Early Christian Teaching on Clothing

Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Direct teaching

The Instructor tells them to go out in proper clothing and to dress themselves with modesty and self-control, as 1 Timothy 2:9 says, being subject to their own husbands. Then, if any do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, while they observe, he says, your pure conduct. Their beauty should not be outward beauty, such as braided hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine clothes. Instead, let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 1 Peter 3:1-4

Cyprian, Treatises Direct teaching

..., he sets a proper limit for your clothing and ornaments. He said, "Let women adorn themselves with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or expensive clothing, but as is fitting for women who profess chastity, with a good way of life." 1 Timothy 2:9-10 Peter also agrees with these same teachings and says, "Let a woman's adornment not be outward, in clothing, or gold, or fine dress, but the adornment of the heart." 1 Peter 3:3-4 But if they also warn that women who are used to excusing their dress by referring to their husband should be restrained and limited by religious observance according to the Church's discipline, how much more right is it for the virgin to keep that observance? She has no excuse for adorning herself, nor can the deceitfulness of her fault be laid on another, but she herself remains guilty of it!

Cyprian, Treatises Direct teaching

...ows Christ, and virginity is appointed for the kingdom of God, what do they have to do with earthly clothing and ornaments? While they are trying to please men with these things, they offend God. They do not consider that it is declared, "They who please men are put to confusion, because God has despised them," and that Paul also has spoken gloriously and sublimely: "If I still pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10). But continency and modesty do not consist only in purity of the flesh. They also consist in propriety, and in modesty of dress and adornment, so that, according to the apostle, she who is unmarried may be holy both in body and in spirit. Paul instructs and teaches us, saying, "He that is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord, how he may please God; but he who has entered marriage cares for the things of this world, how he may please his wife." So both the virgin and the unmarried woman think on the things of the Lord, so that they may be holy both in body and in spirit (1 Corinthians 7:14). A virgin ought not only to be so, but also to be seen and believed to be so. No one, on seeing a virgin, should have any doubt whether she is o

Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Supporting witness

Let the women wear a plain and becoming dress, but softer than what is suitable for a man, yet not quite immodest or entirely gone in luxury.

1 Peter 3:3 Supporting witness

Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

1 Peter 3:4 Supporting witness

but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

1 Timothy 2:10 Supporting witness

but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.

Cyprian, Treatises Direct teaching

...ase anyone when he displeases God? Or does that woman groan and mourn who has time to put on costly clothing, but not to think about the robe of Christ that she has lost; to receive expensive ornaments and finely made necklaces, but not to grieve over the loss of divine and heavenly ornament? Although you dress yourself in foreign garments and silk robes, you are naked. Although you decorate yourself excessively with pearls, gems, and gold, yet without the adornment of Christ you are ugly. And you who dye your hair, at least now stop in the midst of your sorrows. And you who darken the edges of your eyes with a line of black powder, at least now wash your eyes with tears. If you had lost someone dear to you by the death that belongs to mortal life, you would groan deeply and weep, with your face disordered, your clothing changed, your hair neglected, your face darkened, and your appearance cast down. You would show the signs of grief. Miserable creature, you have lost your soul. Spiritually dead here, you go on living for yourself, and though you are still walking around, you have begun to carry your own death with you. And do you not mourn bitterly? Do you not groan without cea

Cyprian, Treatises Direct teaching

...aments, of clothing, and of beauty meant to attract are fitting for no one except prostitutes and immodest women. No clothing is more costly than the clothing of those whose modesty is very low. So also in the Holy Scriptures, by which the Lord wanted us to be both taught and warned, the city that is a harlot is described as dressed and adorned very beautifully, with her ornaments. All the more, this is because those very ornaments were about to perish. And it says, "One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, 'Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great whore who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication.' And he carried me away in the Spirit; and I saw a woman sitting on a beast, and that woman was clothed in a purple and scarlet mantle, and was adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of curses, and filthiness, and the fornication of the whole earth." Revelation 17:1. Let chaste and modest virgins avoid the dress of the unchaste, the behavior of the immodest, the marks of brothels, and the ornaments of harlots.

