styles of dress in their more-conservative expressions. Mind you, having been raised without religion, I find it hard to adopt a theistic view to mesh with those spiritual traditions.

[@lishayost44]

I'm not a quaker. I dress plain. I wear t-shirts and jeans. A sweatshirt when it's cold. I dress plainly so that I don't stand out, unlike the man who said he dressed plainly so he doesn't blend in. I'm never trying to do a fashion statement, and I also don't wear logos if I can avoid it because of the same reason mentioned in the video. Why am I paying to advertise for a company? They should be paying me to prance around with their logo. I hate having to think about what I wear, so if I just have a bunch of simple things that are all really similar, I don't have to think about it so much. I hate it when there is an event where I am expected to wear something out of the ordinary for myself. My brother's wedding is next month and I'm agonizing over having to get something to wear to it. I'm probably going to go to goodwill to find something and when the wedding is over, I'm probably just going to give it back to goodwill, lol!

[@Queenie-the-genie]

You do not have to be into the Bible to be a Quaker. I am simply into the Social Justice aspects and the fact that the meeting I attend is not a “religious service” and nobody is the “leader” or “pastor” or “teacher” whose lectures you are to “believe. Personally I do not use the word GOD as I am agnostic about the subject and religions have caused so many violent activities on planet Earth.

[@AR-bv9hx]

I've experienced it as definitely as a leading, and I actually had a battle with it because dressing plainly was not something I was like "hey this seems like a nice way to dress." It was more like I was compelled to follow God's leading. So it was more like a gradual thing, not all out but little here and there. It is an extension of how I live my life in general as well. I've always lived simply and considered myself a minimalist to a certain extent, that is before dressing plainly. I am not to the level of those in the video but not far off from the lady in the video with the hair covering.

[@SMD2308]

My journey is similar. I grew up not as a Christian, and wore make-up from age 12, and enjoyed jewellery and pretty bright clothes, so over the next 40 plus years this has been a journey, led by God, quietly in my spirit, to gradually simplify, purify, and increase the modesty of how I live - not just in clothes, but in my home, in my choices of how I use my money, etc..

[@shmataboro8634]

I attended Quaker meeting for worship a few times many years ago, when I lived near a city that had a friends group. I subsequently moved a few times, and there is no Society of Friends where I live. However, in 2007 I began to feel a strong leading toward plain dress. I began to study the history of plain dress movements throughout history, and over time realized this was not a thing I was randomly curious about, it was a thing I was being led to do. I sewed a simple plain wardrobe and wore it for the rest of my college years. Then when I had a job that required a uniform I dressed plain on weekends. My work uniform felt like a costume. Plain dress felt like my actual self. To this day I have no idea why the spirit led me to dress in such a way. I suppose as I continue to age I'll look increasingly more like a rag doll 😂 but that matters not in the least. I'm happy, I'm comfortable, and I'm approachable. It's all good.

[@hei7586]

Such long beards look rather ostentatious in my opinion. To be humble would mean to blend in in a simple way. And I suppose that those beards take quite a lot of caring?

[@ryangatien6615]

I've always been comfortable in dressier clothes, I've never enjoyed walking around in shorts and a tank top, is that a dealbreaker in being a quaker? Of course I'd never show up to a meeting in a morning coat, or a tuxedo, you know? Slacks and a button up at most

[@JeanGoodman-mn5xr]

Fandom shirt

[@kayquiroga300]

Was enjoying listening to this till the guy who said God told him off for the way he dressed and argued with him till he toed the line ...

[@mariedmarie187]

My thoughts as well.

[@christinecarr4693]

Similar to the Amish ?

[@scouter6926]

Interesting reasoning as why adopting a fashion and dressing up in 18 century style clothing even though their reasoning lacks not only commonsense but is completly contrary to what George Fox, Margaret Fell, Barclay's explanations as to reason not dress up, draw attention to oneself by way of clothing never mind inventing a Quaker uniform fashion. The whole point about dressing plainly aka simply, functionally, appropriately for the work at hand and no consideration given as to fashion, appearance and the like. But, even that misses the principal as to why the original Quakers stopped dressing in the fashions of the time........Pride! today's terms "Ego". Friends testify of the Light by being led and walking in the Light and those that do know full well neither their witness nor their walk in the Light have anything whatsoever to do as how they cloth their flesh. So Friends, while you are clearly sincere by dressing up in "Hey, look at me" antiquated clothing while claiming to be a Quaker is at best, ironic. The orginal Spirit led Quakers had no interest in drawing attention to themselves and lived as ordinary citizens unless the LIGHT had it otherwise. No problem with folks dressing up anyway they like. But, if they dress up in antique style clothing today and claim to be led by the same Light as the Apostles, Fox, etc then they are cleanly self deceived or worse. Those that are led by the Light have no need for "gimmicks" to be channels for the Light Divine. Those that do need "gimmicks" are in an unhappy way as for their own reasons they mske plain they wish to remain unaware of the Light and are avoiding their hour of visitation with the ever-present Light. Better they spent their time waiting on the Light than the obvious amount of time they have spent on their appearance and time seeking out and special ordering "Quakerish" suspenders and 18 th century knickers. And they claim this to be "plain dress"! Total humbug,

[@DWXY]

This isn’t plain dress. It’s statement dressing.

