Sisters

Dress

A Sister's Habit (click for larger image)

he clothing of a woman religious has historically identified her religious vocation and her association with a particular order, or religious group under similar direction. The dress of the Sisters of Saint Ann was once an elaborate layering of black fabric garments and white head coverings. This added to the mystique of the Sisters, both for their students and for people on the city streets of Victoria. For these women who had chosen convent life, it was simply part of their role in a religious community, and they managed to go about their chores, meditations and even sporting activities without giving any consideration to the cumbersome clothing. Former student Aileen Kirby remembers “one nun who demonstrated high jump in her habit. She didn’t care! And the same with long jump -I remember them doing everything in their habits.” The parts of the Sisters’ clothing included:

WHITE COIF
The pieces framing the face and covering the head were known as the coif. A white cotton cap was worn under a thin headband, called a bandeau. A wimple, a head-dress made of starched linen which covered the neck and the sides of the face, covered these first two layers. A black crepe covered the white wimple, and was attached to a black capeline.

A Sister's Black Veil (click for larger image)

BLACK VEIL
The veil was worn pinned over the coif head coverings.

HOLY HABIT
This was the main piece of clothing. It was a dress made of black serge fabric, which was sewn with four pleats at the neck so that the habit fell softly from the neck to the floor. When working, the Sister pinned up the front and back.

WOOLEN BELT
A belt woven from wool was worn around the waist. The rosary hung from this belt by hooks.

A Sister's Rosary (click for larger image)

ROSARY
Rosary beads shaped from brown wood were hung from a belt. The beads are divided into sets to help the memory in counting the recital of devotional prayers in Roman Catholicism. A medal of St. Ann teaching her daughter, the Virgin Mary, was placed with the beads, where a cross would traditionally be found.

SLEEVES
The Holy Habit had two sets of sleeves. The larger set was folded up for work and unfolded for formal occasions and when in chapel.

PELERINE
The shawl-like pelerine was cut to leave the sleeves free. It was made of black serge and worn over the dress.

Sister's Cross & Silver Ring (click for larger image)

CROSS
A large silver cross is worn hanging from a black cord. The cross is received when the first or temporary vows are taken by the Sister and remains a part of the dress of the Sisters of Saint Ann.

SILVER RING
The simple silver ring symbolizes that the final or perpetual vows have been taken by the Sister.

UNDERSKIRTS
Two skirts were worn under the habit dress. The top skirt was sewn from black serge, trimmed with a cord along the edge. A black cotton skirt was worn underneath the serge skirt.

BLACK SHOES
Simple black shoes were worn with the habit of the Sisters of Saint Ann.

STOCKINGS
Black stockings were the traditional leg coverings.

“CARD”
When the Sisters would travel outside the convent and school, a stiff black covering called a card would be worn over the coif. The card was reinforced, to prevent the white linen from becoming wet or dirty.

CAPE
A long black cape and black gloves were worn over the habit on trips.

SUITCASE
A small black suitcase was used to carry a few items for travel.

APRONS
Aprons of different types were worn over the habit, depending on the occasion, to help keep the other clothing from becoming dirty.

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