Nun's Habit

Catholic nun's veil and robe

The nun's habit is the dress of Catholic religious women, distinguished from monks' habits by the veil covering the head and the wimple framing face, neck, and chin. From medieval times until the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, habits strictly concealed the hair, with each order prescribing its colors — Benedictines in black veil and robe, Carmelites in brown with white wimple, Dominicans in white with black veil. The veil combined the medieval custom of married women covering their hair with the spiritual identity of a "bride of Christ." A crucifix and rosary at the waist completed the ensemble. After Vatican II most orders simplified their dress, though traditionalist communities preserve the classic habit. In fantasy and gothic literature, the nun's habit signals purity, mystery, and sometimes a hidden darkness.