priest wearing a black tippet.
Anglican The ceremonial scarf often worn by
Anglican priests, deacons, and lay readers is called a tippet, also known as a "preaching scarf." It is a long piece of fabric, usually corded silk grosgrain or ottoman, but can also be of wool or polyester, around 110" long, 6" wide (though it varies between maker), and is pleated narrower at the portion where it is worn around the neck. Sometimes, the ends are pinked. It is worn with
choir dress and hangs straight down at the front.
Ordained clergy (bishops, priests and deacons) wear a black tippet. In the last century or so variations have arisen to accommodate forms of lay leadership. Authorized
readers (known in some dioceses as licensed lay ministers) sometimes wear a blue one. A red tippet is also worn in some Anglican dioceses by commissioned lay workers. Commissioned evangelists of the
Church Army are presented with a cherry red type tippet of the capelet or collar shape rather than a scarf, although some replace this with a scarf form of the tippet, retaining the distinctive red colour. Tippets are often worn as part of choir dress for the Daily Offices of
Morning Prayer and
Evening Prayer, as required in
Canon B8 of the Church of England (in the Canon, the word "scarf" is used). Stricter
low church clergy may wear the tippet, and not a coloured stole, as part of
choir dress during any church service, including for the Holy Communion. This follows practice that was normalized from the Reformation until the late 19th century. By contrast, some
Anglo-Catholics tend not to wear the tippet, preferring the choir habit of Roman Catholic clergy. Clergy who are entitled to wear medals, orders, or awards sometimes fix them to the upper left side of the tippet on suitable occasions (such as
Remembrance Sunday in the Church of England). Sometimes the end of the tippet is embroidered with the coat of arms of an ecclesiastical institution with which the cleric is affiliated. It is common for the Canons of Cathedral churches to have the coat of arms of their cathedral embroidered on one or both sides of the tippet, commonly on the breast rather than the end, as a sign of office. The tippet is not the
stole, which although often worn like a scarf, is a Eucharistic
vestment, usually made of richer material, and varying according to the
liturgical colour of the day.
Other denominations In the British Army, all serving chaplains are issued with a tippet to be worn directly over
battledress when ministering in conflict zones. Anglican chaplains wear the standard black tippet, whilst Roman Catholic chaplains are distinguished by a violet coloured tippet. Some Lutherans also use the tippet. Members of the Lutheran
Society of the Holy Trinity wear a black tippet embroidered with the Society's seal when presiding at the daily office. The black preaching scarf (or rarely blue, grey, or green) is also worn by some
Scottish Presbyterian ministers and other
non-conformist clergy.
Bachelors and Doctors of Divinity Those who hold the degrees of
BD,
MTh, and/or
DD may usually wear the tippet over their
academic robes (at
Oxford University, it is prescribed as part of the DD academic full dress, whilst for others it is optional). Usually, the gown or robe of these degrees will have a cord and button on the yoke in order to facilitate the tippet being secured at the back when worn. The tippet is worn lying over the hood. ==British military nurses==