Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Priestly Clothes

1viking1

New in Town
Messages
7
Location
Norway
Hi. I'm new here. I have a bit specific question, but I'm wondering if someone could help me with some information about classic Priestly clothes (not liturgical vestments)

What hat did Catholic Priests use? I know of the Saturno, and Hamburger. Is there a place where one can buy a black Hamburger? Did Priests wear Fedoras as well.

Where can one buy long coats that are as long as a Cassock? They don't sell them where I live. (Btw. I'm not a Priest myself)

Thanks for the help.
 

Vintage Betty

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,300
Location
California, USA
Welcome to the Lounge 1Viking1!

We have at least two if not more men who are Religious Leaders on the Lounge. (Another reason to keep our manners! ;) )

There are a number of options, but if you really want the authentic stuff, there are sources which specialize in religious style of fashion. Most of these have been around since 1950 or earlier, and are family run or are small companies.

Depending on the garments you are seeking, you can purchase from the US or from Italy, etc. Most of these places offer website orders now.

However, please notice I didn't mention the QUALITY of the items. If you want a long-wearing item (hat, coat) which is also intended for outdoor use and long-wearing of good quality materials, you might seek out manufacturers of a particular fashion or hat instead. Do not make the assumption that because a company is old or official, it has the best quality. This is an assumption that many persons make in various religious communities when purchasing from the same source over a number of years.

And to contradict myself for the third time in this post :eusa_doh: if you are of a particular faith, it is especially nice to buy from one of these long-standing companies, in order to support them and your community. Many of the older companies are now closing down, because of cheaper imported goods, or the skills required to manufacture the items you are looking for is no longer available.

Hope I've confused you enough. :)

Vintage Betty
 

Badluck Brody

Practically Family
Messages
577
Location
Whitewater WI
Take a look at...

Take a look at the movie "Bells of St. Mary's" with Bing Crosby.... it's timeless and perfect for what you're looking for! Another good movie is The Quiet Man. The fathers are great!!
 

Vintage Betty

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,300
Location
California, USA
Congratulations on a big decision. I believe that in most cases your elders/teachers will point you to those type of resources.

Vintage Betty
 

Weston

A-List Customer
Messages
303
1viking1 said:
I'm not, now. I hope I will be able to in the future if it is God's will.

Good to hear! As someone who has accepted (although on the Protestant side), I wish you well in your path. My suggestion for you is to examine one of the very few sites on the web that sells Amish clothing, or clothes made for that specific sect. Their clothes are hand-made, no brand names, and rather expensive, but your higher valued currency will help. Their goods are made to last! You shouldn't have trouble finding it, there are very few selling, as Amish don't use the internet, but some are willing to raise some money cooperating with some of their "English" friends.

I can't recommend them enough – unless you like zippers, since they don't use them.

BTW – Love the Bells of St. Marys. Can you tell? lol
 

PENSACOLA

One of the Regulars
Messages
168
Location
San Ramon, California
1viking1 said:
I'm not, now. I hope I will be able to in the future if it is God's will.


You won't know until you go in; that is, the Seminary. Also, the long Cassock you are speaking of is usually worn by Traditional Priests--One who performs exclusively the Latin Tridentine Mass, and not the Novus Ordo Mass that is so common today. Moreover, when or if you do go into a Seminary, if you are Catholic, you probably won't be given a black cassock. Black cassocks are given to Seminarians who are Traditional Catholics, attending Traditional Latin Rite Seminaries. Example, SSPX...Novus Ordo Seminaries are a world apart from your ideal "black, long cassock," wearing men of God...Latin Tridentine Priests wear this for a special reason--Black signifies, Death To The World, a very important facet of "Old World" priestly garments. Before you wear one for fashion sake, keep this in mind, and its implications. Take care!
 

Italian-wiseguy

One of the Regulars
Messages
271
Location
Italy (Parma and Rome)
Well, living in country where the majority of people is formally catholic (while being zen buddhist myself)

(the real majority of italians, at least in central-northern Italy, almost never enters a church unless it's Christmas or someone's funeral or they want to admire some work of art like painting or sculptures... while the older people, especially in the country, is somehow "pagan" in his vision of catholicism, with saints, simply put, plainly tooking place of old roman gods)

I hope I could give some advice, but I have to do some research.

If you speak or can read italian try typing "sartoria ecclesiastica" ("ecclesiastical tailory") maybe some of them also sell online.

Long black cassocks ("talare") are seen on the streets, rarely, and mostly on older priests, but I'd dont't say this means they're traditionalists, here in Italy.
It's simply an "old priest" thing, but this in Italy doesn't imply they celebrate mass in Latin with the old rite
(that the "new" pope liberalized again)

Yesterday I spotted a priest riding a bicicle with a cassock and a strange little hat ("berretta", but english Wikipedia calls it "biretta" :) ) which was very traditional and still common for priests when I was a boy, but now it's almost disappeared from use.

I can't remember of no one wearing a "cappello romano" or "saturno" if not in old movies.

