Latter-day Saint women have been bartering, buying and buzzing about sleeveless garments ever since they became available a year ago in humid climes across the globe.
It turns out that many men are just as eager to get their bodies into the new styles, which faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wear underneath their daily clothing as a reminder of sacred promises they have made to God in the church’s temples.
With the sale of the new designs set to become available in the United States before year’s end, here’s a sample what male members are saying:
Immodest or fashion forward?
(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) This screenshot from the church's online store for U.S. members shows that the new sleeveless garments for men will be available before year's end.
Joel Southwell, an Idaho Latter-day Saint and former missionary, is excited to get the new tank-top-type garment, saying it’s less about style and more about comfort.
Originally from California, Southwell says the hot and humid weather prevalent in that state sometimes made the current garments unpleasant to wear.
As for the new design, Southwell finds it fitting for summerwear.
“I don’t really care about the style,” he said. “I just think it’ll be more comfortable during the hotter times of the year.”
Utahn Jeren Stevenson was able to obtain the newly designed bottom from the two-piece garments after traveling to Japan with his family.
Although he was unable to obtain a sleeveless top, Stevenson described his new bottom as “more breathable” and “thinner.” He even expressed how he has enjoyed wearing the garment during warm weather.
Beyond comfort, Stevenson said, he is thrilled that the garment line is no longer visible through his church slacks, which has been a complaint for many members.
“It just gives me more options of what to wear,” he said, “depending on the activity I’m engaging in.”
As with some female Latter-day Saints, however, not all men have been as receptive to the new styles.
Questions and concerns
(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) The current underclothing, known as garments, worn by faithful men and women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Linton Crockford-Moore has been a church member for 11 years; nearly half that time living in Dubai.
Despite the toasty temperatures in the United Arab Emirates, he believes the new garments are unnecessary and will not help against excessive heat.
Crockford-Moore said that since modesty is of utmost importance in the Persian Gulf nation, he regularly wears clothing that covers most of his body. He has found that shorter garb is often less helpful in wicking away heat.
And Crockford-Moore’s experience reaches farther than his country of residence. A fashion designer owning multiple clothing lines, he said men’s fashions already accommodate the current garment, because most shirts cover the shoulders anyway.
Besides, he views the temple garment as an internal expression, setting members apart from other faiths. He explained that many sacred clothes in other religions are outwardly visible, contrasting with the covered Latter-day Saint garment.
To Crockford-Moore, the new style takes what once was a symbol of internal heavenly commitment and shifts it to external worldly conformity.
“When it comes to my undergarments, what you do not see, that’s the personal devotion to God,” he said. “That’s my personal inward expression.”
(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) The Beehive Clothing facility in Salt Lake City, where garments are manufactured.
For his part, Stevenson sees garment styles as secondary to their sacred nature, emphasizing the apparel’s unique symbolism.
“It’s not the design of the garment that gives it its significance,” he said. “The purpose of the garment is to … help us come closer to Jesus Christ.”
The First Presidency, the church’s highest-ranking body, views “the symbolism of the garment” as “more important than the style,” according to “Saints, Volume 3,” part of the faith’s official history.
“The existing garment pattern, which stretched to the ankles and wrists and had string ties and a collar, was ill-suited for the types of clothing worn in the 1920s,” the book explained. So top church leaders “instructed that a shortened and simplified garment be made available.”
A century later, with yet another new style emerging, Richie Steadman, host of “The Cultural Hall” podcast, doesn’t anticipate the latest designs to affect men much — if at all.
“I hope that we care more about the covenants” he said, “and less about the underwear.”
Note to readers • Dylan Eubank is a Report for America corps member covering faith in Utah County for The Salt Lake Tribune. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories.