A vestment is a special garment worn by clergy members during religious services. These aren't everyday clothes: vestments are ceremonial robes that mark someone's role in leading worship.

In Christian churches, priests and ministers wear different vestments depending on the season and type of service. A priest might wear a white alb (a long robe), a colorful stole (a long scarf-like cloth worn around the neck), and a chasuble (an outer garment that drapes over everything). During Lent, vestments might be purple; at Easter, they turn white or gold. Each color and piece has meaning in the church's traditions.

Other religions have vestments too. Jewish rabbis may wear special prayer shawls called tallitot, and Buddhist monks wear saffron-colored robes. These garments help set religious ceremonies apart from ordinary life. When a clergy member puts on vestments, it signals that something sacred is about to happen.

The word can also describe any ceremonial clothing worn for official purposes. Judges wear robes, and graduates wear caps and gowns, but we typically reserve the word vestment for religious garments that carry spiritual significance.