Sartorial Splendor- Amazing Albs

Tonight marks the advent of the American Inquisition's next series, Sartorial Splendor: A Look at Roman Vestments (ht to my roommate for suggesting the title).

I have decided to start simply and work my way up. I am going to attempt to provide posts of reasonable length which trace both the development of and purpose behind the various vestments that priests use during Mass. I will also provide fun pictures to go along with the posts so that you don't get too bored.

The broad purpose of this series is that my faithful readers will come away having learned something and, barring that, won't be too bored. So now, on to the first installment.

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Amazing Albs
Or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the toga

Above: a sampling of modern-day albs

The origins of the alb are difficult to trace. Although many will contend that it has its origins in Graeco-Romano secular attire (i.e. the toga), many also hold the position that it has parallels in ancient Jewish priestly garments as well. Multiple references to things that could be albs in ancient documents, as well as scenes in art as far back as the catacombs confuse the matter and make it hard to trace the alb to a definitive time. It can thusly be called one of the oldest, if not the oldest, of the liturgical vestments. Additionally, its use is widespread among the Western "churches;" that is, unlike many other Catholic vestments, Protestant ministers also use them (although, admittedly, their sacraments aren't real, but I digress...).

As you can see from the picture, it is essentially a full-body length white garment. The white color which characterizes the alb is symbolic of purity of both body and soul, a purity which is necessary, as the priest is offering Christ, the Lamb of sacrifice, to the Father in Heaven during the Mass, as well as chastity and self-denial (obviously related to the more general "purity" notion) that a priest should practice. It is additionally symbolic of the garment with which Herod clothed our Lord.

The alb itself is worn for Mass by the priest over his cassock (or, more commonly, his "regular clothes" *sigh*). As the ugly examples above show, the alb itself can be decorated. The bottom and sleeves of the alb itself are the parts most commonly seen (try this at Mass: watch the priest and you should be able to see the alb- well, try it before or after Mass...) and, as such, are generally the only decorated parts. Before the Second Vatican Council the use of lace in the making of albs was widespread, although this practice has, tragically, fallen into disfavor of late. You can see an example of an alb with a "lace skirt" (it's manly lace, darnit!) to the right. Decorations vary, although you can still find many on Ebay from the French tradition with lace skirts that have lots and lots of decorative flowers (that, obviously, is NOT manly lace).

With regard to the decoration of albs, it should be noted that albs were not always white. Many medieval albs were different colors (red, blue, etc.) and many of them were made of expensive materials like silk. This practice is no longer allowed and these medieval albs stand in contrast to the relatively simple and white ones we have today.

There was also, throughout liturgical history, a variation of the size of albs. While originally more or less the way they are now (that is, they fit relatively closely to the person), during the middle ages they tended to expand. The bottom edge of the surplice ballooned out in size and by the sixteenth century albs with a circumference of seven yards at the bottom were not uncommon.

Albs are also used these days by female altar servers. Although females were given permission to become altar servers (in 1994, although that is up to the discretion of the local diocesan bishop and even then priests are not compelled to have altar girls) they were not allowed to wear the cassock and surplice which had become, by then, the preferred mode of vesting for altar boys. The alb was thusly introduced as a substitute (although in many places you can find altar girls in cassocks or altar boys in albs).

Albs are related to several other vestments which I will cover in other installments. For one, the alb is fastened around the waist with a cincture. Additionally, the shortening of the alb over time gave rise to the surplice.

Outside of Mass the alb has little use. Although in the middle ages it was used for many different functions, the rise of the surplice (which is, in many senses, basically a much shorter alb) has essentially rendered the alb "obsolete," as a cassock and surplice will often suffice for functions which the priest must render outside of the Mass.

Well I think that's all for now. If you have any comments on this first entry, feel free to make one or e-mail me at americaninquisition(at)gmail(dot)com.

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Saint Francis de Sales, pray for us!

Saint Angela Merici, pray for us!

Our Lady of Kazan, pray for us!