Wearing a homburg will make you look like the rabbi of my town :)
(the old one, the new one wears only a kippah)

Ciao!!
 

1viking1

New in Town
Messages
7
Location
Norway
PENSACOLA said:
You won't know until you go in; that is, the Seminary. Also, the long Cassock you are speaking of is usually worn by Traditional Priests--One who performs exclusively the Latin Tridentine Mass, and not the Novus Ordo Mass that is so common today. Moreover, when or if you do go into a Seminary, if you are Catholic, you probably won't be given a black cassock. Black cassocks are given to Seminarians who are Traditional Catholics, attending Traditional Latin Rite Seminaries. Example, SSPX...Novus Ordo Seminaries are a world apart from your ideal "black, long cassock," wearing men of God...Latin Tridentine Priests wear this for a special reason--Black signifies, Death To The World, a very important facet of "Old World" priestly garments. Before you wear one for fashion sake, keep this in mind, and its implications. Take care!

I'm applying for formation in a traditional seminary (not NO), so yes they would wear such clothes. All the Priests and Seminarians (having been conferred the Tonsure) wear a Cassock. I couldn't imagine being anything other than a trad (we might push the forum rules now, eh?) I'm not wondering about the Cassock. What I'm wondering about is what hat (not liturgical as the Birretta is) (or Saturno which I already am familiar with) a Priest should use, and which type of coat to buy.
 

1viking1

New in Town
Messages
7
Location
Norway
Italian-wiseguy said:
Well, living in country where the majority of people is formally catholic (while being zen buddhist myself)

(the real majority of italians, at least in central-northern Italy, almost never enters a church unless it's Christmas or someone's funeral or they want to admire some work of art like painting or sculptures... while the older people, especially in the country, is somehow "pagan" in his vision of catholicism, with saints, simply put, plainly tooking place of old roman gods)

I hope I could give some advice, but I have to do some research.

If you speak or can read italian try typing "sartoria ecclesiastica" ("ecclesiastical tailory") maybe some of them also sell online.

Long black cassocks ("talare") are seen on the streets, rarely, and mostly on older priests, but I'd dont't say this means they're traditionalists, here in Italy.
It's simply an "old priest" thing, but this in Italy doesn't imply they celebrate mass in Latin with the old rite
(that the "new" pope liberalized again)

Yesterday I spotted a priest riding a bicicle with a cassock and a strange little hat ("berretta", but english Wikipedia calls it "biretta" :) ) which was very traditional and still common for priests when I was a boy, but now it's almost disappeared from use.

I can't remember of no one wearing a "cappello romano" or "saturno" if not in old movies.

Wearing a homburg will make you look like the rabbi of my town :)
(the old one, the new one wears only a kippah)

Ciao!!

Interesting information. I will do some search with the keywords you provided. There are some that sell online, I have seen one Saturno (it is a black hat with wide round brims) If you have seen "The song of Bernadette" the Priest there wears a Saturno. It is sad that they have almost gone out of use. The Biretta is great, and can be worn at mass (taken off during mass)
 

Staredge

One of the Regulars
Messages
100
Location
Martinsburg, WV
If you will be attending a Traditional Seminary, they should be able to point you in the right direction. Would love to see a return to the old style of priestly dress. Ran into my parish priest wearing slacks & a polo one time at a Catholic School carnival. *shudder* Almost didn't recognize him.

(No, I don't think Priests have to stay in uniform all the time, just in public lol ...especially in a very small, VERY Catholic town: Emmitsburg, Maryland)

Will
 

1viking1

New in Town
Messages
7
Location
Norway
Some Pictures of what I'm looking for

First picture of both Saturno and Biretta which is both fairly easy to obtain

NacRoofSm.jpg


ferraiuolo and Saturno. The color of the ferraiuolo is different according to what rank you have. Priests where black, while Cardinals wear red e.g.

bishop.0.jpg


another Saturno

montini.0.jpg




Sources:
http://dappledphotos.blogspot.com
 

Young fogey

One of the Regulars
Messages
276
Location
Eastern US
Traditional pre-Vatican II rule for Catholic priestly attire in America

I am a Tridentine Mass goer and supporter. My conservative parish is run by friars, one of whom wears the saturno (thanks for the name; I'd been calling it the curé hat). I really do live halfway in the '50s. (My dream: a classic car.)

The traditional pre-Vatican II rule for Catholic priestly attire in America dates from the Council of Baltimore in the 1880s: black suit, Roman collar, and optional black hat (including fedoras) on the street, and cassock and biretta on church grounds.
 

Seb Lucas

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,562
Location
Australia
Bear in mind what priests wore pre Vatican II varied in different cultures. Priests largely abandoned the gloomy black clothing in order to be more approachable and less intimidating in modern culture. The priests I know wear plain tailored clothes and no "dog collar". The older ones tell me they get a much better response from their parish and other members of the public dressing in contemporary garb. My mate Fr John says a priest dresses for the church not himself.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,304
Messages
3,078,414
Members
54,244
Latest member
seeldoger47
Top