Cyprian, Treatises Direct teaching

... Holy Spirit, cries out and rebukes the daughters of Zion. They were corrupted by gold, silver, and clothing. He rebukes them because they were rich in harmful wealth and were turning away from God for the sake of the world's pleasures. “The daughters of Zion,” he says, “are proud, and walk with outstretched necks and signaling eyes, dragging their gowns as they go, and moving with affected steps.” And God will humble the noble daughters of Zion, and the Lord will uncover their appearance. The Lord will take away the beauty of their clothing, their ornaments, their hair, their curls, their round ornaments like the moon, their hairpins, their bracelets, their strings of pearls, their armlets and rings, and earrings, and silks woven with gold and hyacinth. “And instead of a sweet smell there shall be dust; and you shall be tied with a rope instead of a belt; and instead of a golden ornament for your head you shall have baldness.” Isaiah 3:16. This is what God blames; this is what He points out. From this He declares that virgins are corrupted. From this He shows that they have departed from true and divine worship. Lifted up, they have fallen. With their heads adorned, they earned

Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Direct teaching

...hoever follows the Word will not give himself to any shameful pleasure. Therefore, when it comes to clothing, what is useful should be preferred. And if the Word, speaking about the Lord through David, sings, "The daughters of kings made You glad with honor; the queen stood at Your right hand, clothed in cloth of gold, girded with golden fringes," he is not pointing to luxurious clothing. Instead, he shows the immortal adornment, woven from faith, of those who have found mercy, that is, the Church. In it, the sinless Jesus shines clearly like gold, and the chosen are the golden tassels. And if such things must be woven for women, then let us weave clothing that is pleasant and soft to the touch, but not decorated with flowered patterns like pictures to please the eye. For a picture fades over time, and washing and soaking in the prepared dye liquids wear out the wool and make the cloth of the garments weak. This is not good for economy. It is the height of foolish display to be all worked up about peploi, and xystides, and ephaptides, and cloaks, and tunics, and "what covers shame," as Homer says. For truly, I am ashamed when I see so much wealth poured out on covering nakedness

Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Supporting witness

...eir manhood, wore tunics reaching to the feet, and had on the crobulus, a kind of knot of the hair, adorned with a fastening of golden grasshoppers, supposedly to show their origin from the soil, in the display of licentiousness. Now the rivalry of these archons spread also to the other Ionians, whom Homer, to show their effeminacy, calls "Long-robed." Those, therefore, who are devoted to the image of the beautiful, that is, to love of finery, not to the beautiful itself, and who under a fair name practice idolatry again, are to be banished far from the truth, as people who by opinion, not knowledge, dream about the nature of the beautiful. And so life here is to them only a deep sleep of ignorance. From this it becomes us to rouse ourselves and hurry to what is truly beautiful and comely, and desire to grasp this alone, leaving the ornaments of earth to the world, and bidding them farewell before we fall fully asleep. I say, then, that man requires clothes for nothing else than covering the body, and for defense against excess of cold and intensity of heat, lest harsh weather injure us. And if this is the purpose of clothing, see that one kind is not assigned to men and another

Commodianus, Writings Supporting witness

...at the matrons should be like the ladies of the world. You surround yourself with gold, or with the modest silken garment. You cast the terror of the law from your ears to the wind. You pursue vanity with all the pomp of the devil. At the mirror you adorn yourself, with your curled hair turned back from your brow. And moreover, with evil purposes, you put on false medicaments. On your pure eyes you put stibium, with painted beauty. Or you dye your hair so that it may always be black. God is the overlooker, who dives into each heart. But these things are not necessary for modest women. Pierce your breast with chaste and modest feeling. The law of God bears witness that such laws fail from the heart which believes. For a wife approved by her husband, let it suffice that she is so, not by her dress, but by her good disposition. Put on only the clothes that the cold and the heat, or too much sun, require, so that you may be approved as modest, and show forth the gifts of your capacity among the people of God. You who were formerly most illustrious, give yourself the appearance of one who is contemptible. She who lay without life was raised by the prayers of the widows. She deserved

