The costume of the Ku Klux Klan is perhaps the most distinctive feature of that organization, and is recognized worldwide. It is sometimes known as the 'Glory Suit' by those who wear it, and many pejoratives by the Klan's numerous opponents.
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The origins of the use of the costume are unclear. The contemporary white gown with a cone hat follows the Spanish Roman Catholic "Nazareno" tradition. Such garments have been traditionally used in festivities such as Holy Week, symbolizing the act of penance. In Spain and its former colonies, the pointed hat is called "Capirote".
The film The Birth of a Nation has been suggested as the model that stimulated adoption of elements of certain dress and regalia by the second KKK (founded in 1915). However, the film shows the Klansmen wearing a variety of costumes, and there is far less 'standardization'. For example, rather than the well-known conical hats, the film shows a number of Klansmen in what are effectively 'flat' hoods, with a pole sticking up, as if to resemble medieval armor.[1]
Robes of the 19th-century KKK were of various colors. In the 20th century, the second KKK adopted white as the standard color. Late 20th-century manifestations of the KKK in small groups has meant a wider variation in robes. Some groups use colored robes for higher ranks.
Some klans use all-white robes regardless of rank. For those that use robes of different colors most use:
The Knighthawk's black robe is usually shorter so as to allow easier movement.
The M.I.O.A.K. (Mystic Insignia Of A Klansman) is a red, round patch worn over the left breast of a Klansmans robe.
It has a large "X" in the middle with a "K" in each corner of the "X" for Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.
The current organization has splintered, but a number of successor organizations use what is effectively similar costume. The major factions currently include the Imperial Klans of America, The Louisiana White Knights and the Knights of the White Camellia
The Ku Klux Klan costume has appeared in several modern day cultural references, some comical and others slightly more serious. Examples include: