Pope Benedict XVI had a well-known penchant for red loafers. Crux spoke with a few of the exclusive group of Italian tailors and cobblers who have provided clothing to Francis and other popes. The clothes are also much cheaper than those Mancinelli has made in the past, and he noted that, like the pope, bishops and cardinals are now choosing simple crosses of wood or metal, skipping the gold-plated, gem-encrusted versions that were once popular.
The clothing worn by the clergy has over the years generally shed some of the pomp that once characterized it. Paul VI did away with the elaborate triple tiara popes used to wear, as well as the long ermine trains worn by cardinals.
Benedict XVI drew notice for bucking the trend, bringing some elaborate headwear and brightly colored garments back to the papacy. This love of gothic vestments was about more than basic vanity; beauty and dignity reflect the splendour and mystery of liturgy. To Benedict this is God-focused rather than community-centred, as was favoured by the generation. Though not usually in sync with the fashion world, the Vatican is currently bang on trend.
A return to quality, an interest in heritage, and support of artisanal craftsman could not be more now — look to Chanel, McQueen, Valentino for examples. Lace and velvet are everywhere — from the pope to Paris, they are the height of chic. Despite this, Benedict wisely stayed clear of actual designers.
In the Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli offered his services as a consultant to the Vatican. Having previously designed the staging for mass ceremonies under John Paul II, it was suspected that Zeffirelli wanted to play down Benedict's "showy" image.
The Vatican politely declined. Perhaps they had learned from a state visit to Paris in , when quirky designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac France's answer to Vivienne Westwood , persuaded John Paul II, 5, priests and bishops to dress in rainbow cross motif vestments in what the designer later explained was a symbol of "God's promise of peace to Noah". When Castelbajac pointed out that the vestments clearly used the international symbol of gay liberation, the rainbow flag, the Vatican responded that no one had a copyright on the rainbow.
So what can we expect from the next pope, both the man and the wardrobe? John Paul II got by on charisma and plain clothes, quite different from the 18th-century traditionalist gestures of Benedict. But this new style has its advantages when it comes to time consumption. Silk takes much more time to sow, and the simpler fabrics mean less time to make the clothes, he said. Any Italian will tell you that one key to a good look is a fine pair of shoes.
Footwear is not taken lightly in the Bel Paese, and a poor choice is guaranteed to provoke criticism and directions to some cousin who can fix you up.
Gossip ran wild with who might be the maker of the ruby-colored papal slippers, with some claiming that they were made by the Italian fashion powerhouse Prada. But in the rumors were finally put to rest when the a cobbler from a small town in northern Italy presented Pope Benedict XVI with the shoes for all the world to see during a general audience at St. Stefanelli prepared six shoes in total for the German pope throughout his pontificate.
Francis has done much to relax the dress codes of the past; as a story on the anniversary of Gammarelli pointed out , Francis does not use the red mozzetta half-cape that covers the shoulders, and prefers a more pared down version of the classic pope uniform.
The Gammarelli story from also noted that popes have to change their cassocks every two months, because the silver of their crosses oxidizes and stains the fabric.
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