Cape dress

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Anabaptist women wearing cape dresses and headcoverings Mennonite choir in Dupont Circle -04- (50565772303).png
Anabaptist women wearing cape dresses and headcoverings

A cape dress describes a woman's dress which combines features of the cape and the dress. Either a cape-like garment is attached to the dress, pinned or sewn on, [1] and integrated into its construction, or the dress and cape are made to co-ordinate in fabric and/or colour. [2]

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Cape dresses provide a modest double layer in the bodice area. They also provide a long, full, skirt which conceals the form and falls at least below the knee and sometimes down to the ankle, depending upon the Christian denomination. In Christianity, this practice has been followed since the times of the Early Church, immediately after the New Testament time period. [3] [4] [5] Cape dresses are traditionally worn by female Anabaptist Christian church members, such as Mennonite, Brethren, Amish and Charity women. [6] [7] Along with the adjective kosmios (κόσμιος) meaning "modest", 1 Timothy 2:9–10 uses the Greek word catastola katastolé (καταστολῇ) for the apparel suitable for Christian females, and for this reason, women belonging to traditional Anabaptist denominations often wear a cape dress; for example, members of the Charity Christian Fellowship (an Anabaptist denomination) wear the cape dress as the denomination teaches that "the sisters are to wear a double layered garment as the Greek word 'catastola' describes." [7] Cape dresses have additionally been worn by traditional Christians of the Quaker and Shaker denominations, among others. [8]

Each local church group has its own regulations and basic pattern, so that when meeting each other, members of plain churches can generally recognize each other's specific congregations. Many churches have a dress pattern where the cape is attached at the waist. Others, especially among the Brethren churches, have maintained a dress pattern where the cape is loose at the bottom edge. Additionally the cape dress, in extreme forms, has become a part of fashion vocabulary.

The cape dress is worn with a headcovering, often in the form of a kapp or an opaque hanging veil. [6]

The cape dress and Mennonite women

A clothing exhibit at the Mennonite Heritage Village museum showing apparel worn by Mennonite men and women. Mennonite Heritage Village Steinbach Manitoba Canada 1 (8).JPG
A clothing exhibit at the Mennonite Heritage Village museum showing apparel worn by Mennonite men and women.

In the 19th and 20th century popular female fashion changed radically to be more form-fitting and revealing. At the same time, the cape dress continued to be worn by women who were members of conservative, traditional Mennonite and other Anabaptist communities. [9]

The cape dress has a plain style and a double layer of fabric covers the bodice. This piece of fabric has a square or V-shape form and cloaks, or de-emphasizes the female form. [1]

The women of the Holdeman Mennonite community in California wear a cape-dress that has a high neckline, loose bodice and fitted waist. The cape of the dress covers the shoulders and bust. [10] Because of religious reasons, no (or only minor) adornment of the dress is allowed. [10] The plainer the dress, the higher it is valued by some churches. For the Plain Christian community, women's clothing symbolizes her embrace of Biblical and traditional gender roles. [1]

According to men, the cape dress signifies a women's submission to God, her desire to be modest and not serve as a temptation or snare to men, her glad embrace of her place in the order of creation, as well as identification with the other members of her church. [10] Besides that it continues to be a statement of nonconformity to the world, especially against rapid and dramatically changing, body revealing fashions from the end of the 19th century onwards. [1]

As a fashionable garment

A pink coloured cape dress Niagara Falls - panoramio (69).jpg
A pink coloured cape dress

The cape dress has occurred in different variations in fashion and film. Greta Garbo wore an Art Deco inspired cape dress in the film The Torrent (1926). The dress has a geometrical black-and-white pattern and a stiff round ruff. [11] The cape dress was also popular in the 1950s. Two types were prominent at the time: a full-skirted, sleeveless dress with a matching, elbow-length cape or a beltless, sheath dress with matching cape. [12]

In the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum various cape dresses can be found. In 1933 Madeleine Vionnet created a woollen jersey dress and matching cape. [13] Coco Chanel designed a dress with matching cape in 1937–38. The dress consisted of silk and net covered with black sequins. It was lined with satin. [14] In 1967 Cristóbal Balenciaga created an evening ensemble consisting of a matching cape and sleeveless dress out of black gazar silk. [15] Philippe Venet created a black-and-white dress with a cape-like collar in 1989. [16]

Recently, the cape dress has occurred in different collections of fashion designers:

See also

Related Research Articles

Anabaptism is a Christian movement which traces its origins to the Radical Reformation in the 16th century. Anabaptists believe that baptism is valid only when candidates freely confess their faith in Christ and request to be baptized. Commonly referred to as believer's baptism, it is opposed to baptism of infants, who are not able to make a conscious decision to be baptized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mennonites</span> Anabaptist groups originating in Western Europe

