Before you spend a dollar, it helps to know that clothing rules for missionaries come from two places, not one.
Some of them come from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints headquarters and are the same for every missionary in the world.
Other clothing rules are specific to each mission. The Church says that the mission president, his companion, and the Area Presidency may adapt clothing guidelines to local circumstances, and anything specific to a mission is in the “What to Bring” section of the Missionary Portal. That is why two families can describe missionary clothing rules differently and both of them be right.
Knowing which rules come from where makes shopping a lot easier, and it helps you which questions to ask before you buy. So let’s break it down!
What the Church Says
It all starts with Dress and Appearance and its two companion pages, Guidelines for Elders and Guidelines for Sisters. Anyone can read them for free, and they take a few minutes.
The main idea is simple. Clothing should be professional, clean, well fitting, free of wrinkles, and right for the weather. Nothing too tight, too loose, see-through, or distracting.
For elders:
- Suits and slacks: conservative colors. Patterns are allowed if they are small, simple, and subtle, like pinstripes or checkers. The jacket and the pants should match.
- Shirts: white, with a collar and buttons, in fabric that does not wrinkle easily. Sleeves stay down.
- Ties and socks: simple in color and design. No pictures or characters on ties, and nothing political. No bow ties, no bolo ties, no lapel pins.
- Shoes: comfortable, polished, conservative, and right for the weather. That is the whole rule.
- For certain meetings: white shirt, tie, dress slacks, and suit jacket at the temple, on Sundays, at the MTC, at leadership and zone conferences, and at baptisms. The jacket is the exception in missions where jackets are not worn because of the climate or the culture.
For sisters:
- Skirts and dresses: they have to cover the whole knee, front and back, standing and sitting. Slits start below the knee. Nothing that reaches the floor, for safety.
- Dress slacks: allowed for regular missionary work, in conservative colors, and small subtle patterns are fine.
- For certain meetings: dresses or skirts at the temple, on Sundays, at leadership and zone conferences, at baptisms, and at MTC devotionals. Slacks can be worn to get there and changed before it starts.
- Shoes: flat soles or low heels are preferred, professional looking, and right for the weather.
- Jewelry: simple and conservative, and only one pair of earrings. Expensive pieces stay home.
For everyone:
- Bags: professional, simple, and durable. Backpacks are fine as luggage but not for daily missionary work. The Church page even suggests waiting and buying the bag in the field.
- Hats and sunglasses: sun hats are allowed if the brim goes all the way around and is at least three inches. Baseball, cowboy, bucket, newsboy, and fedora hats are not allowed. Sunglasses should be simple, with no bright frames and no mirrored lenses, and they come off indoors.
- Coats and sweaters: simple and conservative, with no words or pictures. Small logos are fine.
- Casual and exercise clothes: for service and exercise. On preparation day they wear normal proselyting clothes in public unless the activity calls for something else.
- Grooming: neat, conservative hair that looks natural. Elders clean shaven, with sideburns no lower than the middle of the ear. For sisters, makeup and nail polish are optional and subtle.
You’ve probably heard other rules that are not on that list: “No white soles”; “No plaid suits”; “Socks that match the pants”. Families hear these all the time, and they are real, but they do not come from the Church, but, rather, their specific mission. So, let’s talk about it.
What Can Vary By Mission
These are the most common mission-specific clothing standards:
- No white soles. Very common, and it is not in the Church guidelines at all. The usual reason is that white soles look like sneakers and get dirty fast.
- Stricter rules about patterns. The Church allows small checkers. Some missions read that as solid colors only, and that is where “no plaid suits” comes from.
- Socks and ties. Some missions want socks that match the slacks. Others just mean no cartoons and no neon.
- Blue shirts, or no tie. In some teaching areas, elders may wear a blue dress shirt with or without a tie, or a white shirt without one. The Portal says whether this applies to your mission.
- Suit jackets, or none at all. Missions in hot places often do not use them. Some families buy two suits that never leave the closet.
- Bags. Backpack, side bag, or messenger bag changes by mission and even by area.
- Sisters’ shoes. Some missions do not allow sandals at all. Hot and rainy missions often do. Some allow closed toe sandals only.
- Open toed shoes for sisters. They are now being allowed at the MTC, which we confirmed with an employee. This is worth mentioning because for years the answer was closed toe only, and many packing lists still say that. The published guidelines have never said open toe or closed toe either way, so check the mission before buying.
How To Find the Exact Rules For Your Mission
Since the details vary, reliable information can be found in a few places:
- The “What to Bring” section of the Missionary Portal. This is the one the Church points to, and it is also in the missionary’s packet (in their portal). Start here, not with a store checklist.
- The mission president’s letter. Usually the most specific document a family gets.
- The mission office. You can email or call and ask before shopping. Ask about shoes, suit jackets, bags, and socks, because those are the four that change the most.
- The mission’s Facebook group or page for families. Many missions have one, and current parents will tell you what is actually being asked for.
Specific clothing rules for missionaries ebb and flow, as always. Sisters got dress slacks in 2018. Elders got blue shirts in some areas in 2020. Backpacks came and went. But the reason behind all of it has stayed the same: wear clothing that helps people focus on the message of the restored gospel!
Comment your thoughts and questions!