Sacristy conversations are full of words that sound alike: alb, amice, cassock, cotta, surplice, cincture. If you are vesting a new altar server, ordering for a parish, or simply trying to follow a procession without getting lost, this is your complete list of altar server vestments names — what each garment is, what it is called, and when it is worn.
The Core Vestments Every Server Should Know
- Alb — a full-length white tunic worn over clothing at Mass, tied at the waist with a cincture. The vestment common to ministers of every rank (GIRM 336). Most parishes vest servers in albs; see our altar server albs.
- Cassock — a long, close-fitting robe, traditionally black, that is ordinary clerical dress and the base garment worn under liturgical vestments. Servers in the “cassock and surplice” tradition wear it as their first layer; see our altar server cassocks.
- Surplice — a shorter white garment with wide sleeves, worn over the cassock for services outside Mass: the Liturgy of the Hours, funerals outside Mass, choir, and devotions. It developed as a shortened alb; see our altar server surplices.
- Cincture — the cord or rope belt that ties the alb at the waist. It is a vestment in its own right, often color-coordinated with the liturgical season; see our liturgical cinctures.
More Names You Will Hear in the Sacristy
- Amice — a square white cloth with strings, worn around the shoulders under the alb by priests (and historically by servers) to cover the collar; its name comes from the Latin amictus, “wrapped around.”
- Cotta — a short, often lace-trimmed surplice. The word is Italian for “cut short,” and cottas are common for servers and choirs.
- Rochet — a white tunic with narrow sleeves worn by bishops and some canons; shorter than an alb and closer to the body.
- Cassock-alb — a modern single garment combining the cassock’s shape with the alb’s white color and collar; popular with clergy and lay ministers for daily services.
- Capuche — the hood found on some albs, especially monastic-style and server albs; see our guide to the hooded alb.
What Do Altar Servers Wear, Rank by Rank?
- Altar servers (children and adults) — an alb, or a cassock with a surplice in the older tradition. Female servers may also wear a skirt with a surplice; see our altar server skirts.
- Lectors — an alb (often the same style as the servers’) or another suitable vesture, per the USCCB guidelines. Our lector albs are cut with a clean turtleneck collar for exactly this role.
- Acolytes — the alb, worn for service at the altar and handling the sacred vessels.
- Deacons — alb with a stole worn across the chest, and a dalmatic at solemn Masses.
- Priests — alb (with amice and cincture as needed), stole, and chasuble.
Two Traditions, One Purpose
Parishes vest their teams in one of two ways. In the “alb tradition,” everyone wears the white alb, tied with a cincture — simple, uniform, and directly rooted in GIRM 336. In the “cassock and surplice tradition,” servers wear a black cassock with a white surplice over it, a look many parishes associate with solemnity and continuity. Neither is more correct: both express the same truth, that the server is clothed in the white of Baptism. For a full comparison of the pieces, read Alb vs Cassock vs Cassock-Alb.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the name of the vestment altar servers wear?
A: The most common is the alb — a full-length white tunic. In parishes that follow the older tradition, servers wear a cassock (a long robe) with a surplice (a shorter white garment) over it.
Q: What is the difference between a surplice and a cotta?
A: A cotta is a short surplice, usually with lace trim. The words are often used interchangeably; “cotta” simply emphasizes the shorter, cut-away style.
Q: What is an amice?
A: A square white cloth with two strings, worn around the shoulders and tied at the chest under the alb, historically to cover the collar of street clothing. Today it is mostly worn by priests and remains an option, not a requirement, in the GIRM.
Q: Do altar servers wear cassocks or albs?
A: Both are used. The alb is the standard vestment of Mass for all ministers; the cassock with surplice is a widespread parish tradition, especially in English-speaking countries. Your parish’s sacristy or diocesan norms will tell you which is preferred.
Q: What accessories do altar servers wear with vestments?
A: A cincture to tie the alb, and often a small cross or medal worn on a chain or cord. The cincture is the one accessory the GIRM itself directs — the alb is normally “tied at the waist with a cincture.”
Browse the full wardrobe in our altar server vestments collection: albs, surplices, cassocks, skirts, and cinctures — all in stock and ready to ship.
