When you see a priest at the altar, in the street or at a wedding, the clothes are different each time, and each piece has its own name. This guide explains what priests’ clothes are called, from the everyday cassock and Roman collar to the alb, stole and chasuble worn at Mass, what each garment means, how priestly dress began in the Bible, and how it differs between Catholic, Anglican and Episcopal churches.
What Are Priests’ Clothes Called?
Priests’ clothes fall into two groups. Vestments are the sacred garments worn to lead worship, such as the alb, stole and chasuble. Clerical attire (or clerical dress) is what a priest wears outside services, such as the cassock or a black clergy shirt with a Roman collar. So when people ask what the cloth or outfit a priest wears is called, the short answer is “vestments” for services and “clerical attire” for daily life.
Everyday Clerical Attire
Cassock
The cassock is a fitted robe that reaches to the ankles. It is the traditional everyday garment of clergy and is also worn under vestments and under a surplice. Priests usually wear black; bishops’ cassocks often have purple or red-purple buttons and trim, and cardinals’ red. Many cassocks fasten with a long row of buttons down the front.
Roman Collar and Clergy Shirt
The Roman collar, or clerical collar, is a stiff white band worn at the neck. Today most priests wear it with a black clergy shirt that has either a full collar or a small white tab at the throat. It is the most common sign of a priest outside church.
Clerical Suit
A clerical suit is a plain dark suit worn over a clergy shirt and collar. Many priests wear one for parish work, meetings, hospital visits and travel, because it is practical while still showing that they are clergy.
Zucchetto and Biretta
The zucchetto is a small round skullcap. It is mainly worn by bishops (purple), cardinals (red) and the pope (white). The biretta is a square cap with three or four ridges on top, worn in some traditions with the cassock.
Vestments Worn at Mass
For Mass, a priest puts on several layers. In the usual order of vesting they are:
- Amice: a rectangle of white cloth with ties, worn around the neck and shoulders under the alb. Its use is optional in many places.
- Alb: a long white tunic that reaches the ankles. Its name comes from the Latin for “white”, and it recalls the baptismal garment. See our guide to the history of albs.
- Cincture: a cord or belt tied around the waist to gather the alb. It is traditionally linked with chastity and readiness for service.
- Stole: a long, narrow band of cloth. A priest wears it around the neck, hanging down in front; a deacon wears it diagonally over the left shoulder. It is the sign of ordained ministry. Read more in our guide to clergy stoles.
- Chasuble: the outer vestment worn by the priest who celebrates the Eucharist. It is usually in the color of the liturgical season.
The main liturgical colors are white or gold for Christmas, Easter and feasts, red for Pentecost and martyrs, green for Ordinary Time, and violet for Advent and Lent. Some churches also use rose and black. Our article on priest vestments and their colors explains each one.
Other Garments Priests Wear in Church
- Surplice: a full, wide-sleeved white over-garment put on above the cassock for services other than Mass, such as the Liturgy of the Hours, baptisms and weddings. Choirs and servers wear it too.
- Cope: a long, cape-like vestment open at the front and fastened at the chest, worn for processions, Benediction and solemn services.
- Dalmatic: a tunic with wide sleeves that is the outer vestment of a deacon.
- Rochet and chimere: worn by Anglican and Episcopal bishops. The rochet is a white, surplice-like garment with gathered sleeves, and the chimere is a sleeveless red or black robe worn over it.
Priest Clothing in the Bible
Special clothing for priests goes back to the Old Testament. Exodus 28 describes “holy garments” made for Aaron, the first high priest, “for glory and for beauty” (Exodus 28:2). The high priest wore a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash (Exodus 28:4). Ordinary priests wore linen tunics, sashes, caps and linen undergarments (Exodus 28:40-42).
Christian vestments did not come directly from these garments. They developed from the everyday clothing of the late Roman world, which the Church kept for worship after fashions outside it changed. The alb, for example, comes from the Roman tunic, and the chasuble from a cloak.
Priest Clothes in the Middle Ages
By the Middle Ages, the main vestments had taken the forms we recognize today. Chasubles were often decorated with rich embroidery and gold thread, and the stole and maniple (a smaller band worn on the left arm) were embroidered with crosses. Bishops wore the mitre, a tall, pointed headdress, which is still part of a bishop’s vestments today.
Catholic, Anglican and Episcopal Priest Clothing
Catholic priests wear the alb, stole and chasuble for Mass, and a cassock or clergy shirt with a Roman collar for daily life.
In the Anglican Communion, including the Episcopal Church in the United States, practice varies from parish to parish. Many priests wear the alb, stole and chasuble for the Eucharist, much like Catholic priests. For Morning and Evening Prayer, the traditional dress is a cassock with a surplice and a black scarf called a tippet. Anglican cassocks are often double-breasted rather than buttoned straight down the front.
Where Do Priests Get Their Clothes?
Priests usually buy their clothing from church supply stores and specialist clergy outfitters, in person or online. Many also have garments made to measure for a better fit. At Holy Clergy you can browse cassocks, vestments, clergy shirts and clergy collars.
Conclusion
A priest’s clothes are called vestments when he leads worship and clerical attire in daily life. The cassock and Roman collar mark him as clergy wherever he goes, while the amice, alb, cincture, stole and chasuble are put on for Mass. Each garment has a long history and a meaning, from the white alb that recalls baptism to the stole that signals ordained ministry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the outfit a priest wears called?
The garments a priest wears to lead worship are called vestments, and the clothes he wears outside services are called clerical attire. Vestments include the alb, stole and chasuble. Clerical attire includes the cassock and the black clergy shirt with a white Roman collar.
What is the long black robe a priest wears called?
The long black robe is called a cassock. It is a fitted robe reaching to the ankles that priests wear as everyday dress and under other vestments or a surplice. Bishops and cardinals often wear cassocks with colored buttons and trim.
What does a priest wear during Mass?
For Mass, a priest wears an alb (a long white tunic), a cincture around the waist, a stole around the neck and a chasuble as the outer garment. Many also wear an amice around the neck under the alb. The chasuble and stole are usually in the color of the liturgical season.
What is the white collar priests wear called?
It is called a Roman collar or clerical collar. It is a stiff white band worn with a clergy shirt, either as a full collar around the neck or as a small white tab at the front. It identifies the wearer as a member of the clergy.
What did priests wear in the Bible?
In the Old Testament, priests wore linen tunics, sashes and caps. The high priest also wore a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe and a turban, described in Exodus 28. These garments were made “for glory and for beauty” to set the priests apart for service in the sanctuary.
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