The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has just announced changes to LDS garment styles, including options that don’t require shoulders to be covered, along with the option to wear a garment “shift” that doesn’t require women to have their legs covered but instead can wear the bottoms under a dress or skirt. Several of the changes relate to women’s health issues that often arise in garment wearers who live in tropical or high-humidity areas of the world. It also noted that there were going to be more choices for garment fabrics. A Salt Lake Tribune article about the announcement raised several other issues that are pertinent to the change. One is that it “will make it harder for others to judge who is or is not wearing garments.” It goes on to mention a 2023 survey that found 59 percent of women saying they felt judged about how they wear them. A broader issue that was raised is that these new styles still feel “like church leaders are trying to control women’s clothing choices.” Another piece of the change is interesting for its timing. It was only in April of this year that LDS leaders were emphasizing the importance of wearing garments “as instructed in the temple” and it is “not left to members’ individual inspiration and interpretation.” That emphasis also added to worthiness to enter the temple new wording about how individuals are keeping their covenant to wear garments, along with a statement to be read by the ecclesiastical leader conducting the temple recommend interview.
Many ask what led up to this very quick turnaround of that emphasis. It now seems that the church is now emphasizing “the symbolism of the garment” as “more important than the style.” Was it activism by women, surveys that showed how Millennials and Generation Z wear their garments (or don't wear them), or something else?
Listen into the great discussion in this episode between LDS podcast host Cynthia Winward, Latter-day Faith board member and frequent guest Terri Petersen, and LDF host Dan Wotherspoon. It’s terrific!
