Why I Can't Get Excited about New "Sleeveless" Garments

It's taken decades of advocating and activism for men to literally give us an inch

This week news broke through social media that the LDS church is introducing “open sleeve” garments in select hot climates around the world. These styles will come to the United States in the 4th quarter of 2025. People around the internet are rejoicing about this change, but I can’t join in.

I feel like I should be celebrating. This is what I wanted, right? More garment options?But as I think it through, I realize no, it’s actually not at all what I want. It’s a crumb, an appeasement, something people can hold up and say “see, the church is changing” then ignore fundamental frustrations.

I can’t feel excited because at the core of it, my underwear is still being dictated by men. How and when it changes is completely up to men. I’m frustrated because the many decades of advocating, activism, and begging have finally culminated in women receiving one inch from men. Literally.

The sealed bag of the newest garment style making headlines this week.

For my non-Mormon readers, here’s the quick rundown on garments:

Garments are sacred clothing worn underneath everyday clothes as underwear. Members start wearing garments once they’ve gone through the temple. Depending on when you went through the temple, you might have heard different ideas of what garments mean or how to wear them. But generally, we are taught they represent covenants, the coat of skins given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, or most recently, Jesus Christ Himself.

In the actual temple ceremony, there are no strict instructions given on how or when to wear it other than “throughout your life.” There is no covenant directly associated with wearing the garment. However, outside of the temple, the interpretation of garments is to wear them 24/7. You only take them off for sex, swimming, and showering (and some add sweating). When you take them off, you’re supposed to put them back on right away. (So no laying around naked after mommy-daddy-sheet-monster time or hanging out in your gym clothes after you workout.)

This image of garments is a slightly older version. These are exactly what they looked like when I was endowed and I wore this style for about a decade. The insanely tight (no matter what size I bought) lace trim on the thigh was killer. I used to lie awake at night trying not to cry because the lace band was digging into my skin so much I couldn’t get comfortable or sleep. I would daydream about taking a pair of scissors to the lace. Don’t even get me started on the weird breast cups that were always way too huge or way too small.

Garments cover from your knees to your shoulders. They are made from different blends, but tend to not be breathable fabrics. (People with vaginas run into many problems with infections and other medical issues due to this.) They are always white. They are not menstrual pad friendly, comfortable in pregnancy, or easy to nurse in. You are not allowed to alter them, roll them up, or do anything to change them in order to make fashion easier or yourself more comfortable. And they are absolutely unattractive. (Imagine trying to be sexy for your spouse on your wedding night in these beauties.)

Garments have had modifications over their century of use, going from one piece, long sleeve and ankle length, to the modern two piece.

A newer, current top version. You can see the improvement in the neckline and materials. One thing that drives me crazy about garment tops is the length. No matter what size I use they are always so so long. I would tuck them into the bottoms and always have a line of fabric running across my bottom. The old pregnancy ones were the worst for this. I would have to fold and tuck in order to just get all the fabric out of the way! (I imagine some old dude designing those like “well pregnant stomachs are big so I guess just make it like a tent.”)

There are so so many things to say about garments. You can read my previous piece about them here. For the sake of post length, I’ll keep my thoughts today to the newest change. I also highly recommend posts like this or this that share more about this change and the painful feelings it brings up.

The new “sleeveless” garments coming 2025 to the US. I don’t see much change in the shoulders from the cap sleeve to the open sleeve. Yes, I think some tank tops will work with this new style. Most, however, will not. Plus the high armpit—which has always been an issue—will continue to restrict. I fear the excitement of “sleeveless” garments might be a bit premature until it’s verified what is possible to be worn with them.

So why aren’t I rejoicing with the Saints over this “win?” Because nothing has fundamentally changed. The church has doubled down on garment wearing recently, instead of acknowledging that all bodies and circumstances are different. Instead of trusting members to do what is best for themselves, they are trying to appease us with small changes while maintaining ultimate control.

At the end of the day, women’s underwear is still being dictated and controlled by men. The patriarchal structure of the church makes it so no women ever has final say on decision made about their bodies. Male leaders may ask for input or suggestions, but they are always the final decision makers and gatekeepers. Whether women have long sleeves, short sleeves, no sleeves, is all up to men. By controlling garments, men control how women dress. They’re the ones who get to decide what is “modest” and what is acceptable for Mormon women to wear every day. Men get to dictate when women wear what clothing, down to the specific activity they are doing.

I’m glad that the men in charge seem to be listening to women’s struggles; that is an improvement. But how long have women been asking for changes to the garment? Literally decades! Decades of advocating have finally brought us in 2024 an inch of fabric difference that might allow for a few different articles of clothing to be worn. And nothing has changed to improve the many health issues women face while wearing garment bottoms.

Note: they are introducing a slip version for dresses/skirts as well in 4th quarter 2025 This in theory should allow women to wear normal underwear underneath and should help with vaginal issues. But this requires wearing a knee length skirt, putting men again in control of what women have to wear in order to be healthy instead of allowing women to put their own health needs first.

We’re still going to get infections, bleed through the white fabric, struggle to keep a pad in place. We’re still going struggle with body issues when we look in the mirror. We’re still going to cry when we go into a dressing room and try on a dozen perfectly modest dresses that don’t work with one small curve of the garment neckline. We’re still going to struggle with never-ending guilt when its 100 degrees outside and we longing stare at the women wearing sundresses. We’re still going to judge and police each other, as if the perceived length of a sleeve or pant leg is the ultimate sign of righteousness. We’re still going to gaslight ourselves and tell ourselves it’s all in our heads and it’s only our fault we struggle, not the church’s. We’re still going to feel like Joseph Smith and the legacy of his polygamy is holding us hostage from almost 200 years ago.

So no, I cannot join in the celebration. I cannot thank the men for deigning to modify a style or add a new one because it doesn’t root out the real problems.

What we need is true equality and freedom in our own choices. We need women in the structures of power in the church and in every room where decisions are being made. (Diverse women. Women who aren’t specifically chosen because they bend to patriarchy either way.) We need to truly examine the history and purpose of garments and see if they’re actually serving us, or if they’re simply a tradition entrenched in our dogma. We need to allow every member to wear the garment as they see fit for their personal bodies and circumstances without judgment or punishment.

If you’re excited for this change, I hold space for you and I’m honestly very glad for you. If you love your garments, I love that for you.

But I am mourning and I feel my Heavenly Mother weeping with me.