Tertullian, The Pallium Supporting witness

...oint at them with the finger, and mock them with a nod, since they turn people away from nature and modesty. In the same way, if a man wore a delicate robe trailing on the ground with Menander-like softness, he would hear applied to himself the line from the comedian: "What kind of cloak is that madman wasting?" For now the tightened brow of censor-like strictness has long since been smoothed away. As far as rebuke is concerned, mixed custom puts before our eyes freedmen in the dress of knights, branded slaves in the dress of gentlemen, men openly disgraced in the dress of the freeborn, clowns in the dress of city people, jesters in the dress of lawyers, and rustics in military uniform. The corpse-bearer, the pimp, and the trainer of gladiators dress as you do. Turn also to women. You should consider what Cæcina Severus pressed on the grave attention of the senate: matrons in public without the stola. In fact, the penalty laid down by the decrees of the augur Lentulus against any matron who had thus dismissed herself was the same as the penalty for fornication. This was because certain matrons had carefully promoted the disuse of garments that were the signs and guards of dignit

Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Supporting witness

Whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

1 Timothy 2:9 Supporting witness

in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing,

Wisdom of Sirach 11:4 Supporting witness

Boast not of thy clothing and raiment, And exalt not thyself in the day of honor: For the works of the Lord are wonderful, And his works among men are hidden.

James 2:2 Supporting witness

For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

Isaiah 3:23 Background

the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils.

Hermas, The Shepherd (Pastor) Direct teaching

...oly spirits, and people cannot otherwise be found in the kingdom of God unless these have put their clothing on them. For if you receive the name only, and do not receive the clothing from them, they are of no benefit to you. For these virgins are the powers of the Son of God. If you bear His name but do not have His power, then you bear His name in vain. Those stones,” he continued, “which you saw rejected, bore His name, but did not put on the clothing of the virgins.” “Of what kind is their clothing, sir?” I asked. “Their very names,” he said, “are their clothing. Everyone who bears the name of the Son of God ought to bear the names of these also, for the Son Himself bears the names of these virgins. As many stones,” he continued, “as you saw come into the building of the tower through the hands of these virgins, and remain there, have been clothed with their strength. For this reason you see that the tower became one stone with the rock. In the same way, those who have believed in the Lord through His Son, and are clothed with these spirits, will become one spirit and one body, and the color of their garments will be one. And the dwelling place of those who bear the names of

Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Direct teaching

...ption, shall have begun to inhabit it. And do not be surprised if we speak of a perfect soul as the clothing of the body, which, on account of the Word of God and His wisdom, is now named incorruption, when Jesus Christ Himself, who is the Lord and Creator of the soul, is said to be the clothing of the saints, according to the language of the apostle, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ." As Christ, then, is the clothing of the soul, so for a kind of reason sufficiently intelligible the soul is said to be the clothing of the body, since it is an ornament to it, covering and concealing its mortal nature. The expression, then, "This corruptible must put on incorruption," is as if the apostle had said, "This corruptible nature of the body must receive the clothing of incorruption"—a soul possessing in itself incorruptibility, because it has been clothed with Christ, who is the Wisdom and Word of God. But when this body, which at some future period we shall possess in a more glorious state, shall have become a partaker of life, it will then, in addition to being immortal, become also incorruptible. For whatever is mortal is necessarily also corruptible, but whatever is corruptible cannot

Irenaeus, Connection to Genesis 3:7 Background

For [Adam] showed his repentance in making a girdle, covering himself with fig leaves, when there were many other trees that would have irritated his body less. He, however, in awe of God, made a clothing that matched his disobedience.… And he would no doubt have kept this clothing forever, if God in his mercy had not clothed them with tunics of skin instead of fig leaves.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book IV Background

