This article originally appeared on VICE Greece
Athens' Apollo street is considered to be the Mecca of ecclesiastical items. It is where Byzantine and Russian art meet Orthodox Christian "fashion", to create the most impressive liturgical garments imaginable. Basically, it is the street where one can find the Versaces and Armanis of priest robes and vestments – a religious Bond Street so to speak.
Likewise Easter Week which for Orthodox Christians is happening now is – for certain Orthodox priests and bishops – a fashion week in its own right. It's a week of "performances" – a literal devout festival – with daily highlights including the Procession of the Epitaph, Holy Saturday as well as the Twelve Gospels. All of these being compelling reasons for Greek clergymen to look fancy.
Considering there is no mention of the use of special vestments in the New Testament, it is almost certain that Jesus gave the Sacrament of the Eucharist in casual attire. The establishment of functional vestments started in the Middle East, a little earlier than the 4th century AD, without ever being fully deployed.
"There isn't a specific number of robes that every clergyman should own. It's like asking how many shirts can someone have in their closet. Priest robes are the equivalent of civilian garments. These garments depict the clergyman's personality and Church," says Mr. Braouzis, owner of Patrikon – one of Athens' oldest priest boutiques. "Everyone buys vestments based on their taste and pocket – the Church doesn't cover any of these expenses. These are all personal orders. There are some private donors that might order these as a gift though," he adds.
As there are no seasonal robes for Winter and Summer, robe designers play with different colours. "During Christmas clergymen wear white, for Easter Week purple and black, Resurrection means burgundy, Epiphany blue and blue/green for Crucifixion", said Mrs Aleka, who works at nearby nearby boutique Chiton. She also noted that "the semantics aren't strict. One could own just one vestment and to use it for every celebration. However, those who have been working as priests for a few years can usually afford to change outfits between festivities."
Design as well as price rules are way stricter when it comes to the ranks of the clergy, which are three: deacon, priest and bishop. For example, a deacon should be content with simple vestments, that cost about 400 Euros [£289]. These would be a versicle or an "orarion".
A priest, on the other hand, can up his game though that depends on the severity of his rank. If you are a dean for example, the cost of your robes starts at 800 Euros [£587]. That is mostly due to the fact that a complete archbishop ensemble consists of multiple items like: the chasuble (the short front and long rear robe), the stole (the one you bow beneath and confess to), a belt (stabilising the stole, for bigger dudes) and cuffs. Priests with an "oficio" (that means a title) also get a knee-length rhomboid towel called "the knee".
However, the true joy for priest boutique owners lies with bishops. Just the vestment and all the different items can amount to tens of thousands of Euros. Now add to this the bishop's characteristics – the scapular (a thick scarf symbolising the lamb) and the matrix (in layman's terms, the crown) which can be made of gold, platinum, silver and is always covered in rubies and other precious gems – and costs are taken to a different level. Still, being a bishop requires patience as a full outfit can take months to be sewn.
When it comes to design there are only two elements designers need to take care of: Firstly, the stole has to have three crosses – that is called "Russian style" – or six crosses (three and three) if a priest has ordered a double stole – that is called "Byzantine style".
Secondly, on the back of the vestments there must be a cross or a portrait of Jesus Christ, which obviously costs more. Beyond that, the options are limitless. Some clerics bring their own fabrics from China and India, while others bring photographs they've found on the internet and ask for something similar. Depending on the size of their wallet, some ask for gilded threads, instead of simple.
"Clerics are way more obsessed with their clothes and appearance than us, normal people," says Ms. Aleka, who has sewn for international clergymen. Canada, Australia, USA, Poland, Russia and the Balkans constitute 80 percent of her base clientele.
In fact, when it comes to priest robes, Greece is considered a fashion capital mainly because of Mount Athos – an autonomous polity in the North of Greece that by being home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries attracts thousands of religious male visitors every year. On their way to Mount Athos, most clerics will pass by Apollo street to renew their wardrobe. "The best customers are Russian, but the most faithful we have is one Australian priest, who comes in every couple of months," says Ms. Aleka.