A friend mentioned earlier today that he would not be wearing pants with mechanical fasteners while he visits in Dutch country. Dutch country in Pennsylvania is home to the Amish. The Amish do not wear mechanical fasteners. The same topic came up later today at dinner with some colleagues regarding the Mennonites. Mennonites do not wear mechanical fasteners either. The mechanical fastener being spoken about is a zipper.I wasn't aware the Amish do not wear zippers.
They don't wear buttons either.
They only wear hooks and eyelets.
But not on the men's pants. Men's pants are held up by suspenders or a drawstring.
Barndoor breeches they are called.
My friend will be wearin his barndoor breeches in Pennsylvania next week.
So what makes one method of closure acceptable and another not? Wearing a zipper is considered embracing technology. Buttons are decorative. Both of these are considered worldly and therefore will not be worn by the amish. Hooks and eyelets are plain. String and suspenders are plain. Plain is accepted, worldly is not.
That was my Amish lesson for the day.
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