Choir vestments usually consist of a purple cassock and a white surplice. Another familiar vestment is the alb, a white tunic with sleeves that covers the body from neck to ankles. Over it ordained ministers wear a stole, a narrow band of colored fabric. Deacons wear the stole over one shoulder, priests and bishops over both shoulders. The alb is a reminder of our Baptism.
Bishops wear a mitre and carrys a pastoral staff.
Stoles, chasubles, and dalmatics, as well as altar coverings, are usually made of rich fabrics. Their color changes with the seasons and holy days of the Church Year. The most frequently used colors are white, red, violet, blue, and green. The Episcopal Church observes the traditional Christian calendar. The season of Advent, during which we prepare for Christmas, begins on the Sunday closest to November 30.