vestments

Vestments are ceremonial garments worn by clergy and other participants during religious services. They are designed to reflect roles within the liturgy, convey reverence, mark sacred functions, and symbolize theological concepts or the church calendar. Across Christian traditions, vestments evolved from everyday robes into formal ceremonial attire, with varied styles by rite, order, and time period.

Western Christian vestments typically include the alb, a white linen or cotton garment; the cincture belt; the amice to cover the neck and shoulders; the stole, a long band worn around the neck; and the chasuble, the outermost liturgical vestment for the celebrant. Deacons wear a dalmatic or tunicle; some traditions employ the maniple and a cope for ceremony.

Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic vestments include the sticharion, epitrachelion, phelonion, zone, epimanikia, and omophorion (for bishops). These garments are often richly decorated and worn with specific liturgical actions, symbolizing spiritual responsibilities, the presence of the Holy Spirit, and volumes of doctrine within the rite.

Colors and seasonality are important across traditions, with white or gold for major feasts, green for ordinary time, purple for penance or preparation, red for martyrs or the Holy Spirit, and black or other hues for certain solemn occasions. The use of vestments signals ordained authority, liturgical function, and the sacred character of worship.

In contemporary practice, vestments vary by denomination and church community. Some groups maintain traditional patterns and ceremonial procedures, while others use simpler robes or choir attire. Regardless, vestments function to focus attention on the liturgy and the beliefs it embodies.