Wearing Their Faith

This Element shows how clothing shapes new religious movements from charismatic leaders to faithful followers and influences fashion trends.

This Element explores the role of dress in New Religious Movements, highlighting its role in creating charismatic leaders and faithful followers. Case studies reveal how dress and fashion practices empower people to live and wear their faith, while the fashion industry incorporates cult stereotypes and normative understandings of good religion.New Religious Movements (NRMs) have a long, interconnected history with distinct forms of dress and clothing. However, research on NRMs has not focused sufficiently on the clothing and material culture of these groups. In response, this Element examines the central role that dress plays in the creation of charismatic leaders and the formation of faithful followers. Through a variety of case studies – ranging from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to Father Divine, from the Children of God to the Nation of Islam – we see how dress and fashion practices provide people with a powerful way to live and wear their faith. In addition, the fashion industry takes note and incorporates ideas about cults and clothing into their trends and styles. In doing so, it fuels the cult stereotype and fosters normative understandings of what constitutes good religion.