Amish Dress: Why Is It Different?

Our dress speaks volumes about ourselves. It may indicate that we want to blend into modern society.  It may indicate that we identify with a certain segment of society—conservative business people or rural country society or perhaps punk rockers. So it is natural that people who don’t want to blend into modern society (or any of its sub-groups) dress differently than others.

The Amish are the best illustration of this principle. They live by a set of values and beliefs that are often contrary to modern American society. By their distinctive dress they are making a statement that they are both different from and separate from modern society.

Amish Dress Reflects Modesty

Two hundred years ago, the Amish didn’t dress that differently from other American farmers.  Society in general dressed more modestly than they do today.  Amish dress reflects the standards of Christian modesty from an era long ago.  Since the Bible hasn’t changed, the Amish believe that standards of modesty shouldn’t change either.

So although Amish dress seems so different from modern society, if this were the 1700s, Amish dress would blend in nicely with the dress of rural Presbyterians, Baptists, or Methodists. In other words, it isn’t the Amish who have changed; it’s the society around them.

Other Reasons Why Amish Dress Differently

Modesty is not the only reason why the Amish dress differently. They have purposefully decided to be distinct from the world around them. They want their dress to reflect their Christian values. They want to dress “plain,” rather than fancy or stylish. They want to wear home-sewn clothes rather than clothes sold by the clothing industry. Amish values are unchanging, and they want their clothes to reflect that.

Another reason why the Amish dress differently is that their distinctive dress immediately identifies others who share their same values. As one Amish man said, “Seeing a fellow plain person when far from home is like hearing your own language spoken while traveling in a foreign land. There is an immediate bond of fellowship even though the person might be a total stranger.”

Amish Head Covering

Part of Amish dress is a distinctive hat for men and a distinguishing head covering for women. The hat on Amish men is primarily worn for utilitarian reasons and for distinctiveness from modern society.

The cap that Amish women wear is not only for distinctiveness, but also for modesty and in obedience to the apostolic command in 1 Corinthians, chapter 11. There, the apostle Paul commands that men should uncover their heads when praying and that women should cover their heads when praying.  By wearing a cap or head covering at all times, an Amish woman can pray any time she wants and still be in compliance with this Biblical commandment.