In the blue creation book, there are some depictions of life in paradise where someone actually wearing jeans! In a local pamflet on a bethel build project in Europe, a photo with a brother having a T-shirt with a slogan on was retouched before it got to print. I’ve never heard anyone being counselled because of wearing fashion clothes. It varied a lot from circuit to circuit the percentage of those having such clothes though.
Were you ever counselled over wearing brand name clothes?
by truthseeker 15 Replies latest jw friends
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undercover
Another one of those pharisaical type things. Local elders wield supreme executive authority over their local congregation when it comes to proper groom and dress.
The WTS did have some guidelines about clothing and logos. They counseled baptism candidates about not wearing any logo apparel at baptism. And again at quick build projects. Military style clothing is also not allowed at quick builds (I know, I had to leave my old style army jacket from the army surplus store in the truck on a cold, raw day at a KH building site).
The really sneaky part was that at assemblies, whenever they had a part on grooming, they always pointed to the "examples" in the publications as a good guide to follow. Or, they would recite parts of the Bethel code of dress and how strict that was. Based on that, and the fact that some elders were ultra-conservative and out-of-touch with the times, they forced their ideas of good dress and grooming on the rest of the congregation. Usually they counseled people about being too caught up with modern styles or copying movie stars or sports stars in their dress.
I knew a brother who got in trouble for wearing flared dress pants at a assembly (back in the late 60s/early 70s). I knew a brother who got in trouble for copying the Don Johnson look from Miami Vice in the mid 80s. I've known several brothers who got in trouble for beards. Mustaches were allowed but had to meet the same criteria as the Bethel brothers (and some sisters I've seen up there). I got in trouble constantly for mustache and sideburns. I knew an elder who went around and would pull on brother's hair (usually teenage brothers got this treatment). If he could pull it out so far away from their head, he told them they needed a haircut.
But I can't remember them ever counseling anyone for wearing "brand name" clothes or expensive clothes. JWs in general were cheap bastards. It was the rare JW who liked to drop big money on clothes and apparel.
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Dune
If you ever notice, the people in the magazines have collared shirts which are stuffed into their khaki's with a tight belt. I laugh at those pictures .
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stillajwexelder
I had a sarcastic comment made at me for wearing designer clothes when i was on the body. I ignored it
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greendawn
I can't see them doing something of the sort because the JWs in general take an example from the society and are materialistic, at least at the KH where I was and the neighbouring ones that's how they were.
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serendipity
In affluent congregations here, the young ones wear designer clothes and look down on those that do not. I have a young JW cousin who has pronounced me a fashion loser because I don't wear them.