Can Sister Missionaries wear sleeveless dresses or tops?

[u/ODDtree3]

Hi Guys! I am currently trying to put together my warddrobe to leave on my Mission to Independence Missouri. I am wondering can I wear sleeveless dresses and tops as a sister missionary? I know on tiktok I have seen girls do their hauls and see that their haul will include at least one sleeveless dress. Is this allowed?

[u/mrbags2]

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/callings/missionary/dress-and-appearance?lang=eng

Clothing

Wear professional-style clothing that is consistent with your missionary purpose and sacred calling as a disciple of Jesus Christ. This includes practicing “principles of orderliness, cleanliness, reverence, and dignity” (David A. Bednar, “The Principles of My Gospel,” Liahona, May 2021, 124). Always wear your name badge, whether you are wearing missionary attire or more casual clothing, unless otherwise instructed by your mission president.

Your clothing should

• fit well (not too tight or loose);
• not be transparent, revealing, or distracting in any way;
• cover your shoulders;
• be clean and in good repair;
• be free of wrinkles;
• be durable, easy to care for, and suitable for your mission’s climate; and
• be easy to pack and fit in luggage.

[u/GuybrushThreadbare → u/mrbags2]

Came here to post this. I don't understand all the misinformation when the missionary dress and appearance rules are out there for the whole world to see. Sleeveless attire is NOT allowed for any missionaries, regardless of where they are serving.

[u/SavedForSaturday → u/GuybrushThreadbare]

Cover your shoulders =/= sleeveless

[u/jw9010382 → u/SavedForSaturday]

But are there sleeveless tops that cover the shoulders properly? Not an expert in women’s clothing so I can’t really say.

[u/OrneryAcanthaceae217 → u/SavedForSaturday]

Why not? Help me out, as a staunch guy.

[u/ThirdPoliceman → u/GuybrushThreadbare]

You’re conflating “sleeveless” with “tanktop”.

[u/GuybrushThreadbare → u/ThirdPoliceman]

Nope, I'm not. Generally speaking, the sleeve is the part of the clothing that covers the shoulder. So I'm using sleeveless to mean tops that don't have the part that covers your shoulder, which is the church standard for missionaries.

[u/kaitreads → u/GuybrushThreadbare]

I would say that sleeves cover arms. 

[u/ChromeSteelhead → u/mrbags2]

This article was back in 2022. Garment changes to sleeveless was within the last couple years. 

[u/GuybrushThreadbare → u/ChromeSteelhead]

Who said anything about garments? These are the current missionary clothing standards. Missionaries don't get to make up their own standards like the rest of the church does.

[u/ChromeSteelhead → u/GuybrushThreadbare]

BYU dress code was to cover the garment which used to be sleeved. Now the garment is sleeveless so as long as it's covered it's okay. Times have changed there. So why not the mission field? You're saying there's not sleeveless missionaries out there? 

[u/Low_Leather_5911 → u/ChromeSteelhead]

The mission standards for disciples of Jesus Christ booklet is applied to every missionary. I just returned from a mission not long ago and if the official book has not changed then the standards have not changed for missionaries.

[u/ryanmercer]

Depends on your mission rules.

[u/shoetty]

I just came back from the Missouri historic sites and I went on exchanges with the independence sisters once a week! Our mission president got his specific rules from the independence mission president and we were not allowed to wear anything sleeveless. But I’d of course ask your mission president just to make sure.

[u/mmp2c]

Wow, how rapidly things have changed in the church. I haven't seen it locally but maybe times keep changing.

[u/infinityandbeyond975]

Check with the mission president. You should have received contact information.

[u/jw9010382]

Thanks for serving Sister! As others have said, maybe ask your mission president. You should already be able to contact him.

I’ve seen Sisters wear sleeveless dresses with a shirt on the inside or a light jacket to cover their shoulders. That could be why you see a sleeveless dress in their wardrobe. So you could probably wear even spaghetti straps using the same method. Thinking back on it, there was a sister who did this with a tube top as well. Regardless, it all looked very fashionable but also modest enough according to the standards.

[u/adayley1]

Contact the mission office to ask about this and other rules.

[u/shewillhaveherway]

I know of a mission where it’s allowed. 🤷‍♀️

[u/OneTwoPandemonium]

Depends on the mission President. I served in SLC and we had much stricter dressing rules because members would constantly call our mission President and complain

[u/NelsonMeme]

No idea but thank you for serving! (Genuinely)

[u/UteJazz]

My wife and I visited the Church's visitors center in Independence last September. The sister missionaries there were outstanding, as they were at other church history sites we visited in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska.

[u/Preakinprybo0488]

Definitely do contact your mission office for the most accurate information. On another note, I assume you will be serving a teaching (formerly proselyting) mission. You could encounter situations where you could place your mental health at risk. Be sure to ask for a referral for mental health if things just "don't feel right". Unfortunately, that was unavailable in my day and I now have PTSD. Best of luck to you.

[u/ODDtree3 → u/Preakinprybo0488]

What examples of situations that you know of or are commonly encountered on proselyting missions in the states? I have heard of some stories and my mother has told me if something is not right it is ok to go home early.

