Right now I'm toying with some ideas for new clerical fun. I've tailored a few shirts myself (I know, right?! Hand sewn, even!) and now that I've got that down, I'm ready to tailor some funkier black shirts and see what happens. Before I continue, the steps for tailoring your own clerical...
Step 1: Find a shirt that buttons all the way to the top. A friend of mine and I (shopping for potential future clericals of course) had a very hard time finding any that would button to the top! It was shocking how many department stores do not carry them. Apparently the new fashion is to make them to where they are basically business shirts with a v-neck, which means they won't work. Because of this new fashion trend, I recommend looking at a thrift store or a TJ Maxx/Marshall's of sorts, because they'll most likely have the kind of shirts you need.
Step 2: Remove the very top button of the shirt. It can be discarded.
Step 3: Where the button used to be, cut a slit in the fabric the size of a button hole.
Step 4: Reinforce the hole. It can easily be done through hand stitching.
Step 5: Find the exact center of the back collar of the shirt. This can be done by folding the shirt on it's side, to where it will show you what the center back is.
Step 6: At the exact center of the back of the collar, cut a slit for a button hole. Reinforce said button hole.
Voila! Your own hand tailored clerical. You'll lock the front of the collar into the original button hole and the button hole you created. You'll lock the back of the collar into the button hole you created.
Note: depending on your neck size, this may or may not work. When you shop for the shirt, take your clerical collar so that you can place it around the neck of the shirt and make sure the neck of the shirt isn't too big for your collar. If it is too big, you'll have to do some advanced sewing for your clericals, which I don't know how to do. Then it would be time to call in a tailor! :)
OK, with that tutorial done, I want to share some ideas I'm having... Lately, I'm really trying to claim my boho chic fashion sense, and I don't see why that can't transfer into my clericals!
Thoughts?
Another image I'm inspired by..
Share your thoughts! Also: I recognize that this isn't everyone's style, but what I'm trying to do is explore how a person can take a non-cerical style (like boho-chic) and translate it into this work... So let's try to share our thoughts with that in mind!
Pectoral cross, eh?
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you're a bishop! ;)
Oh crap... I thought pectoral cross was for any clergy!!
ReplyDeleteWikipedia-- A pectoral cross or pectorale (from the Latin pectoralis, "of the chest") is a cross, usually relatively large, suspended from the neck by a cord or chain that reaches well down the chest. It is worn by the clergy as an indication of their position, and is different from the small crosses worn on necklaces by many Christians, which have no special significance. Most pectoral crosses are made of precious metals (platinum, gold or silver) and some contain precious or semi-precious gems. Some contain a corpus like a crucifix while others use stylized designs and religious symbols.
Three things:
ReplyDelete1. Women can more easily get away with wearing a cross as whatever you have probably won't be confused with a 5 inch long solid gold cross!
2. I'm mostly just messing with you.
3. While we shouldn't cite Wikipedia (especially on issues of catholicity), scroll down and you'll see that in the Roman communion the pectoral cross is a pontifical, and in our Anglican communion it's "usually limited to bishops." (Read: For those still concerned with catholicity, it's reserved to bishops.)
I hope you're well!
Love the blog, glad you're here!
ReplyDeleteCurious- is there a requirement that our clericals be button-up? Wouldn't this work just as well with a blouse that has a high crew neck collar? I'm aware of no rule in my own church, the ELCA, just tradition.
Good point, Lura... Wonderful! I need to keep my eye out for those. I think the hardest part would be making sure the neck line will fit inside your collar, and also being very precise about where you put the button holes in the front and back. If I can find one, I'll try to post about it!
ReplyDeleteYou don't have to make button holes for this to work. I created a clerical shirt out of a cute Ann Taylor LOFT shirt I bought a few years ago (nice, thin summery shirt in a pretty coral color - who says we MUST wear black? the shirt has a mandarin collar). This shirt had a button at the top that just slips in to the ready-made hole in my clerical collar. I sewed a small white button on the back - and voila! Now, a clerical. Best of all - I can take the collar of and walk into any store or restaurant and be perfectly civilian.
ReplyDeleteI actually prefer for the collar to be fairly loose - especially in warm weather. I stumbled on this when making a janie out of a man's clerical. I hadn't worried about size when I picked it up at a clearance sale since I was cutting it up anyway. But when I tried it with my normal (full) collar, the neck was too big. So I got a collar in the shirt necksize. It fit loosely, comfortable but not sloppy. As a bonus my full collar janie is cooler to wear than my tab collar shirts!
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion is to purchase a collar the next size up to give yourself some flexibility in finding an appropriate shirt.
Thank you so much for this! Just got ordained and am crafty enough to do this. So grateful to your shared wisdom!
ReplyDeleteEJ,
ReplyDeleteCan you do this with collared shirts? Do you remove the collar or put the clerical collar under the shirt colllar?