Why Do They Dress That Way?

Polygamist Sect's Women Wear 19th Century-Style, Drab Dresses, And Hair Up

(CBS)  The women in the polygamy sect in western Texas that's at the center of the storm involving child sex abuse allegations dress in a distinctive way -- in drab, 19th century pioneer-style outfits, and with their hair up, in braids and buns.

What's the thinking behind such garb?

On The Early Show Friday, Carolyn Jessop, a former member of such a sect and author of the book, "Escape," explained it.

She was born into polygamy, got married at 18 and had eight children with her husband, who was 32 years her senior. She escaped polygamy with her kids in 2003 at the age of 35, citing extreme emotional and physical abuse by her husband.

Many experts say the polygamist women's attire is restricted as much as it is because, if all the women dress the same, there's nothing individual about any of them, and they're just part of a whole. Others say polygamist women are made to adhere to dress codes to exert control over everything in their lives.

Clothing and hairstyles actually vary from sect-to-sect among polygamists. The one in Texas requires women to wear pastel prairie dresses modeled after 19th century Mormons. Most of them wear their hair in a loose braid and are covered from their neck down to their feet by the long dresses.

Jessop told co-anchor Julie Chen, "It's a style that's evolved over generations, actually," Jessop said. "This clothing started being restricted after the 1953 raid (on a polygamist compound in Colorado City, Ariz.). And at first, it was just that women couldn't wear pants any longer and they had to wear a dress or a skirt that was a certain length, and long sleeves and no low necks. Their hair had to be combed on top of the head. It couldn't be left hanging. Then, every five or six years, there would be another restriction added. And eventually, the restrictions just were so limited that there's only about one pattern that you can make a dress out of and there's only a few colors, pastel colors, that you can use. No prints, no plaids, nothing with flowers. And then the hairstyle is just another situation that's evolved over time."

The polygamist women, Jessop noted, have "limited" say in the way they dress: "You have so many limitations on what you're allowed to do, and then, if you want to do something different than the standard hairstyle, then you may get away with it, and you may not. But one thing is it's going to have to meet standards. And the standards are, your hair has to be up. It can't be loose and it can't be hanging."

Why?

"That's been forever. That was something they started way before I was born. The concept is that, if you're trying to entice a man -- it's sexual to leave your hair hanging."

Chen wondered, "Does this all fall under the category of not letting women have a voice or any individuality or a way to express themselves?"

"Oh, yes, absolutely," replied Jessop. "It also sets you apart from society. You can't go shopping without everybody staring at you. When I went to college, you know, I didn't fit in. I was obviously different. It's a way to keep the women separated from everyone else so that -- and it also does affect your individuality and, you know, you're not allowed free expression as far as what you're allowed to wear."

Asked if, when they go out in public and see how other women dress, there's ever any griping among polygamist women who want to look more like non-polygamists, Jessop responded, "Well, I just remember as a little girl, we were taught that to wear something like shorts, that was immodest, or to wear something with short sleeves was immodest, or a low neck where you could actually see a cleavage -- that was just considered just as immoral as you could be. I remember, as a little girl, being in the car with my mother and other children and a lady walked by and she was not wearing very much. And everybody was like, 'Oh, she's wicked, look what she's doing!' It was more something where, if people dress different than what we were accustomed to, it was a kind of like a shock to our system. We were taught that we were supposed to cover our bodies and God wanted our bodies covered. So, we were taught to look down on people who put on shorts and short sleeves."

[openminded1990]

Last time I checked, this was a free country. Just because the Bible says "thou shalt not committ adultry" doesn't mean everyone belives that way. We were given freedom of religion- so what if the FLDS are practicing hypocracy- our government and society in general does it all the time! Also, I am 18 and i highly resent those comments slamming my generation! That is a vicious steriotype! Modesty is a matter of opinion. Just because you wear shorts doesn't mean you are permiscuous. You can show skin and not be "suductive" or "sinful" God made created us nude- I happen to belive that nudity is modest- what makes it immodest is ones attitude or behavior- we have been brainwashed into thinking that nudity is impure and always sexual which is the biggest hooey I have ever heard

[mjvw2]

Why Do They Dress That Way?

They''re from California? Don''t know; just a guess

[cpaide]

ha, and there is still NOTHING good proof and evidence of ANYTHING of this allegations made by the KLK (krazy lesbians kult) social workers, but clean good proof of this false police reports by that 30-year-old woman who is saying she is 16-year-old girl who is raped by nasty old mormans, but this 50-year-old man is living in arizona--not in texas! do not believe what this KLK is telling you!

[rwm2_2000]

The gov''t is using the tv to brainwash us into thinking however they think we should think. These folks are truly religious IMO and deserve to be left alone. Our gov''t has killed enough of these religious folks. Every few years they are trying to cause harm to them. Call or Email UR CONGRESSMEN NOW! Tell Them U want them to protect our Constitutional rights. That request may seem strange to folks but our Gov''t is imfringeing on our Constitutional Rights by taking our DNA as well as trying to shoot down innocent folks trying to believe as they wish to believe. The gov''t is collecting DNA from prisoners right now as well as from these kids. When they are done with these they will find someway to get our DNA collected. And if folks let the prisoners lose their Constitutional rights we''ll all eventually lose ours. Once our rights are lost there is NOTHING to stop the gov''t from selling our body parts. WE MUST PROTECT OURS AND OTHERS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OR LOSE THEM. Our President has already declared the constitution as just another &&&& sheet of paper. CALL OR EMAIL UR CONGRESSMEN TODAY AND LET HIM KNOW U WANT HIM TO PROTECT THE CONSTITUTION NOW...I HAVE!

