In my time with the Amish, I was asked one question, by friends and strangers alike, far more than any other. From the day I donned my home-made, straight pin closing dress, it seemed the whole world began to wonder about my underclothes.
The answer to “Do the Amish wear underwear?” depends on which Amish you are talking about. Most people do not realize that there are actually 4 main varieties of Amish. People are shocked to learn that some drive cars, these would be the Beachy, no underwear prohibition here. Another group you will bump into while lingerie shopping is the New Order. They often use tractors and some even have electrified houses.
As you step further back in the orders, you will find more clothing restrictions. I was privileged to be part of an Old-Order Community, the horse and buggy kind that are called to mind when you hear “Amish”. There was no mention of unmentionables in the rules, but a dear friend of mine remembers when store-bought elastic waistband underwear was first allowed in another community. As a teenager she had a friend that worked in an Amish store that sold necessaries. She was mortified to have a grown man that had only ever worn home-made clothes ask her what size tighty whities he should buy.
Across the Beachy, New, and Old Orders rules vary. What is permissible in one, may not be in another. However, the fourth and most “backward” or unchanging is known as the Schwartzentruber, and the rules remain the same across all these communities. These produce their own fruit of the loom without any elastic, using a draw string to hold them up, creating something more like knickers.
As “English” or non-Amish people, such a restriction seems absurd. But given that the modern undergarments we wear today have not even been around a hundred years, and the skin clinging style was manufactured originally for sex appeal, it makes sense that a group trying to shun sexuality and “worldliness” would refrain from their use. Draw-string undies are also very simple to make at home which reduces the need for a long buggy trip to town and dependance on store-bought goods.
So the next time you meet an Amish person at your grocery store or on vacation, instead of asking “Do you wear underwear?” ask what order they are and you will have your answer. Then you can ask something else personal and embarrassing, it’s okay, they’re used to it.