page_title: Cassock
section_title: Anglican
hierarchical_section_title: Cassock / Western Christian practice / Anglican
caption_attribution_description: English: The choir of Lambrook School circa 1960/61
context_page_description: The cassock or soutane is a Christian clerical clothing coat used by the clergy of the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, in addition to certain Protestant denominations such as Anglicans and Lutherans. "Ankle-length garment" is the literal meaning of the corresponding Latin term, vestis talaris. It is related to the habit, which is traditionally worn by nuns, monks, and friars.
  The cassock derives historically from the tunic of classical antiquity that in ancient Rome was worn underneath the toga and the chiton that was worn beneath the himation in ancient Greece. In religious services, it has traditionally been worn underneath vestments, such as the alb.
  In the West, the cassock is little used today except for religious services, save for traditionalist Catholic clergy who continue to wear the cassock as their standard clerical attire. However, in many countries it was the normal everyday wear of the clergy until the 1960s, when it was largely replaced by clerical suits, distinguished from lay dress by being generally black and by a black shirt incorporating a clerical collar.
context_section_description: The Anglican church uses single and double-breasted cassocks. For many this is to indicate tradition (single-breasted in the Anglo-Catholic tradition and double-breasted in the evangelical end of the church).
  The double-breasted cassock fastens at the shoulders on the opposing side of the breast and at the waist with one concealed button. The latter usually has a single small stem-button sewn at centre front about 12–15 cm / 4½–6" below the centre-front neck line which is used to secure the academic hood, worn for Choir Dress.
  The single-breasted cassock worn by Anglicans traditionally has thirty-nine buttons as signifying the Thirty-Nine Articles or as some would prefer Forty Stripes Save One. 
  Cassocks are often worn without a cinture and some opt for a buckled belt.
  Black is the most common colour for priests, readers, vergers, and server cassocks. Lighter colours, such as white are used in tropical countries and some cathedrals have colours specific for their location. Piping is also used in the Anglican church to indicate position held with red being used for Deans, Archdeacons and Cathedral Canons. Bishops and Archbishops often wear purple cassocks. This has been practise since the 19th century. More recently the Archbishops have chosen to wear black, this can be seen in the ministries of Rowan Williams and Justin Welby. Scarlet cassocks are properly worn only by Chaplains to the Queen and by members of Royal foundations such as Westminster Abbey and some Cambridge college chapels.
  Cassocks are sometimes also worn by readers, altar servers, and choir members, when they do this is the double-breasted style. Readers and altar servers usually wear black cassocks, but those worn by choirs are usually coloured.
caption: A school choir wearing cassocks under surplices
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