SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Sleeveless versions of the sacred undergarments worn by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints flew off the shelves on their first day available in the U.S., marking a momentous occasion for many women in the faith who say they no longer need to trade comfort to feel close to God.
Social media was abuzz with pictures of long lines of mostly women waiting for their chance to get inside specialty clothing stores to try on the new items Tuesday.
Enthusiasm for the new garments, worn under modest street clothes by members of what is widely known as the Mormon church, is not just about all the outfits they can more easily wear over a tank top. The introduction of more breathable fabrics and styles for the typically two-piece white garments is key, especially for those who struggle to wear them for medical reasons or live in warmer climates.
“I think that it’s great that they are considering the needs of women,” said Amanda Shirley, a church member from Salt Lake City who was shopping for the garments Tuesday. She knows some women who struggle with the old cotton and polyester garments due to health problems, including gynecological issues.
While the symbolism of the garments is more important to Shirley than comfort, she’s excited for a more breathable alternative. She considers the church’s introduction of new garments “forward-thinking.”
The church, which has more than 17 million members worldwide, has an all-male priesthood and its top leaders are all men. The highest-ranking women serve on councils that sit several layers of leadership below groups reserved for only men.
Though they’ve drawn ridicule from outsiders, the garments, worn by men and women alike, are comparable to other faiths’ holy vestments. They remind temple-going Latter-day Saints that they made covenants of obedience, sacrifice, sexual purity and consecration, said Kathleen Flake, a former professor of Mormon Studies at the University of Virginia.
Flake said the new garments were designed by a group including both men and women within the church. They conferred with major lingerie manufacturers to come up with these styles over the last two years or so, she said.
“They have tried to make underwear for the world, essentially,” Flake said. “The goal here was to ensure that people are comfortable as they fulfill this aspect of their religion.”
New garments draw long lines at Utah stores
In the church’s home state of Utah, lines for the new garments resembled those of a Black Friday sale, state Sen. Mike McKell said in a post on X.
A line of mostly women with blue shopping baskets snaked through one church-affiliated Deseret Book store in Salt Lake City’s Sugar House neighborhood on Tuesday afternoon. Earlier in the day, the line was out the door.
The new garments cost about $4 to $5 apiece. An employee walked down the line with a measuring tape, gleefully telling customers about the new stretchy fabric, made with some spandex, that she said provides a cooling effect. A sign at the store’s registers declared a limit of 20 items per customer to ensure availability for as many shoppers as possible. As of 3 p.m., the store was out of sizes small and extra small.
Asked why she was excited about the new garments, one shopper, Janae Skinner, simply said, “I sweat a lot!”
While there is a way to buy the new garments online, many shoppers told The Associated Press that they wanted a chance to try on the updated styles and sizes before purchasing.
Garments change with the times
Flake, the longtime Mormon expert, said the church has made a number of stylistic changes to temple garments throughout its history simply because the way people dress changes. This latest change has also been a long time coming because the faith is truly global and must cater to everyone who practices it, she said.
“This change shows the church’s responsiveness to make the garments as comfortable as possible for a maximum number of people,” Flake said.
It’s also why the garments were first introduced in other parts of the world where it was a more practical necessity, including hotter climates and where women typically wear dresses. Sleeveless tops, skirt bottoms and one-piece shifts were already available in Africa and the Philippines, according to the church’s online store.
Daniel Walker rushed to buy the new garments before he leaves Wednesday for missionary training. He said he was excited to try the new tank top style, which he hopes will be more comfortable in warmer months while serving his mission in Roseville, California. The current garments can get hot, but he said he has gotten used to them.
He said a friend who served a mission in Africa was able to get the sleeveless garments there before they were available in the U.S. and encouraged Walker to buy them as soon as they hit the shelves stateside.
The missionary from Grantsville, 37 miles (59 kilometers) west of Salt Lake City, said he gets frustrated when people who are not members of the faith joke that Latter-day Saints wear “magic underwear.” He hopes that by speaking openly about their spiritual significance, he can help cut through some of the stigma.
“I feel like sometimes people act like it’s like a secret or something that we need to hide,” Walker said. “But to me, it’s just something that reminds me of promises I made with God, and so I don’t think it’s anything that I should keep secret.”
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Bharath reported from Los Angeles and Meyer from Nashville, Tennessee.
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