The JW Dress Code

by sacolton 33 Replies latest jw friends

  • Quirky1
    Quirky1

    Blondie,

    Your highlighted points exclude half of all the witless that I knew in the KH.

  • Farkel
    Farkel

    :Suit jacket and pants must always match as part of a complete suit.
    :Sport jacket and slacks not permitted.
    :Shoes must be polished (I had to go home and change shoes once).
    :Shirt should be white or close to white (i.e. no dark colored dress shirts).
    :Do not wear bright colored suits or suits with more than one color (not including pin stripes).
    :Tie should not be bright colored or have too many colors.
    :Pants should have cuffs (this was recommended, not a rule).
    :Suit jacket must be buttoned up at all times (although you may wait until you begin speaking to button up your jacket).
    :Never put your hand in your pocket, even for one second.
    :Legs must be close together (his exact words were "do not have a HORSE stance").
    :Heels must be together but toes should be slightly apart
    :If you are holding a microphone, the microphone must be point just above the chin, not at the mouth.
    :If you are holding a microphone, do NOT put the other hand in your pocket (I cannot stress this enough, they WILL get you for this).
    :Do not lean on the lectern (podium, pulpit).

    There is a term for this. It is called "True Christian Freedom(tm)."

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

    Farkel

  • Quentin
    Quentin

    Don't remember any kind of dress code as that....spot jackets and slacks were ok...colored shirts as well...of course I'm pre 1972 with regular meeting attendence...how things change...

  • Homerovah the Almighty
    Homerovah the Almighty

    Dress code 105 b : and woman should wear crotchless panties when giving talks and up on stage

  • undercover
  • Suit jacket and pants must always match as part of a complete suit.
  • Only for the Public Talk speaker and WT conductor.

  • Sport jacket and slacks not permitted.
  • See above.

  • Shoes must be polished (I had to go home and change shoes once).
  • I never saw anyone counseled one-on-one about this though I do remember them reminding us from time to time from the platform

  • Shirt should be white or close to white (i.e. no dark colored dress shirts).
  • This wasn't a problem in my area. I wore dark shirts all the time, even black. Well, the last few years anyway. It was a rule in the 70s in one congregation

  • Do not wear bright colored suits or suits with more than one color (not including pin stripes).
  • What about seersucker suits. I knew some old brothers who loved their blue seersucker suits in the summer. I remember seeing godawful ugly plaid jackets back in the 70s. Doesn't semm to have been an issue in my area

  • Tie should not be bright colored or have too many colors.
  • I did counseled a few times on my ties...but I did push the boundries. I figured if I had to wear the damn thing, I was gonna have fun with it.

  • Pants should have cuffs (this was recommended, not a rule).
  • Never heard that one. I had some that were cuffed, some that weren't

  • Suit jacket must be buttoned up at all times (although you may wait until you begin speaking to button up your jacket).
  • Never heard that one either. I never buttoned my jacket, even during talks

  • Never put your hand in your pocket, even for one second.
  • I'm assuming that this is during the talk. It seems that the school guidebook counseled against hands in pockets

  • Legs must be close together (his exact words were "do not have a HORSE stance").
  • Never heard that one

  • Heels must be together but toes should be slightly apart
  • Never heard that one either

  • If you are holding a microphone, the microphone must be point just above the chin, not at the mouth.
  • Every congregation had it's own microphone nazi...

  • If you are holding a microphone, do NOT put the other hand in your pocket (I cannot stress this enough, they WILL get you for this).
  • I used to do it, never got called on it

  • Do not lean on the lectern (podium, pulpit).
  • I know that it would probably bring counsel to us younger guys, but I knew some old time elders that leaned on it all the time and no one dared tell them not to

  • Homerovah the Almighty
    Homerovah the Almighty

    Dress code 108 a. and no T-shirts that have a Tuxedo printed on the front are to worn while giving a talk

  • minimus
    minimus

    I believe a lot of those instructions were from the Qualified To Be Ministers book and a publication before that one in the 50s. How to stand, hold the mike, etc.....The other things were his opinion that he enforced.

  • jws
    jws

    I remember a story my dad used to tell of one of his old-timer friends doing field service in the south in the late 1960's early 70's. The weather was probably in the 80's or 90's and this was before air conditioning was common in cars. Yet this guy insisted on wearing the jacket of his suit. Said "he was a minister of God" to justify it. Cut forward to the mid 1980's. This guy is in Florida with a book study meeting at his house. He's wearing a Hawaiian shirt, open at the top.

    If it's 100+ degrees out and I see a guy walking from door to door in a full suit, I know there's something wrong with him. How can you take him seriously?

    I don't remember so many rules back in the 70's and 80's. We went to a kind of blue collar congregation though. I got away without a suit until my teenage years, then was required to wear one to the meetings at the KH by my parents (bookstudies were more relaxed). I saw sport coats and pinstripes. I don't remember any conditions on colors. Times have probably changed. Or it just varies by area.

    When my wife and I were church shopping, I never wore a suit. I did wear the same type of business casual I'd wear to work (khaki pants, polo shirt). I figured if they want me any more dressed up, I was crossing them off my list.

  • watson
    watson
    Didn't work for me because I have nice legs and love to show them off. My skirts were not tight or indecent, just a little shorter than was required.

    It's not right to make a bold statement like this without some evidence.

  • Homerovah the Almighty
    Homerovah the Almighty

    Dress code 143 c. men should not have hair over their ears of any length for its a sign of immorality,

    We know God created man to have hair that grows but we do carry any respect by him for that decision

    Hence men should have a similar hair style as Howdy Doody

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