He further showed that we should be adorned with works of righteousness after our calling, so the Spirit of God may rest upon us; for this is the wedding garment, as the apostle speaks, “Not that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up by immortality.” Those called to God’s supper who haven’t received the Holy Spirit due to their wicked behavior, He says, "will be cast into outer darkness." This makes clear that the same King who gathered the faithful from all directions to the marriage of His Son and offers them the incorruptible banquet also commands that anyone without a wedding garment, one who disrespects it, be cast into outer darkness. Just as in the former covenant, “He was not well pleased with many of them;” so it is here, “many are called, but few chosen.” It is not that one God judges and another Father calls us to salvation; nor that one grants eternal light and another sends those without the wedding garment into outer darkness. It is the same God, the Father of our Lord, from whom the prophets received their mission, who calls the unworthy through His infinite grace but examines those called to see if they wear the garment suitab

Hermas, The Shepherd (Pastor) Background

...e completely wicked. So give back to Him a sound spirit, just as you received it. If you give a new garment to a fuller, and at the end you want it returned whole, and the fuller gives it back to you torn, would you accept it? Would you not instead be angry and rebuke him, saying, "I gave you a garment that was whole. Why have you torn it and made it useless, so that it cannot be used because of the tear you made in it?" Would you not say all this to the fuller because of the tear you found in your garment? If, then, you are distressed about your garment and complain because you did not get it back whole, what do you think the Lord will do to you? He gave you a sound spirit, but you have made it completely useless, so that it can no longer be of any service to its owner. For it became useless because you corrupted it. Will not the Lord, then, because of what you have done with His Spirit, act the same way and hand you over to death? Certainly, I tell you, He will do the same to all those whom He finds still holding on to the memory of wrongs. Do not trample His mercy underfoot, He says. Instead, honor Him, because He is so patient with your sins and is not like you. Repent, beca

Origen, Commentary on Matthew Background

... like the sun. More than that, to those whom He led up by Himself onto the high mountain apart, His garments also appear white as the light, Matthew 17:2. But the garments of Jesus are the expressions and letters of the Gospels with which He clothed Himself. And I think that even the words in the Apostles that show the truths concerning Him are garments of Jesus, and these become white to those who go up the high mountain with Jesus. But since there are different kinds of white things, His garments become white like the brightest and purest of all white things, and that is light. Therefore, when you see someone who not only has a deep understanding of the teaching about Jesus, but also explains every expression in the Gospels clearly, do not hesitate to say that to him the garments of Jesus have become white as the light. But when the Son of God in His transfiguration is understood and seen in such a way that His face is a sun, and His garments are white as the light, then at once Moses will appear to the one who sees Jesus in this form—that is, the law—and Elijah, which by synecdoche means not one prophet only, but all the prophets, speaking with Jesus; for that is the force of

Hippolytus, Exegetical Fragments Background

...eception of two peoples. By the tender and good are meant teachable and innocent souls. The robe or raiment of Esau denotes the faith and Scriptures of the Hebrews, with which the people of the Gentiles were endowed. The skins that were put upon his arms are the sins of both peoples, which Christ, when His hands were stretched forth on the cross, fastened to it along with Himself. In that Isaac asks Jacob why he came so soon, Genesis 27:20, we take him as admiring the quick faith of those who believe. That savoury meats are offered denotes an offering pleasing to God, the salvation of sinners. After the eating follows the blessing, and he delights in his smell. He announces with clear voice the perfection of the resurrection and the kingdom, and also how his brothers who believe in Israel adore him and serve him. Because iniquity is opposed to righteousness, Esau is excited to strife, and deceitfully meditates death, saying in his heart, "Let the days of the mourning for my father come on, and I will slay my brother Jacob." Genesis 27:41. The devil, who previously exhibited the fratricidal Jews by anticipation in Cain, now makes the most manifest disclosure of them in Esau, show

Tertullian, On Baptism Background

the clothing, in some sense, of the faith which before was bare, and which cannot exist now without its proper law.

Hermas, Connection to Revelation 19:8 Background

And all who went into the tower had the same clothing-white as snow.