A treatise on women's dress and cosmetics. Tertullian tells Christian women to abandon jewellery, hair-dye, and elaborate clothing — partly for modesty, partly because he blames the fallen angels for teaching women to beautify themselves.
Start ReadingThe first book of Tertullian's treatise on women's dress, arguing that feminine adornment originated with the fallen angels and that Christian women should reject cosmetics and jewellery.
The second book continues the argument against feminine display, shifting from theological origins to practical ethics — how Christian women should dress modestly in a pagan world.