I was wondering over the weekend whether or not I would do the deed and buy myself a clerical shirt. In ecumenical circles it's easy to feel completely invisble as an ordained woman if you don't "dress up". I've never worn one since being ordained - in France a woman wearing one would be assumed to be going off to a carnival party or something. Even Roman Catholic priests in France don't usually wear collars as to do so is seen to be part of a particular and rather more conservative part of the church.
However Maggi Dawn along with most Church of England clergy does wear a clerical collar and has received one of Butler and Butler's fairly traded clerical shirts to review. You can read her positive review here. I'm pleased to say they even do them in my size which is at the opposite end of the scale to Maggi's.
However, I'm still not sure that I should break with my own practice and actually wear one. Why do I suddenly feel the need to be seen, to be noticed as a female member of the clergy? I suppose it may come from working in a mixed ecclesiastical environment, wearing a clerical collar would be a badge of office and a way of saying the church is plural. But now the big question, shall I wear one to the official reception in Rome to receive our course certificates in June? It might be quite fun to wander around Rome in a clerical collar.
Meanwhile Maggi herself is living in hope of fairly traded silk clerical shirts rather than just cotton ones.
Wednesday 11 February 2009
More on Fairly traded clergy shirts
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4 Comments:
The embarrassing thing is that as well as wanting to be right-on and support fairly traded garments I also want them to be in the colours that suit me. Vanity of vanity, all is vanity... but if I wear black (other than the unavoidable preaching gown) it looks as if it's my own funeral I'm going to.
On the plus side, clerical shirt days do cut out the hassle of what-to-wear and thus allow for a few more moments in bed...
hmm a bit like school uniform
I think they are going to do pink and they do two shades of blue - green would be nice I feel...
As I Mennonite - not a woman - I sympathize with your ambivalence. In my tradition we don't have clerical robes, shirts or gowns. (except that the North Germans and the Dutch Mennonites who do, they are a different tradition all the way back). So no one knows I'm ordained, unless they are being told. On the one hand I take certain pride in being plain, - we're all priests or none is - and on the other hand I recognize the need to be recognized as being of the cast of clerics.... I think for me it also has to do with the ambivalence I feel towards the institutionalized church in principle.
Thanks for this Jane - I'll give it a go - though I do agree with Sarah about colours. I usually wear uniform - for the benefit of those who don't know me whether church folk or not - I find it opens lots of doors - or rather mouths - though it may close some too. Experience shows too that if I talk or smile with a collar on I'm more likely to get a postiive, or at least polite, response than without it. Or maybe I just look intimidating without...
Jacky
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