Dress in American Communal Societies

THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF dress in indicating and reinforcing social position and maintaining social order has been well documented. 1 All groups have clothing norms which contribute to their members' sense of boundary maintenance and internal cohesion, although the norms themselves range from formal dress codes such as uniforms in military organizations to informal customs and traditions which may not even be consciously articulated.Throughout the world and through much of history, role differentiations based on age, gender, marital status, family, polity, religion, caste, and class have been reflected in dress.In a group such as a communal society, which consciously sets itself apart and tries to establish a new social order, decisions about dress have both practical and symbolic significance.Some of the more obvious issues involved were touched upon by Shaker leader Isaac N. Youngs, who observed in 1856,We may justly observe that [clothing] is a subject that absorbs a great part of our attention, time and earnings.Our dress is a great expense to us, and much more than real necessity demands, owing to the taste and fancy of the people, about their dress.It is impossible to please the fancy, and conform to all the different opinions of color, form, etc. and yet maintain a due regard to uniformity and Economy. 2 In noting the time and expense involved in clothing production, Youngs implied the economic importance of community decision-making