The verger’s dress consists of a cassock, gown and a choice of neckwear. The cassock, used widely in today’s church, is a useful though not historical, part of the verger’s uniform. The cassock is basically an undergarment adopted by the verger over which to place the verger’s gown, a more authentic part of the verger’s insignia.
The gown is more synonymous with the verger. Like most ecclesiastical garments, it would originally have had a practical function, not least as protection form the weather; the square collar if today’s gown would have been a hood. Primarily ab academic gown, it developed for the use of the parish clerk as he went about his work, not only in the church but also in the parish. The lower part of the sleeves, the lappets, were developed to hold scrolls. The chevrons on the sleeves would originally have been ribbons with which to tie small scrolls or documents.
There are many differing forms of neck wear within the church, not least those of the verger. The dog collar, bow tie, tabs and jabot all owe their existence to the cravat and in particular the riding cravat. The eighteenth-century parson, the clerk in holy order and those in lesser orders, for example the parish clerk, all wore cravats which were adopted for ecclesiastical use. Cravats where tied in many and varied ways; some would tie them at the back of the neck, some in a bow at the front, others just let the ends fall on the chest, these variations resulting in the dog collar, jabot, bow tie and preaching bands of today. The most common form of neck wear for the verger is sub fusc, that is, winged collar and white bow tie. It is quite incorrect to wear bow tie and preaching bands together.
The gown is more synonymous with the verger. Like most ecclesiastical garments, it would originally have had a practical function, not least as protection form the weather; the square collar if today’s gown would have been a hood. Primarily ab academic gown, it developed for the use of the parish clerk as he went about his work, not only in the church but also in the parish. The lower part of the sleeves, the lappets, were developed to hold scrolls. The chevrons on the sleeves would originally have been ribbons with which to tie small scrolls or documents.
There are many differing forms of neck wear within the church, not least those of the verger. The dog collar, bow tie, tabs and jabot all owe their existence to the cravat and in particular the riding cravat. The eighteenth-century parson, the clerk in holy order and those in lesser orders, for example the parish clerk, all wore cravats which were adopted for ecclesiastical use. Cravats where tied in many and varied ways; some would tie them at the back of the neck, some in a bow at the front, others just let the ends fall on the chest, these variations resulting in the dog collar, jabot, bow tie and preaching bands of today. The most common form of neck wear for the verger is sub fusc, that is, winged collar and white bow tie. It is quite incorrect to wear bow tie and preaching bands together.