Let’s cut to the chase.
What new clothing styles exactly do those new garments — a slip and skirt option for women plus a (relatively) sleeveless version for women and men — open up for faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
Social media users have been debating these questions ever since news of the redesigns hit Oct. 16. Can devout Latter-day Saint women now show off their shoulders on their wedding day? What about the eternally classic Audrey Hepburn-style high-necked cocktail dresses? Are those now an option?
For wearers, garments symbolize Jesus’ power to save while also reminding them of the sacred promises individuals make within the hallowed walls of Latter-day Saint temples. Those covenants are considered eternal. But as historians have documented, the cut and make of the underclothing have changed repeatedly and dramatically since their introduction in the early days of the church.
True, the new garment top’s hem no longer extends past the shoulder. But, as Latter-day Saint researcher Laura Brignone noted in a recent episode of The Salt Lake Tribune’s “Mormon Land” podcast, the underclothing still covers much of the joint exposed by many, if not most, sleeveless styles for women. The neckline for the slip, meanwhile, appears to be more conservative than many of the stand-alone shirt options currently available.
(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) These screenshots from the church's online store for U.S. members show new garment options for women available toward the end of next year.
Minky Kapande was among the first to try the newly released designs, which are currently restricted geographically to a range of hot and humid climates around the globe, including Durban, South Africa, where she lives. (Plans are in place for the additional options to be widely available in the United States toward the end of 2025.)
Some women will “absolutely love the sleeveless tops,” Kapande said. “The new design will solve for some [style] problems but not all.”
A new sleeveless dress she bought for a family wedding, for instance, still requires her to wear a top underneath because of its plunging neckline.
Much bigger deals, Kapande believes, are the availability of the skirt and slip options, both for health and cultural reasons.
“Some African sisters are more comfortable with skirts and dresses,” she said. “Some of them have never worn pants.” The new styles fit more neatly inside their “cultural standards.”
‘Bodies are so different’
Katie Peare is a Los Angeles-based Latter-day Saint wardrobe stylist whose work has been displayed on some of the world’s reddest carpets, including the Oscars and Grammys. By far the biggest determinant, she said, on how the changes will impact what women can and cannot wear with garments will be their own body shape.
“Bodies are so different,” Peare said, “so it will be interesting to see exactly where the hem falls” on a variety of shoulders.
Another open question, Latter-day Saint fashion blogger and entrepreneur Kilee Nickels pointed out, is the width of the new styles’ armholes, another spot where today’s garment styles are often incompatible with clothing trends.
One win, though, is certain: There will be fewer seams for the slip and skirt wearers.
“If you have any curves at all, it will be nice not to have the line on the mid-thigh” that typically comes from the short-styled garment bottoms currently worn by most women, Peare explained. “Or if you wore something more fitted, there will be a seamless slip dress, which means less fabric to tuck into the waistband.”
The role of sexuality
(Kilee Nickels) Latter-day Saint fashion blogger and entrepreneur Kilee Nickels says the church's new garment styles will allow women to wear lacier underwear.
Nickels sees yet another, lacier benefit with the skirt and slip options — one that could be filed under “strengthening marriages.”
“As a married member, garments sometimes make it hard because attractive undergarment styles are worn far more infrequently,” the founder of the jewelry company Nickel & Suede said. “A garment slip option sounds like a great way to open up undergarment options.”
Sexy plus sacred.
For many, the potential in such a pairing is more than superficial. The Tribune heard from dozens of current and former female garment wearers who said the previous designs left them feeling unattractive and perpetually self-conscious about their bodies. A few even cited issues in their sex life with their spouse tied to the underclothing.
Amanda Lynn Blair, who grew up in the church, said she was taught that the “body and sexuality were dangerous and distracting, specifically to males.”
This feeling was reinforced by the garment designs and the instructions she received about them, including quickly redonning them after sex. Her body, they seemed to signal, wasn’t her own but “belonged to male authority.”
So Blair “kept my arousal shut down,” the 42-year-old Salt Lake City resident said, “until years after I had my last of five children.”
Blair is hopeful that, paired with the recent shift in language around women and priesthood, the new styles could mean a healthier, more positive connection to one’s sexuality for more Latter-day Saint women.
“The ability to choose one’s intimate clothing is a really big part of bodily autonomy, for sure, and absolutely had an effect on my own ability to develop a sexual sense of self,” she said. “And the ability to choose styles, for instance a flowy slip, would allow for differences in sensory input.”
Candace Queathem, a married 35-year-old living in London, agreed.
“Having the option to wear underwear with garments will add personal choice and control into my life,” Queathem said, “which are important aspects of my sexuality.”
‘Modesty is a separate issue’
Nickels, who has worn garments for nearly two decades, stressed that the sacred underclothes “are important to me in what they symbolize and who they remind me of.”
But, she continued, “modesty is a separate issue from the length of the garment.”
Given this, she said, “I’m grateful they are updating the fit to fit more with modern clothing styles.”
Kapande expressed a similar sentiment. Ultimately, the South African said, she’s not all that interested in showing much skin, regardless of where her garment hem falls.
More important to her is the belief that “these changes are a sign that the Lord is in control” and “that we have good people on the ground advising our leaders.”
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