Most students today, and perhaps even their parents, have no idea of what type of clothing a Sister used to wear. We thought that perhaps those persons would find this information interesting. Habits were worn from the time the Sister got up in the morning until they retired to bed in the evening - seven days a week, 365 days a year. The Sisters didn't own any other type of 'street clothing'

Up until around 1970, Sisters, also referred to as Nuns, wore formal habits. Generally a congregation used a habit that was particular to their particular order. Generally a formal habit consisted of a waist length veil, they wore a covering that only allowed the front of their faces to be shown. The habit also consisted of a floor length dress which for some orders had an apron of sorts that was worn over the dress. The dress also had long sleeves. Generally the habits were black unless the Sister was either a housekeeper or a nurse. In those situations, the habits were white in color. The habit generally also consisted of some sort of rosary that hung at their sides, attached to a belt. Even the rosaries would differ based on the particular congregation. The differences in rosaries could be their length, or perhaps the size of the crucifix on the rosary. Below are some pictures of Sisters wearing their formal habits. The photos were supplied by the various congregations that served Saint Bernard's School; School Sisters of Notre Dame, Sisters of the Holy Cross, Sisters of Mercy and the Sisters of Saint Agnes.