Anabaptist Modest Dress
Anabaptism
A Brief History
Anabaptism has its roots in the Protestant Reformation of the early 1500s. Originating primarily in Switzerland, Anabaptists took a more radically religious reformative stance, centering on values of strict Biblical obedience, pacifism, simplicity of lifestyle, and separation of their religious communities from the general public. Anabaptists do not believe in baptizing infants and young children, and since rebaptizing adult believers was punishable by death in many areas of Europe, the persecution Anabaptists encountered for practicing this prompted waves of migration to North America beginning as early as the late 1600s.
Branching
Modern Churches
The Anabaptist movement gradually branched off into what would become different churches and church communities. The two largest of these are the Mennonites and Amish, which emerged as distinct groups in 1693. Continual splitting has resulted in many different Anabaptist denominations including Hutterites, Dunkards, River Brethren, Holdeman Mennonites, and Beachy Amish-Mennonites. The "plain," or more religiously conservative of these communities, are those most frequently thought of when referring to modest women's dress.
Anderson & Donnermeyer, https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Where-Are-the-Plain-Anabaptists-Anderson-Donnermeyer/70dbb0219b5058ee273e8966397f4f4af2b16c97/figure/10
Distinctive Dress
Variety and Tradition
Traditionally, Anabaptists practiced distinct styles of dress that differentiated them from the outside community. It is important to note that there is tremendous variety among Anabaptism’s branches, and not all groups continue to practice distinctive dress styles. Of the many conservatively oriented groups, however, emphasis on elements of traditional dress remains. Clothing styles are highly gender-specific, with focus on simplicity and modesty of dress for women in particular.
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Graybill and Arthur 1999; Hume 2013; Mong and Clifton 2021; Reynolds 2000
