This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The image of Mormon missionaries roaming the streets in dark suits is changing.
According to new dress-and-grooming standards, male missionaries no longer are required to wear suits "during everyday [proselytizing] activities."
Instead, they can be dressed as young professionals in white shirts, ties and dress slacks (even lighter-colored ones).
Suits — including light grays or browns — will be reserved for Sundays or special occasions.
For years, many Mormon missions allowed their "elders" to go without full suits during hot summer months. But when the calendar changed to fall, so did the dress code and the suit coats were back on.
In colder climates, elders can add a sweater, rainwear or winter coat to keep warm, the standards say.
This may be the biggest churchwide grooming change since the summer of 2010, when the Utah-based faith allowed its female "sister" missionaries to forgo nylons.
Peggy Fletcher Stack