Editing Vestment (section)

==Origins==
{{Main|Origins of ecclesiastical vestments}}
In the early Christian churches, officers and leaders, like their congregations, wore the normal dress of civil life in the [[Greco-Roman world]], although with an expectation that the clothing should be clean and pure during holy observances. From the 4th century onward, however, modifications began to be made to the form of the garments, and, as secular fashions changed from the 6th century, the church retained the original forms of their garments, although with separate development and with regional variations. Having separate, consecrated clothing for the ceremonies and rites in the churches emphasized the sacred nature of the functions the priest and ministers carried out at the [[altar]]. The Catholic Church's vestments had essentially established their final forms by the 13th century.<ref name="EB1911">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Vestments|volume=27|pages=1056–1062|first=Walter Alison|last=Phillips|author-link=Walter Alison Phillips}}</ref>

The [[Reformation]] brought about a new approach towards simplicity, especially under the influence of [[Calvinism]]. The [[Church of England]] experienced its own [[Vestments controversy|controversies]] over the proper use of vestments.<ref name="EB1911"/> On the other hand, [[Lutheranism]] largely retained many pre-Reformation vestments, especially in Scandinavia, e.g. [[Church of Sweden]]. The resulting varieties of liturgical dress are described below.