We’re not really trying to dress differently so much as we’re trying to dress modestly and respectfully. We want to avoid clothing that indicates status or wealth as well as anything provocative or sexualized, because Jesus commands us to be pure in heart, soul, and body. We try to represent that in our dress.
By having a simple mode of dress we also try to uphold Jesus’ teachings about not worrying about what you’re going to wear. It frees us up to think about things that are more important than clothes.
We also want to respect the differences between men and women as God made us. So the women’s clothing includes a skirt and some also choose to wear a head covering. The men’s clothing may not stand out as much as the women’s but it’s also simple. (For a personal reflection on the head covering that Bruderhof women wear, read this piece from our blog.)
As one Bruderhof member (our blogger Carmen Hinkey) says, “I think a distinctive lifestyle calls for a distinctive dress. I love walking down the street or through an airport and have people see immediately that my life is something different.”