Throughout the centuries, the families of the first Order – that of the “friars minor” – adopted gray and brown colors (in many shades: light, dark, chestnut, reddish) … and even black. Towards 1240, an English chronicler speaks of friars minor wearing “long gray robes “. The Friars  Minor Observant underwent the official move from gray to brown habits at the 1895 Assisi Chapter when Leo XIII gathered the various families of the Observance into the “Friars Minor” (Reformed, Alcantarins, Recollects, etc.). At the time the brothers’ robes were supplied by peasants, who often were not much wealthier than the Franciscans.

Until 1517, the Franciscan family, born in 1209, was a juridical one, governed by a single General Minister, considered by all to be the direct successor of Saint Francis. He argued that while the design being brought in now was "new", it was in fact based on a cross between what had been worn by St Francis himself, and an old habit designed in 1447. The Order of Friar Minors or O.F.M. The overall habits of the order is similar to the O.F.M. The answer to the question is a definite “yes.” Most of us are used to wearing form-fitting clothing in the modern style, and so robes tend to take some getting used to.

FRANCISCAN friars in Assisi have succumbed to what critics have called "the temptation of vanity", by engaging a Milan fashion designer to create a dashing new habit for them. The move has also attracted criticism. In the Rule, Francis does not prescribe any specific color for the habit of his penitential followers, rather he invites them to “wear humble garments,” to “dress in cheap clothing.” A biographer remembers the poor man of Assisi praising the lark: “Its plumage is earthy. The other Franciscan orders, who all dress differently, are said to be eyeing jealously their brothers' new habits, which they may be tempted to emulate. The gray color helps blend in with the city environment, complementing the bleak atmosphere of the slum areas, where the friars usually dwell during missions. But the problem remains: where would one keep one's mobile phone?". She has now come up with a snappy, charcoal grey model in lightweight wool. As you may already know, St. Francis established the Franciscan order and his influence spread throughout the world. habit, though less vibrant and more solid to symbolize the eschewing of worldly ways, blending with the soil of the earth.

Yves St Laurent once displayed an authentic friar's habit in his showroom, as an example of a design that could not be bettered.

The new garb, they say, will be both more practical and comfortable. Pasquale Magro | Source: www.sanfrancescopatronoditalia.it, Br. With a solid earthly tone which delicately blends, the habits consist of a soft hood and a white girdle, contrasting with the brown color of the overall garment. ", He added: "St Francis did not distinguish between friars and the poor, and for that reason he chose to wear a piece of rough wool with a hole in the middle of it. It was necessary to have "courage and intelligence" to change a friar's habit, he said.

He added: "For a friar, for whom the inner world is everything, the habit is practically the only thing we have outside. The friars, who describe themselves as "penitents" dedicated to missionary and humanitarian work, are ecstatic at the result and last week began donning the re-designed habits.

Sporting ash-gray habits are those of the Friars Minor Conventual or F.M.C. He said: "To return to a more modern, humbler style, which is in fact based on a much older one, we are returning to the simplicity which we are supposed to be all about. The pearly white girdle also symbolizes clarity, as well as hope among city-dwellers stricken with poverty. The Friars Minor Capuchin, in 1912, decided on their present chestnut color. ", He also rejected suggestions that behind the move there lurked a worldy vanity. There are new male and female congregations that even wear blue in honor of the B. V. Mary.

was established in 1517 to adopt a simpler, poorer life. The color of the habit of the Franciscan families of the First Order expresses the birth and the evolution of currents within the Franciscan family. who was known for his deeds and his humility. The flip side of this, however, is that, over time, each friar becomes more comfortable with wearing the habit. The habits honor the legacy of St. Francis of Assisi, whose unassuming nature greatly influenced many individuals to strip themselves of their worldly ways. The order has the most direct line to St. Francis himself. Posted by Churchgoers on November 08, 2018.

Obviously, color has always had a symbolic energy that serves as a reminder of the spiritual identity of the group.

What did Francis think about the color of the habit? ", New Covid lockdown rules for England: what you can and can't do from today. Mr Messori told a fashion magazine: "One must be careful not to go over the top. The Capuchin order was established in 1528 as a reformation movement adopting a more contemplative lifestyle. Besides being much lighter than the present black wool habit that weighs seven pounds, the trim new design has breast pockets in which the the brothers can keep their mobile telephones. The Friars Minor Conventual up to the constitutions of 1803 were bound to wear ashen gray, but in1823 black began to prevail. The entire color scheme signifies both humility (brown) and purity (white). Their move has become the talk of the town of Assisi, where the Franciscan monastic order was founded by St Francis in the 13th century. It gives example to religious women and men that they should not have elegant and fine attire, but rather wear dull colors, like that of the earth”.