Polygamy Hair and Fashion

[kambria]

Does any one know the history behind Polygamist women's hair styles and fashion sense? I always found it to be very interesting...

Attachments:

[JJ77]

I was just doing some reading up anyway, so tried a search on it. closest thing i've found so far is part of an interview with Maggie Jessop about the flds clothing website.

here's a (somewhat relevant) excerpt.

<sup>Jessop calls the FLDS clothing "washable, durable and children proof," and said the conservative style preference is based on religious scriptural references. Some cult experts have alleged the prairie-style dress is an outward sign of brainwashing within the sect, but members defend it as a reflection of their values.

Jessop said she likes wearing plain clothes because it lets her "focus on doing things for others rather than on seeing how darling I can look."</sup>

full article can be seen here:
cbs11tv.com/local/polygamy/FLDS.handmade.clothes.2.760581.html

[JJ77]

here is a link to a goup of articles on the subject.
none really state the history, but they do claim everything from it being in the scriptures to being dictated by the flds leaders, to God's armies not recognizing them if they're dressed wrong on judgement day.

who knows how much of it is true? some of it seemed kinda crazy to me.

FLDS: Clothes differentiate beween the righteous and the evil

[marionj2]

When Oprah interviewed the women from the Texas group, they claimed the hairstyle was just "fashion" in their world. I'm pretty sure that was BS - if the hairstyle is a religious thing, they would want to keep it private, so they gave her an answer they thought would be believed.

[marionj2]

The only flaw I've found with this board so far is that you can't edit posts after you've posted them.

On the subject of clothing, some Quakers traditionally dress "plain," somber colors and no jewelry. But Quakers don't dress like the guy on the Quaker Oats box, though some people think they do. It would be against their values to make themselves stand out in a crowd.

So to say polygamists' choice of dress is just "practical" is just dissembling, I think. By dressing so differently from outsiders, I think they want to set themselves apart from the world - perhaps so God will recognize them as righteous.

[rhinestone_cowgirl]

Hi

theres a similar sect here called the Exclusive Brethren although they are a fundamentalist protestant group and don't practice polygamy; otherwise they are incredibly similar in their beliefs, terminology etc. Until the 60s they too had the rule they could not cut their hair and had to wear it up; and this ended up in very similar styles to the above. I think once your hair is that long you're pretty much stuck with styles like the above or flat, twisted braided styles such as those worn by certain Amish and Hutterites. Some pentescostal sects also wear their hair in very similar styles to the above picture, although mostly seemingly messier and less well styled; just google 'pentecostal hair' for examples (I believe there are some youtube 'how to' videos as well put in 'apostolic' or 'pentecostal hair'). Its the whole 'being able to wash your husband's feet in heaven' thing with all of these sects.

I can understand the plain clothes thing; but its the whole layers thing that I see as so oppressive. From what I've been reading, from various sources, its required all months of the year to wear the church undergarments which in the FLDS and similar groups are in wrist to ankle nylon or polyester, regular underwear/bra, a full length slip (again usually of some nasty nylon), those dresses that while they look cotton are actually made of polyester suiting material, I have also read they usually wear leggings AND up to three pairs of tights. While many sects and religions wear covering clothing for religious reasons I don't know of any that requires that many layers of clothing and in such horrible man-made fibres as well!

Sophie

[rhinestone_cowgirl]

I'm kind of sad their clothing site is no longer operational though; I was waiting until the exchange rate was super-good as they did have a denim version of their dress that looked pretty cool. I'm a big fan of prairie type dresses as long as they are tasteful and in natural fibres.

If you're looking for more of the older-style clothing that the FLDS used to wear and some of the characters in the show still do; this site has some pretty good Victorian/Edwardian style reproductions that happen to be very similar. Pricey though.

www.recollections.biz/

Sophie

[JJ77]

marionj2 - you can edit posts once you've made them. Go back to the original post and next to the subject line is a button that says "modify" - which is the same thing as "edit"

I picked up some books yesturday on the history of mormons in america. As I was reading I came across some things that made me think of this thread, so thought i would share what i have read so-far .

mormons, historically speaking, tried to keep themselves distinct from other groups. This included a focus on economic self-sufficiency. Their efforts mostly failed, but in attempt at such Brigham Young (their leader after Joseph smith- their founder) wanted to stop the flow of money (from their settlement in utah) from going eastward in buying imported goods.

He encouraged the men to swear off imported goods; coffee, liquor, tobacco, etc. and the women to stifle their desires for "fashionable" clothing. Women and girls were subsequently encouraged to make their own "neat and comely" clothes.
Silk was pretty desirable (fashion wise) at that time (mid-late 1800's) and so they even tried to raise silk worms and make their own silk fabrics- rather than buy imported silks. (which also didnt work out.)

so it seems , atleast in the begining, it was done in order to keep what little money they had within the confines of their community.

* on a side note- there is a picture in the book i'm reading of a group of mormon women (taken somewhere between 1831-1890) at work with these silk worms. The women in the picture are wearing the exact same type of "prairie" dress with poofy sleeves and all as is seen in the photo above of modern day mormons. I wonder if this style of dress is some type of homage to their roots or something?

[duets]

In the 1800's, BY attempted to make & introduce his own made "money" into his society & then into general currency. However, it didn't work in either populations. There are some old relics of history around of this currency in coins & dollars, just for historical uses. I saw some @ The Mormon Fort, in Las Vegas on display.

[thetrueprophet]

FLDS might possibly be the SOLE reason the latest "Bump-its" hair product is not yet dead =)

[duets]

Jan 29, 2010 21:37:20 GMT -5 thetrueprophet said:

FLDS might possibly be the SOLE reason the latest "Bump-its" hair product is not yet dead =)

Hmm, It makes sense! I wonder if the co. that makes them is owned by FLDS? [trademark by big happy hair inc]

[JJ77]

I was getting ready to read flora jessops book "church of lies" and googled her prior. One of the things i found was an article written by a FLDS woman who knew her and was basically claimign her story was mostly lies.
anywho... int he course of that womans version of it, she mentioned flora cutting her hair off - and that this was considered very drastic b/c int heir community long hair is prized. (or somethign to that effect)
Are they allowed to cut their hair? (by "allowed" I mean is it frowned upon?)

[duets]

I found this article, it's very interesting.
An unidentified FLDS female said, Of the women’s hairstyle, she wrote, “Women need long hair. Our mothers in Heaven have long hair. This was revealed by the Prophets. & Hair left hanging is hot on the neck. & That is why most women braid their hair or put it up in a bun or twist.”

www.religionnewsblog.com/21208/flds-84

By reading this article, I think it's safe to assume that cutting one's hair is not only frowned upon; but it isn't allowed according to the advised dress code.

[thetrueprophet]

If you look to 1 Cor. 11 in a Bible, you will see why many do not beleive a woman should cut her hair. There are other referances as well, but this one in particular is probably the most universal to different sects.

[duets]

Jan 29, 2010 22:19:37 GMT -5 thetrueprophet said:

If you look to 1 Cor. 11 in a Bible, you will see why many do not beleive a woman should cut her hair. There are other referances as well, but this one in particular is probably the most universal to different sects.

Thank you trueprophet, vs 11 states that a woman's hair is her glory & a covenent. (paraphrased)