Jack Barnes was a recently ordained pastor who was newly assigned to a congregation in central Iowa. Although a senior pastor was already in place, Jack was a little nervous about the customs of his new congregation and wanted to be sure he got off on the right foot. A native Californian, he was accustomed to a very casual lifestyle and was especially uncertain about how he would be expected to dress as he conducted his pastoral duties, both in and out of the pulpit.

Fresh out of seminary, Jack was accustomed to using the computer as a resource, so his first move was to do an Internet search on the words "clergy apparel," where he found 1,270,000 responses. He quickly discovered that the term covered everything from beanies to birettas, and sweatshirts to surplices. Not much help! He then turned to his mentor, a professor at his seminary who had pastored in congregations across the country, in cities large and small. Jack's mentor asked him a few questions, and then shared his experience.

Jack learned that clergy apparel varies significantly by denomination, which part of the country the church is located in, and whether the church is in an urban, suburban or rural location. Jack was aware that denominational affiliation plays a big part in what is considered appropriate. He knew that liturgical priests wear cassocks and chasubles, and that some evangelical pastors wear business suits in the pulpit. But he didn't realize that where the church is located plays a part in clergy wear. Clergy robes were a part of Jack's denominational tradition, and he wanted to wear a robe in the pulpit. He also suspected that he should consider how his appearance and robe selection might affect his perceived role in his new congregation.

Figuring his budget couldn't afford any mistakes, Jack again contacted his mentor for recommendations of style, color and fabric.

His mentor asked him several more questions, beginning with, "Are you planning to wear this robe for every service, or will you be purchasing a second robe for special events, such as weddings?"

Jack indicated that he wanted an all-purpose robe, which he could wear year-round, for all occasions.

"In that case, I would suggest that you purchase a plain, black robe and change your stole to coordinate with the season and the occasion," said his mentor.

Jack learned that this plain robe would also be accepted as being "appropriate" in the mid-sized Iowa town and would not be considered "too fancy" for conservative, Midwestern tastes.

As Jack started looking online again, a quick search for "pulpit robes" showed him that plain black robes were available in a variety of fabrics, both in-stock and custom tailored, and in a price range that he could afford. A second search for "clergy stoles" quickly identified dozens of options – he could wear a different stole every Sunday, and still not run out of choices.

Now that Jack's robe selection had been narrowed to a plain, black robe, he started wondering about value. Even though he tended to dress casually, he wanted a robe that was made well. He wanted to know that he was getting his money's worth, and that the robe would hold up well. He wanted to learn as much about robe construction as he could, so he could make a wise choice. This time, Jack typed in "pulpit robe construction."

Jack quickly learned that a top-quality pulpit robe was engineered to last – it didn't just "happen." He learned that a key ingredient in getting a robe that holds up and looks good for a long time was finding a robe with a well-made, well-fitting yoke--the part of the robe that goes over the shoulders. Construction of a well-made yoke includes two inner layers of woven and non-woven inner linings to provide support to the body of the robe so that it will hang and fit properly for years to come.

The yoke should also tailored in exact sizes to look and fit well, and be tailored with an extra row of stitching in the inside neckline for reinforcement and to eliminate lining roll-out. And, there should be no unsightly visible stitching on the outside of the yoke. Jack also found that better quality robes included guaranteed closures--hooks and eyes that are riveted in place, and guaranteed not to rust or pull out, as well as zippers that are guaranteed for the life of the robe.

He also learned new uses for a couple of old words--fluting and piping. He remembered from one of his Biblical Archaeology classes that fluting referred to the design of architectural columns as far back as ancient Greece. Now he learned that "fluting" is also a way of gathering fabric into rich, even drapes. And that a well-made clergy robe includes balanced, machine fluting that distributes the fullness of the robe over the shoulders and across the back at a ratio of 3 to 1.

Moreover, "piping" isn't only something that you do to a building, but also refers to a corded trim on a clergy robe that could be used to show the academic field of a degree, or simply set off the velvet or other fabric panels on a robe.

After gaining more knowledge about deep hems and lock-stitched armholes than he ever hoped to use, Jack felt he was ready to buy a robe. Suddenly, he confronted another set of branches in his decision tree. Should he shop online, or at his local Christian bookstore? Should he buy a robe that was ready to ship, or should he wait for a robe to be custom tailored?

This time Jack was fortunate, in that he could find good product both online and in the store. Since he was in a hurry, he chose to shop online, through a supplier that had a secure site, and one that carried a reputable, well-established product line with guaranteed satisfaction and next-business-day shipping.

He found that the size selection offered in a basic black robe was incredible – more than 70 sizes, so he had no problems selecting a robe that fit his budget as well as his height, chest and sleeve length. And, his savings over the cost of a custom-tailored robe nearly paid for a new clergy stole as well.

What if he had wanted a robe in a more unusual color, such as grey, purple or maroon?  He could have found those as well, both online and through his local Christian bookstore. Would he have found a robe with a better quality or fit if it was custom tailored? He found that the quality of the robes varied by supplier, not by delivery time; however, custom tailored robes tended to be more expensive. If Jack had been particularly tall, with a 39-inch sleeve, however, he would have little choice--whether he was shopping online or through his local Christian bookstore, he would have to go with custom tailoring. And, if he wanted a unique church logo embroidered on his robe, he also would have to order this item custom tailored. 

How would Jack's choices have differed if he had been relocating to a different area, or if he was an experienced pastor, looking for a second or third robe? If he were moving to a large city, for example, he might have chosen a "dressier" robe, one with velvet panels, perhaps with Doctoral sleeve bars, or one with crosses embroidered on the velvet panels. Most likely he would have wanted at least two robes, including one white robe with or without velvet panels to wear when he was officiating at weddings.

His choice might also have differed significantly if he was a pastor of an urban, trend-setting church as well. Depending on his denominational affiliation, he might have selected a cassock ensemble or a clergy jacket, instead of a robe. If he were pastor of a non-denominational church, he might have been wise to wait until he arrived at his new destination community and seek the counsel of pastors in his area.

Regardless of location, denomination or price range, shoppers like Jack are more fortunate today than at any time in the past. Finding clergy apparel that meets their needs is as easy as logging on to the Internet.

Ruth Camp is the creative director for Murphy Robes.