Simar
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The simar is a Roman Catholic garment reserved for the hierarchy and is considered a garment of jurisdiction. It is not a garment of ordinary clerics but reserved to bishops.
It is similar in design to a plain cassock, but has a shoulder cape. The simar is often called a cassock or a house cassock, though this would be incorrect, stricly speaking. Formerly, the simar had double sleeves (which was lined and trimmed in the color of the rank of the wearer with five buttons representing the five wounds of Christ). The double sleeves were discontinued by legislation promulgated by Pope Paul VI. However, Pope Benedict XVI has personally resumed uses of the double sleeve.
The simar generally takes the place of the plain cassock for non-liturgical formal wear. Prelates wear the choir cassock for liturgical functions and other solemn ceremonies. The simar is black with colored trim, piping and lining: amaranth red for bishops and archbishops and scarlet for cardinals. Both the simar and cassock have 33 buttons, denoting the years of Jesus Christ's life; five buttons may be placed on each cuff, denoting the Five Wounds of Christ. As the simar is reserved for Bishops, and Bishops are obliged by law to always wear a pectoral cross, simars always should be worn with a pectoral cross, suspended from a chain around the neck; a sash, called a fascia used as a belt, and its ends may be emroidered with the user's Coat of Arms. As with the cassock, a long-sleeved white shirt with black pants are worn under the simar. Bishops use purple socks while Cardinals use red. In former times, regulations called for the accompanying black leather shoes to be worn with silver buckles, though this feature was outlawed by Paul VI.
The popes normally wear a white simar, though they have sometimes worn a white plain cassock. Today it is rare to see a pope wearing a plain cassock, and while Pope Benedict XVI early in his pontificate made use of the white cassock, he is hardly seen with the plain cassock except while vacationing.