[@Feelingfruity]

Anything people wear makes a statement even dressing plainly.

[@kuallalumpur5417]

01:34

[@KissingEmbers]

I have always dressed without brands and names. Just cause of corporate influx and indentured servitude.... 🤮

[@EdMcF1]

I just don't understand Scott's ear-ring.

[@convincedquaker]

Earrings are quite common in many geographies.

[@convincedquaker]

It would be interesting to hear how many of the "plain dressers" also identify as Evangelical Quakers. Is it actually "ironic plain dress"? Does it serve their purpose of "marketing" Quakerism? If so, my feeling is that it could be considered a questionable practice.

[@shmataboro8634]

In the farming community where I live a bearded man in a button down shirt, dark pants and suspenders would go quite unnoticed. Those clothes have been readily available for more than a century. To me that's certainly plain.

[@MysticDonBlair]

❤️😊❤️

[@moteague]

What is up with the white beard? Some of these guys are young with a white beard. Do they dye their beard white? Quakers talk to God? That is quite bizarre to me. I was not expecting this from a Quaker.

[@SumNutOnU2b]

Technically Quakers "Listen to God" rather than talk, but people will speak of it in both ways. It's a central tenet of quakerism that Quakers spend time in quiet reflection, listening - with the heart, not with the ears - to hear the message from that of God within you. That central part of you that tells you what is right. Non-Quakers might call it a conscience (though many Quakers will argue that it is more than just that). Whatever you call it, it is this seed of Divinity within all of us that Quakers attempt to connect with and to listen to. So, yes, Quakers talk to God.

[@baseidel]

Morrison Teague it isn’t a can trap tenet of the faith to wear plain dress that looks Amish, but we Quakers do believe in continuing revelation. And so we listen for leadings from God.

[@efrankmontalvo199]

Meredith Ann Mayfield better dress correctly with her catholic converted cousin from Friends meeting house in Flushing; Queens, New York City so I can modify my catholic scapulars as soon as posiible!

[@audreys8306]

They look like Amish

[@salviabuckwheats7434]

What is plain about a beard? It just seems like grooming to me to shave.

[@erikkison]

3:25 An earing for a guy is not drassing plain.

[@laofox448]

OOO OOO I believe that he’s dressing as his conscience dictates, and not as others feel that he should. One could also say that in wearing an earring that some might feel is only appropriate for a woman to wear, he’s living the testimony of equality by rejecting gender constrictions.

[@casper9900]

Dressing plain doesn’t always mean less

[@erikkison]

@@laofox448 The society needs gender constrictions. Men and women are different. Men need to wear clothing made for a man, otherwise men will come across as fools or weirdos. Some men cannot think for themselves and cannot make a rational decision, like the man in 3:25. The older people should give good advice, so that the young men aren't rejected in this society and fit in.

[@petitevintageladybug]

@@laofox448 Wonderfully said.

[@maxb9315]

Agreed. An earring is a superfluous, decorative item and so is not plain.

[@susankelemen9764]

Are these people all "convinced"? Sorry, not sorry...

[@stevenking7388]

Seems rather prideful to dress in a way that will draw attention to you.

[@StaramarianQueen]

I can understand that view point for sure. For me, it has more layers to it than just wanting to draw attention to something or yourself. Plain dress is definitely not a pride thing, and I think if someone does it because of pride then their heart isn’t in the right place and they should do more self-reflection on it before continuing. The way I see it, it’s more prideful to be wearing name-brand clothing, but if someone wants to wear those things because they like it then I definitely won’t be one to stop them. Just my thoughts on it. 😊

[@PaulaEdwina]

I don't dress Plain for anyone. It is a leading.

[@CocoaHerBeansness]

you can't assume you know the intention behind an action. In this video I heard a lot of good intentions behind wearing plain dress that had nothing to do with wanting attention.

[@laofox448]

I understand your reasoning, but not supporting war and not swearing oaths often draws attention to oneself. As does not having the newest, shiniest consumer goods, etc. Is such prideful?

[@just4540]

i agree to an extent. i’m very attracted to plain dress testimony and i find that the way i interpret it is to feel as comfortable as possible in simplicity and promote equality. for me, that means avoiding symbols of power (ties, collars, large belt buckles, symbols, logos) and having a minimalistic, ethically sourced wardrobe. i can see how people interpret it as classic plain dress.