Mennonites are a group of Anabaptist Christian communities tracing their roots to the epoch of the Reformation. The name Mennonites is derived from the excommunicated Roman-Catholic chaplain Menno Simons (1496–1561) from Friesland, part of the Holy Roman Empire, present day Netherlands. Menno Simons became a prominent leader within the wider Anabaptist movement and was a contemporary of Martin Luther (1483–1546) and Philipp Melanchton (1497-1560). Through his writings about the Reformation Simons articulated and formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss Anabaptist founders as well as early teachings of the Mennonites founded on the belief in both the mission and ministry of Jesus. Formal Mennonite beliefs were codified in the Dordrecht Confession of Faith (1632), which affirmed "the baptism of believers only, the washing of the feet as a symbol of servanthood, church discipline, the shunning of the excommunicated, the non-swearing of oaths, marriage within the same church", strict pacifistic physical nonresistance, anti-Catholicism and in general, more emphasis on "true Christianity" involving "being Christian and obeying Christ" as they interpret it from the Holy Bible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plain people</span> Simple lifestyle Christians

Plain people are Christian groups in the United States, characterized by separation from the world and by simple living, including plain dressing in modest clothing. Many plain people have an Anabaptist background. These denominations are largely of German, Swiss German and Dutch ancestry, though people of diverse backgrounds have been incorporated into them. Conservative Friends are traditional Quakers who are also considered plain people; they come from a variety of different ethnic backgrounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunkard Brethren Church</span>

The Dunkard Brethren Church is a Conservative Anabaptist denomination of the Schwarzenau Brethren tradition, which organized in 1926 when they withdrew from the Church of the Brethren in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Order River Brethren</span>

The Old Order River Brethren are a River Brethren denomination of Anabaptist Christianity with roots in the Radical Pietist movement. As their name indicates, they are Old Order Anabaptists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Brethren</span> Certain Anabaptist Christian groups

The River Brethren are a group of historically related Anabaptist Christian denominations originating in 1770, during the Radical Pietist movement among German colonists in Pennsylvania. In the 17th century, Mennonite refugees from Switzerland had settled their homes near the Susquehanna River in the northeastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anabaptist theology</span> Theological tradition reflecting the doctrine of the Anabaptist Churches

Anabaptist theology, also known as Anabaptist doctrine, is a theological tradition reflecting the doctrine of the Anabaptist Churches. The major branches of Anabaptist Christianity agree on core doctrines but have nuances in practice. While the adherence to doctrine is important in Anabaptist Christianity, living righteously is stressed to a greater degree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madeleine Vionnet</span> French fashion designer (1876–1975)

Madeleine Vionnet was a French fashion designer. Vionnet trained in London before returning to France to establish her first fashion house in Paris in 1912. Although it was forced to close in 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War, it re-opened after the war and Vionnet became one of the leading designers of 1920s-30s Paris. Vionnet was forced to close her house in 1939 and retired in 1940.

Balenciaga SA is luxury fashion house founded in 1919 by the Spanish couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga in San Sebastián, Spain. Balenciaga produces ready-to-wear footwear, handbags, and accessories, and licenses its name and branding to Coty for fragrances. It is currently owned by the French corporation Kering.

Many Christians have followed certain dress codes during attendance at church. Customs have varied over time and among different Christian denominations. As with the Bible, the Church Fathers of Christianity taught modesty as a core principle guiding the clothing that Christians are to manufacture and wear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radical Pietism</span> Pietists who broke with Lutheranism

Radical Pietism are those Christian churches who decided to break with denominational Lutheranism in order to emphasize certain teachings regarding holy living. Radical Pietists contrast with Church Pietists, who chose to remain within their Lutheran denominational settings. Radical Pietists distinguish between true and false Christianity and hold that the latter is represented by established churches. They separated from established churches to form their own Christian denominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plain dress</span> Clothing worn by some religious groups

Plain dress is a practice among some religious groups, primarily some Christian churches in which people dress in clothes of traditional modest design, sturdy fabric, and conservative cut. It is intended to show acceptance of traditional gender roles, modesty, and readiness to work and serve, and to preserve communal identity and separation from the immodest, ever-changing fashions of the world. For men, this often takes the form of trousers secured by suspenders, while for women, plain dress usually takes the form of a cape dress along with a headcovering.

