# Why do Nuns wear black? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [March 30, 2000, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-nuns-wear-black/1084 "2000-03-30T21:43:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brittainy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brittainy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittainy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-nuns-wear-black/1084/1 "2000-03-30T21:43:00Z")
I am sure this is a rather easy question to answer, so you probably will like it. =) I just thought that white was considered the Holy color, you know pure and stuff since that is what brides wear. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-nuns-wear-black/1084/2 "2000-03-30T22:13:00Z")
Perhaps the somber colours they are showing their renunciation of the world and lack of vanity? ---
**Author:** ![brittainy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brittainy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittainy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-nuns-wear-black/1084/3 "2000-03-30T22:16:00Z")
hmm…well I like that answer. =) ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-nuns-wear-black/1084/4 "2000-03-30T22:28:00Z")
They don’t. Well, they don’t anymore, and they never all did. It depended on the order: some orders wore navy blue, or light blue, or white. Some wore the full habits, some wore outfits that looked like business suits with just the headgear. Nowadays many nuns just wear simple modest street clothes without the headgear - but again it depends on their order. * * * “The analyst went barking up the wrong tree, of course. I never should have mentioned unicorns to a Freudian.” – Dottie (“Jumpers” by Tom Stoppard) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-nuns-wear-black/1084/5 "2000-03-30T23:22:00Z")
As for why nuns USED to wear black, that’s easy, too. Most habits were designed at the time the order was founded, and were simply variations on the type of dress common at that time. If you look back at very old photographs, you’ll see that ordinary people commonly wore black – brighter colors were more expensive and generally worn only by the upper class. ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-nuns-wear-black/1084/6 "2000-03-31T00:53:00Z")
My guess: In the beginning, the habits weren’t necessarily black, they were just dark. Dark cloth hides stains and wear better than lighter colors. It is also cheaper to dye, since you could just use a mixture of whatever dyestuff was available (rather than needing a lot of a specific color). Most orders were founded on the idea of simplicity, hard work, and service. Wearing colors that are hard to make and maintain took away from that. * * * “If you prick me, do I not…leak?” --Lt. Commander Data ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-nuns-wear-black/1084/7 "2000-03-31T00:56:00Z")
Addendum to my guess: Most orders were founded in the Middle Ages, and needed to make and dye the cloth for their habits themselves. Just in case that wasn’t clear… * * * “If you prick me, do I not…leak?” --Lt. Commander Data ---
**Author:** ![lachesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@lachesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lachesis)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-nuns-wear-black/1084/8 "2000-03-31T15:18:00Z")
a couple points: in old pictures, the medium is Black and White. you wore scarlet, it showed as black. Dark blue? ditto. dark green? …see a trend? black and white photos are an unreliable basis for making assumptions regarding anything except the clothing **styles**. also, white only became the color associated with brides (and bridal gowns) around the Victorian times, with the rise in personal levels of wealth and having the disposable income to spend on a “one-wear” garment. before then, the bride generally wore her “best dress”, of whatever color (or regional costume style). * * * next one who says “Fates a bitch” gets whacked with my measuring stick. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-nuns-wear-black/1084/9 "2000-03-31T16:08:00Z")
What column does this refer to? ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-nuns-wear-black/1084/10 "2000-04-01T05:52:00Z")
Moving this one to GQ. Jill