Young Mormons Go Hipster

Mormon style might conjure up images of dark suits, thin ties, and/or Mitt Romney—but for young church members these days, Mormonism and hipsterdom aren’t antithetical, writes Alex Williams in the New York Times. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does call on its members to avoid tight clothes, short skirts, and tattoos, but many young Mormons find ways to uphold the guidelines and still be on fashion’s cutting edge.

“There used to be a bias against being ‘cool’ in the Mormon world,” says a stylist who is a Mormon. At Brigham Young University a decade ago, “there was absolutely zero fashion sense, myself included,” she notes. “Now when I go back to visit, the kids there look really cool.” Men, Williams writes, can wear button-down plaid shirts and rolled jeans and stay within the rules; many women opt for the “Zooey Deschanel look.” A set of current ads features an array of trendy church members, including the Killers’ frontman Brandon Flowers. Click through for photos of Mormon style. (More Mormonism stories.)