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THE CHRISTIAN CLOTHING INDUSTRY

Christian clothing has been around since the earliest days of the Christian church. Members of the clergy have traditionally worn special vestments to distinguish themselves from lay worshippers and church members during Sunday services and to project an image of piety and humility. As such, religious dress has traditionally been marked by simple, modest garments in somber colors.

For church-goers and congregation members, Christian fashion is best described by the phrase "Sunday best" and has traditionally meant saving one's finest clothing for Sunday services.^[1] In the early days Churches not only fulfilled the religious needs of communities but often served as the main social center for local residents. As such, dressing in fine clothing for religious services ironically was often dictated by a need to project status and influence among peers. Church clothes also helped members feel a sense of cleanliness and pride that carried through in worship and in fellowship.

Various Christian holidays such as Easter have traditional clothing associated with Sunday celebrations today. Women often wear their new, white, or colorful Easter dresses and bonnets, while men don their best suits and ties. Christmas features clothes in greens and reds.

Over the past several years, many churches have encouraged a more informal dress code, especially with the rise of non-traditional churches and Mega churches around the country. In fact, many clergy have abandoned the traditional robes and vestments in favor of business casual clothing to close the perceived gap between clergy and layperson.

Message-related clothing

Outside of Church, there is very little distinction between Christian and secular fashion for most believers. However, during the late 1980s, apparel producers began selling parody t-shirts that featured familiar brand logos changed to project Christian messages.^[2] Some examples include a design meant to look like the Hershey's chocolate logo with the word "Hershey" replaced with the words "He Saves" and Abercrombie and Fitch inspired designs branded "A Breadcrumb and Fish" in reference to Jesus' feeding of the multitude using just five loaves of bread and two fish. This served as a sort of Christian backlash against perceived sensuality or debauchary joked at in various mainstream wear.

In the late 1990s many brands designed clothes which appealed to mainstream consumers and were rooted in faith values. Many of these brands sought to distance themselves from the "Christian clothing" moniker and instead prefer the term "faith-inspired" or positive lifestyle brands.

Some Christian T-shirt companies on the West Coast of the United States take their fashion cues from skate and surf culture. Other companies focus on cheerful designs inspired by Biblical messages or blend modern fashion with Biblical messages, or clothing for babies & infants with lighthearted, humorous, or inspirational messages.

To support the growing number of faith-inspired clothing brands, retail outlets have been springing up around the country to carry t-shirts for Christians teens and adults alike. Online retailers seek to gather the best designs from the top faith-inspired brands so consumers can find the newest styles available, while Christian designers provide unique clothing targeted at delivering a Christian message. Although many communities also have Christian bookstores, Christian clothing stores are unusual. Sales at Christian retail stores totaled $4.34 billion in 2004 while apparel sales accounted for just $84 million (less than 2%) of the total.^[3]

References

"Dressing up for Church" by Neil Carter, 2002, retrieved August 14, 2006.

"Commercial Christianity" by Stephanie Taylor, "The Washington Times", September 02, 2004, retrieved August 14, 2006.

"Christian Retailers Put Their Print on Products" by Stephanie Simon, "The LA Times", July 21, 2006, retrieved August 14, 2006.

References

1. ^ Christ In Y'all.com - Studies - Dressing Up For Church

2.^ Washington Times - Commercial Christianity

3.^ CBA :: The Association for Christian Retail