<i>Haute couture</i> Creation of exclusive, custom-fitted clothing

Haute couture is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design. The term haute couture is French, "haute" meaning "high" or "elegant," and "couture" translating to "sewing" or "dressmaking." The term haute couture generally refers to a specific type of upper garment common in Europe during the 16th to the 18th century, or to the upper portion of a modern dress to distinguish it from the skirt and sleeves. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, Paris became the centre of a growing industry that focused on making outfits from high-quality, expensive, often unusual fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable of sewers—often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques. Couture translates literally from French as "dressmaking", sewing, or needlework and is also used as a common abbreviation of haute couture and can often refer to the same thing in spirit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stéphane Rolland</span> French fashion designer

Stéphane Rolland is a French fashion designer and an haute couture fashion brand. His mother worked at Pictorial Service, one of the most famous Parisian photographic studios, and he grew up surrounded by black-and-white photographs. "Everything was black-and-white; everything was about volume and contrast. My eyes were trained early on with these concepts and everything I do is about contrast, volume and movement. It’s in my DNA".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yumi Lambert</span> Belgian model

Laura Yumi Lambert is a Belgian model.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Order Anabaptism</span> Branch of Anabaptist Christianity

Old Order Anabaptism encompasses those groups which have preserved the old ways of Anabaptist Christian religion and lifestyle.

Charity Ministries, also called Charity Christian Fellowship, is a Conservative Anabaptist network of churches that was formed in 1982 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kapp (headcovering)</span>

A kapp is a Christian headcovering worn by many women of certain Anabaptist Christian denominations, as well as certain Conservative Friends and Plain Catholics, in obedience to Paul the Apostle's command in 1 Corinthians 11:2–10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanging veil</span> Type of Christian headcovering

A hanging veil, also known as a flowing veil or charity veil, is a type of Christian headcovering, which is worn by some Christian women continually, in obedience to Paul the Apostle's command in 1 Corinthians 11:2–10. Hanging veils enjoy popularity in a diverse array of Christian denominations, especially those of the Anabaptist Christian tradition. In certain Conservative Mennonite Anabaptist congregationations of the Beachy Amish Mennonite tradition, an opaque hanging veil is permitted as an alternative to the kapp if it covers as much or more hair as the kapp, which traditionally is "of ample size to cover most of the hair". Opaque hanging veils are usually white or black in colour for modesty. Hanging veils are designed to drape over the natural curves of a woman's head and hang down a woman's neck. Certain denominations of Christianity provide guidelines regarding the headcovering; the Ministry Training Center of the Biblical Mennonite Alliance, for example, teaches:

A veiling shall be worn by the sisters. We believe the best application of the headship principle as taught in I Corinthians 11 is for the veiling to be worn as a part of their regular attire to cover hair that is allowed to grow to its natural length. Ladies shall wear all their hair neatly up, avoiding fashion extremes, covered with a hanging veil, scarf, or traditional Mennonite covering of sufficient size to substantially cover the hair. Hanging veils and scarves must cover at least from the crown of the head to the bottom of the hair bun.

