Mormon Ladies Click Tongues Disapprovingly at Ann Romney's Lack of Temple Garments

During Ann Romney’s appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, the aspirant First Lady wore what can only be described as a tiered black leather power suit, for the stay-at-home wife and dominatrix who wants to be taken seriously at business biker meetings. Or something. Mistress Romney’s suit didn’t only raise eyebrows among people concerned about the getup’s breathability under the hot stage lights; it also left some Mormon ladies scratching their heads — where were her temple garments?!

Temple garments are clothing items given to adult members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints during something called an “endowment ceremony.” They’re basically cotton underwear worn day and night as a reminder to religious adherents that they’ve made a vow to the church, and they’re required by dress code for any adult wishing to enter a temple. For women, the garments are cap sleeved tee shirts with a scooped or sweetheart neckline and lightweight shorts that end just above the knee, thus making it all but impossible for LDS women to wear short skirts or spaghetti straps or other “immodest” clothing.

In a surprisingly humorous and in-depth discussion by participants on one Mormon ladies’ chat forum, Romney’s fellow LDS members speculated about whether Romney was wearing hers at all, if they had been shortened, or if they were just, I don’t know, rendered invisible by the same magic that has suddenly made Mitt Romney appear as though he is literally glowing with holiness in this photo the Romney campaign just posted to its Facebook page. Her skirt appears too short to conceal the garments, said some. Others remarked that Ann Romney is 5’8″, and temple garments for ladies tend to come in a standard issue size that covers different amount of flesh on women of different heights. And one applauded her apparent hike-up job, remarking, “Thank God for Ann. This is a cry to all the LDS Women in the world: ‘It is okay to raise the hemline!’ Now, let us pray she begins to work on the sleeves next.”

Yes. Let us pray indeed.

But at least one chat participant felt that Romney had gone too far — or, uh, too high — with her hemline raising, quoting a LDS youth pamphlet,

Immodest clothing is any clothing that is tight, sheer, or revealing in any other manner. Young women should avoid short shorts and short skirts, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and clothing that does not cover the shoulders or is low-cut in the front or the back. Young men should also maintain modesty in their appearance. Young men and young women should be neat and clean and avoid being extreme or inappropriately casual in clothing, hairstyle, and behavior. They should choose appropriately modest apparel when participating in sports. The fashions of the world will change, but the Lord’s standards will not change.