In Amish communities, certain colors are considered off-limits. This includes red, gold, orange, Barbie pink, bright yellow, and any neon or flashy colors.
The Amish avoid wearing vibrant or flashy colors. They prefer more subdued and plain clothing. The colors they usually wear are black, grey, blue, burgundy, brown, purple, white, or green.
Bright and flashy colors are generally considered too worldly or attention-grabbing, which goes against their values.
You won’t see any patterns on their clothes. They like to keep things simple without any designs.
Younger children and sometimes adults in certain Amish groups wear lighter colors, especially during the summer. This includes shirts and dresses in softer shades.
In everyday dresses, Amish women might use colors like lavender, mauve, dark pink, yellow, dark green, mint green, white, purple, black, and beige. They usually wear blue when they’re out and about.
For Sunday dresses, they usually stick to black with a white apron.
The fabric’s weight matters for Amish clothing. It shouldn’t be too heavy or too see-through. It has to flow and hang nicely when they wear it.
Black for Church and Funerals
When it’s time for the Amish to attend church or a funeral, they make sure to wear their finest clothes.
For the men, this means putting on black pants, a crisp white shirt, and a black vest, and topping it off with a hat.
The women opt for a more somber look too. They dress entirely in black, covering their heads with a dark bonnet. Additionally, they wear a white apron as part of their attire.
Amish Women’s Fashion Trends
Amish women’s fashion changes are often driven by the availability of dress fabrics in their stores.
Teenage girls play a big role in this – when one of them picks a new fabric for a dress, it can start a trend. Friends want similar dresses.
As time goes on, the women in the community catch on, and everyone wants the fabric or color.
In Amish communities, a popular fabric can last 3-5 years or more. The availability of the fabric in the market also plays a role in when the trend ends.
However, it’s getting harder for older Amish women to find the fabrics they’ve been using for years. Many of these fabrics are no longer made because of changes in the market. So, they face challenges in finding the materials they are familiar with.
Each Community Has Different Rules
Each Amish community may have slight variations in their clothing choices, but the overall principle is to maintain modesty and avoid drawing unnecessary attention through their attire.
What might be okay in one community might not be okay in another.
For example, the Byler Amish wear only brown and white. Men wear only one diagonal suspender because they think having two suspenders to hold up their pants is too fancy or luxurious.
Most Byler Amish are now living in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. By the way, they’re the ones driving yellow buggies.
The Old Order Amish often stick to a color palette of black and white for their clothing.
In more progressive Amish communities, members might embrace a broader spectrum of colors. Alongside the traditional black and white, you’ll find them wearing pale blue, soft green, grey, and even shades like pale lavender or mauve.