Conservative Anabaptism includes theologically conservative Anabaptist denominations, both in doctrine and practice. Conservative Anabaptists, along with Old Order Anabaptists and assimilated mainline Anabaptists, are a subset of the Anabaptist branch of Christianity.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Epp, Marlene (2008). Mennonite women in Canada a history. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press. pp. 184–187. ISBN   9780887554100.
  2. ↑ Picken, Mary Brooks (1957). A dictionary of costume and fashion : historic and modern. Courier Dover Publications (2013 reprint). p. 53. ISBN   9780486141602.
  3. ↑ Steinberg, Aliza (7 February 2020). Weaving in Stones: Garments and Their Accessories in the Mosaic Art of Eretz Israel in Late Antiquity. Archaeopress Publishing Ltd. p. 197. ISBN   978-1-78969-322-5.
  4. ↑ Winger, Otho (1919). History and Doctrines of the Church of the Brethren. Brethren Publishing House. p. 218. I. We examined prayerfully the scriptural grounds of Christian attire, and found that Jesus and the apostles taught modesty and simplicity of life and modesty in dress and manners. The scriptures bearing on the subject of dress and adornment are of several classes: First. Jesus condemned anxious thought for raiment (Matt. 6: 25-33; Luke 12:22-31). Second. The direct teachings, such as 1 Tim. 2:9, 10; 1 Peter 3:3-5. Third. Teachings on nonconformity to the world in general, and that apply to dress on general principles, such as Romans 12:1, 2; 1 Cor. 10:31; 1 Peter 1:14-15; 1 John 2:15-17. II. Investigation shows that the early church fathers and our own church fathers taught strongly and uniformly against pride and superfluity in dress, and constantly in favor of gospel plainness.
  5. ↑ Clement of Alexandria Collection [3 Books]. Aeterna Press. As, then, in the fashioning of our clothes, we must keep clear of all strangeness, so in the use of them we must beware of extravagance. For neither is it seemly for the clothes to be above the knee, as they say was the case with the Lacedaemonian virgins; nor is it becoming for any part of a woman to be exposed. Though you may with great propriety use the language addressed to him who said, "Your arm is beautiful; yes, but it is not for the public gaze. Your thighs are beautiful but, was the reply, for my husband alone. And your face is comely. Yes; but only for him who has married me." But I do not wish chaste women to afford cause for such praises to those who, by praises, hunt after grounds of censure; and not only because it is prohibited to expose the ankle, but because it has been enjoined that the head should be veiled and the face covered; for it is a wicked thing for beauty to be a snare to men.
  6. 1 2 Keller, Rosemary Skinner; Ruether, Rosemary Radford; Cantlon, Marie (2006). Encyclopedia of Women and Religion in North America. Indiana University Press. p. 266. ISBN   978-0-253-34685-8.
  7. 1 2 Scott, Stephen (1 January 1996). Introduction to Old Order and Conservative Mennonite Groups: People's Place Book No. 12. Simon and Schuster. ISBN   978-1-68099-243-4.
  8. ↑ "Q: So what about the funny clothes? Do you dress like the Amish?". Stillwater Monthly Meeting of Ohio Yearly Meeting of Friends. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2022. Women usually wear long-sleeved, long dresses, and a head-covering such as a scarf, bonnet, or cap.
  9. ↑ Lippy, Charles H.; Williams, Peter W. (2010). Encyclopedia of religion in America. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press. p. 82. ISBN   9780872895805.[ permanent dead link ]
  10. 1 2 3 Arthur, Linda B., 1997. "'Clothing is a Window to the Soul': The Social Control of Women in Mennonite Society". Journal of Mennonite Studies 15, p. 15
  11. ↑ Fischer, Lucy. "Greta Garbo and Silent Cinema: The Actress as Art Deco Icon". Camera Obscura 48 16 (3), p. 85
  12. ↑ Widmer, Marilou. New Orleans in the Fifties. Pelican Publishing Company, Inc., 1991, p. 80
  13. ↑ Victoria and Albert Museum. "Day dress|Madeleine Vionnet". V&A Search the Collections. Accessed: 14-10-2014. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O15564/day-dress-madeleine-vionnet/
  14. ↑ Victoria and Albert Museum. "Evening dress and cape|Coco Chanel". V&A Search the Collections. Accessed: 14-10-2014. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O88627/evening-dress-and-coco-chanel/
  15. ↑ Victoria and Albert Museum. "Evening ensemble|Cristóbal Balenciaga". V&A Search the Collections. Accessed: 14-10-2014. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O71705/evening-ensemble-cristobal-balenciaga/
  16. ↑ "Evening Dress | Venet, Philippe | V&A Explore The Collections". Victoria and Albert Museum: Explore the Collections. 1989. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  17. ↑ Elle. "Stephane Rolland Fall 2010 Couture Runway - Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Collection". Elle.com. Accessed: 15-10-2014. http://www.elle.com/runway/haute-couture/fall-2010-couture/stephane-rolland/collection/?click=main_sr#slide-37; Elle. "Stephane Rolland Fall 2010 Couture Runway - Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Collection". Elle.com. Accessed: 15-10-2014. http://www.elle.com/runway/haute-couture/fall-2010-couture/stephane-rolland/collection/?click=main_sr#slide-23; Elle. "Stephane Rolland Fall 2010 Couture Runway - Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Collection". Elle.com. Accessed: 15-10-2014. http://www.elle.com/runway/haute-couture/fall-2010-couture/stephane-rolland/collection/?click=main_sr#slide-21; Elle. "Stephane Rolland Fall 2010 Couture Runway - Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Collection". Elle.com. Accessed: 15-10-2014. http://www.elle.com/runway/haute-couture/fall-2010-couture/stephane-rolland/collection/?click=main_sr#slide-5
  18. ↑ Misener, Jessica. "Gwenyth Paltrow Oscars Dress 2012: Tom Ford White Cape!". Huffington Post. 27-02-2012. 15-10-2014. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/26/gwyneth-paltrow-oscars-2012-dress_n_1302888.html
  19. ↑ Riemersma, Femke. "Interview: Jan Taminiau over de jurken van Koningin Máxima". Elle. 01-05-2013. 15-10-2014. http://www.elle.nl/lifestyle/interviews/Interview-Jan-Taminiau-over-de-jurk-van-Maxima
  20. ↑ Barsamian, Edward. "Lupita Nyong'o's 10 Best Red Carpet Looks". Vogue. 19-06-2014. 14-10-2014. http://www.vogue.com/868887/lupita-nyongo-best-red-carpet-looks/ Archived 2014-11-03 at the Wayback Machine
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