If you’re one of the many people who are now glued to the screen watching the shockingly messy and chaotic show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, first of all, welcome. Whether you’re watching because you were previously scrolling through Mormon MomTok all day or just because the title piqued your interest, we’re all in this together now. And because there is a lot to keep track of (thank you Hulu for constantly reminding us of the names of the women, because I’d honestly forget), you probably have some questions — I know I did. And one of the questions I had while watching was, “What are Mormon garments?”
In episode 4 of the first season, all of the women are in Utah for a birthday trip for unproblematic queen Mayci. And while unpacking, Jen, who is the group-proclaimed “garment queen” forgets her “garments” and is visibly upset that she forgot. At first, I thought she just meant her underwear, but Jen briefly explained that after marriage, these “garments” are a way of reminding you of the bond you have with your faith. My mind went to so many different places when it came to what they could look like. So on behalf of all of us, I decided to do some digging.
What Are Mormon Garments?
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So Mormon garments aren’t really a type of underwear or panties, if that’s what you thought. They’re known as “temple garments” and they basically look like a T-shirt combined with some long shorts. Men’s and women’s garments are pretty similar except the ones for women are shaped to support boobs. Mormon garments are typically white and super modest and they’re supposed to be worn underneath whatever outfit you have on.
Jen was pretty good at explaining what they’re for: they serve as a reminder to whoever is wearing them about the commitment they’ve made to their Mormon faith and its covenants. But not everyone has them. When you reach a specific level of “worthiness” within the Mormon church, you basically become required to wear them all the time — except when you’re bathing, having sex, or doing some sort of exercise.
And from what I’ve gathered from different people’s experiences on TikTok, they’re not exactly the most comfortable thing to wear under your clothes. But since you’re typically going to wear something on top that covers the garments, they do encourage people to dress more modestly. There are so many accounts on TikTok that are dedicated to showing viewers ideas for garment-friendly outfits.
Who knew a reality TV show could teach me so much about religious underwear?