[blackyowe]

According to the AP, a CDC study found that 1 in 4 teen girls, aged 14 to 19, has a sexually transmitted disease in the USA. The infection rate among those who have ever had *** was 40%. Hmmmmm maybe all girls should cover up and wear long dresses I am thinking!

[blackyowe]

Are we now to attack Amish for their dress and Indian women in Sarees? Cut these women a break! Its better than the ******** todays teens wear!

[michellem99-2009]

This issue has made me think..I was sheltered from the bad of this world..I am aware there are persons who cove the body as to not draw unwant attn from men..I think there are becoming outfits of today that do just that..hard to find..the main reason to cover the body is it is right..a person came to visit and it was hot out and the first thing he tried to do is remove his shirt..not here I said..I told him yer brother always wear a shirt/t shirt..
MissSuZQ the men want to see skin not a fully clothed woman.It is the rapists that will abuse ladies and their control they exersise over the female/s. Men think of one thing their pen*is.

[blackyowe]

I would hardly call those dresses drab! Who wrote this stupid junk. Bright pastel colors and flowing dresses are hardly drab. They may be a bit dowdy but honestly cut these gals a break!

[cpaide]

i understand your ignorance and fear and bigotry, that is for certain. may you can go to my country where your high attitude is more suitable.

you love to talk of this tolerance but you have none for anyone who does not think as you. you love to talk of this freedoms but you have lost them because of your ignorance.

your are led around by the nose like animals by this filthy pope and filthy president bush and you will not admit it to yourself that you have no moral value or standards, so you are pointing at this nice clean mormans when you should be pointing at your own nasty little childrens who are having $ex and getting pregnant, taking this drugs, laughing at your face and you can do nothing for fear of this social workers charging you with "abuse."

and so you are jealous of this mormans and want them to be miserable as you are.

i pity you.

[quetzal0666]

Thanks God for Separation of Church and State,

this is a microcosm of Christianity gone haywire....

[cpaide]

why you not arrest this filthy pope and put him in the rodeo arena in texas with the lustful old mormans men, and free this poor humble clean mormans womens and children?

[keithle1]

You can dress modestly. Who cares. Knock youself out. Just don''t fornicate with 13-year-old girls.

[prinzowhales]

Did you hear about the girls who all dressed like the designers in New York recommended...in Cosmo and all the teenage wet crotch magazines? Most of them got STRs, married and divorced several times and raised up generations of ''cool kids'' who know all about Britainy Spears and ''whatever''...''whatever''...the kid is in the dumpster...have you seen my crack pipe?

The pictures of these women jolt the eye...they are packaged differently....is there, perhaps, more to them than meets the eye?

The Amish dress differently and live differently as well...Autism is unknown...they work hard and have lots to show for it...I don''t think you will find many Cosmo subscribers among them...

[hypnotoad72]

As for the context, it may not be what you''re thinking... depends on what you''re thinking, but it''s not going to be as simplistic reasoning as you might otherwise think...

[hypnotoad72]

"You can''t go shopping without everybody staring at you"

Happens to lots of people.

I''m sorry people look. We like to pride ourselves as saying we like diversity and individuality. In reality, we do not.

[klingon69]

The Bible clearly commands us against having more than one spouse. Don''''t ask me how these people can believe in the same God I believe in and so totally miss this command.
Posted by emygrl at 01:21 AM : Apr 19, 2008
Cite your sources. I remember NOTHING in the Bible about only one spouse. I remember Thou shalt not commit adultery. I can recall no passage commanding men to take only one wife.

[honestabe8]

The hottest look around...in 1871.

[citizenjane]

If this media and court frenzy helps one girl or woman break free from these damaging beliefs, I am all for it.

[b-easy63]

The irony and hypocrisy of forcing them to cover up, only to force them into sexxx as soon as puberty hits--so why exactly do the men enforce a modesty they have no intention of respecting?

This cult was/is a pedophile''s or sexual abuser or physical abuser/control freaks--dream.

[emygrl]

If God intended man to have multiple wives why didn''t He make more than 1 woman in the beginning? The Bible clearly commands us against having more than one spouse. Don''t ask me how these people can believe in the same God I believe in and so totally miss this command. My heart goes out to these people. It makes me sick to see anyone so confident that they are right when really they are being so deceived.

And by the way I happen to know that Amish and Mennonites dress the way they do because they believe the Bible commands us to dress modestly and this is the way they have decided to do it. This is a Mennonite speaking, by the way. To tell you the truth I am very thankful I have been raised the way I have been. I feel I have been protected from a lot of harmful things. Now I don''t believe that everyone has to be Mennonite to get to heaven. I believe there are other ways to dress modestly...anyway enough for the sermon. Gotta run...