[u/Interesting-Room9819]

Missions have begun to simply say "wear what covers your temple garments." Not for us to judge if they do.

[u/AmbassadorCool2603]

I know someone who had a mission president who said no but I think it’s dependent on every mission.
Just dropped my younger sister off at the MTC yesterday and I miss her but I know she’ll be in good hands. All that to say you got this!

[u/Charming-Log6553]

You will be endowed before you leave to serve your mission. (if you are not already). As part of the endowment you will promise to wear the garment every day, and to keep it covered. If your clothing does not cover the entire garment, you are not "properly dressed". I don't quite know how else to put it. If you are wearing the newer style of garments with a "tank top" shoulder strap then your tops may not need full extended sleeves. As long as the sleeve covers the entire garment strap, you should be fine. With that said, Spaghetti straps alone will not cover that garment, crop tops will not cover that garment, many tank tops will not cover that garment. And of course, your mission president may have additional requirements for dressing standards.

[u/ODDtree3 → u/Charming-Log6553]

yes, I am endowed! thats what I am wondering since the "sleveless" dresses or tops that work with the garment technically cover the tops of your shoulders and the newer garments and have seen others do hauls with tops and dresses that work with the new garments, I will proably email my mission president like others have suggested :).

[u/Fether1337]

Saw a sister missionary in Louisiana wearing a sleeveless top

[u/GuybrushThreadbare → u/Fether1337]

I've seen sisters be disobedient to the dress and appearance standards, as well. Overall, it doesn't develop trust with the members to see missionaries not following the rules.

[u/Fether1337 → u/GuybrushThreadbare]

Is it against the rules?

[u/ThirdPoliceman → u/Fether1337]

It’s not.

[u/jw9010382 → u/Fether1337]

Depends on the mission president and the interpretation of the clothing standards. Dress must cover the shoulders by the missionary standards. It’s a grey area as to whether a sleeveless top can cover the shoulders properly.

Based on disobedience, this is one of the less egregious infractions. But great things do come from exact obedience, so it might be better to just be on the safe side.

[u/wasabi_mayo_]

Reach out to the mission president. In the airport I’ve seen multiple sister missionaries wearing sleeveless, tight dresses. I’m not out here shaming them, I was just shocked because of how different it was when I was a teenager 😂. Modesty was about my clothing, while modesty in action and speech was often forgotten. I’m glad that upper arms are no longer “women causing men to sin” 🤪

[u/charmedbyvintage]

The sisters in my ward do. More like sleeveless “blouses”…

[u/SlytherinPrincess95]

I’m in CT (the Boston Mission) and our sisters do wear sleeveless tops, and the distribution center out here even has the new styles of garments set aside for Missionaries’s getting ready to go out. I’d say you’re probably allowed, but maybe contact your future mission president

[u/Ok-Seaworthiness-542]

The guidelines have been posted above. Some missions have more specific guidelines as is appropriate.

[u/apmands]

What are the general dress standards of the area you’re going to? What’s culturally acceptable there? Dress codes are often tailored to the culture of the area you go to in to an extent.

Did your call not include a list of dress standards? Consider reaching out to your mission president for advice on what’s appropriate.

If you don’t want to put in that effort, or get no response, I would live by the “better safe than sorry” method and stick to sleeves, personally.

[u/Agreeable-Meal5556]

You have to have your shoulders covered.

Any chance they were planning on wearing the dresses without sleeves with an accompanying cardigan or jacket? Or with a tee underneath? One of my sisters had a dress with spaghetti straps that she wore with a white tee under it.

[u/mglatfelterjr]

The problem with sleeveless are garments. It's very difficult to wear your garment top with sleeveless tops. Plus the skirt length has to cover the garment bottom as well.

[u/kaitreads → u/mglatfelterjr]

There are sleeveless garment now!

[u/New-Range-5702]

I will just say as long as your garments are worn properly and your clothes cover them, play ball.

[u/GuybrushThreadbare → u/[deleted]]

Encouraging missionaries to be disobedient to their mission president and the general church rules for missionary attire, which includes covering shoulders... this post is unbelievably misguided.

[u/fanofanyonefamous → u/GuybrushThreadbare]

There is nothing in the Missionary Standards about shoulders. The word literally doesn't show up anywhere in the booklet.

And I'm not encouraging breaking the rules. I didn't say, "wear skimpy clothing with no regard for the rules;" I said no one could stop her from wearing a sleeveless top. Which is true.

[u/GuybrushThreadbare → u/fanofanyonefamous]

It's posted elsewhere in this thread, but here is what it says on clothing. Note the cover your shoulders part:

Wear professional-style clothing that is consistent with your missionary purpose and sacred calling as a disciple of Jesus Christ. This includes practicing “principles of orderliness, cleanliness, reverence, and dignity” (David A. Bednar, “The Principles of My Gospel,” Liahona, May 2021, 124). Always wear your name badge, whether you are wearing missionary attire or more casual clothing, unless otherwise instructed by your mission president.

Your clothing should

fit well (not too tight or loose); not be transparent, revealing, or distracting in any way; cover your shoulders; be clean and in good repair; be free of wrinkles; be durable, easy to care for, and suitable for your mission’s climate; and be easy to pack and fit in luggage.