Last year I went along as a spectator, and spent about 20 minutes hanging around. This year I spend nearly 3 hours being measured and trying on clerical garb at what is known as the Tat Fair.My fashion consultant accompanied me, to ensure that I didn't make any expensive mistakes or choose unwise colours - this is easily the most expensive clothing I've ever bought. But most of what I've ordered today will last me for the rest of my life, unless my shape changes drastically. I've ordered a cassock, a surplice, a preaching scarf, a clerical hoodie and a dual purpose cloak / Jedi costume - which unfortunately doesn't have an internal lightsaber pocket.
It's amazing how casually you can spend hundreds of pounds when you know somebody else is paying for it - we all get a grant to cover the cost of equipping ourselves with the right clothing for the job, and I went with what felt and looked right, rather than looking too closely at the price tag. Some of my colleagues have spent the bare minimum, but that tends to reflect the fact that they will wear the formal robes very little in their weekly duties. Where I'm going I'll be wearing robes Sunday by Sunday, conducting funerals in blustery country churchyards, and hunting down Darth Vader in my spare time.
Look away now if you don't want a preview of the future.
I've yet to order any shirts or stoles (seasonal coloured scarves) as the huge range on display left our heads spinning. Apparently the choices available have considerably widened since women were ordained. And that's a good thing - there is a core set of traditional vicar's shirt colours which I don't particularly like, and it's nice that I can pretty much nominate a colour and find that there will be a shirt available in it. So there's a lot to thank the girls for!!
I did try a couple of shirts on. It's a scary moment when you put that stiff piece of plastic in your collar. Keep this photo to yourself. Don't tell the rest of the internet about it. I think it's an offence to impersonate a clergyman!
Next I just need to find some nice jackets, comfy shoes, some important looking service books, office equipment.....
2 comments:
We had our Tat fest a few weeks ago. Interesting that where you saw 'Darth Vader', we saw Scottish Widows...many of us were sweeping around the room dramatically, imagining ourselves on a windswept cliff overlooking the sea..I think we've been working too hard! Those cloaks do have an amazing ability to fire the imagination.
I hate to think how much I have spent...and yes there is a bewildering array of fabrics, designs and styles to choose from. We girl ordinands are sooo picky!! Most blokes must despair..how much simpler things must have been 20 years ago...
Crunch, the Scottish Widows comments were floating around here too, but as I'm neither Scottish nor a widow I wasn't grabbing onto them!
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