SALT LAKE CITY - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has loosened up the dress code for its missionaries.
Missionaries have always been able to adapt their dress to climate and environment, but with Thursday's announcement, there will be more options.
Instead of just dark colors, missionaries now have the option of lighter colors, like khaki or grey, for their suits and slacks. And in some missions, close-toed dress sandals are now allowed.
"I think in different places in the world it might be taken differently. In Japan, all the business people wore suits. If you were in Japan and were to be taken seriously, you wore a suit, but now maybe somewhere it's loosened up in the country, it may be a better option, so you're not some random American walking around in a suit and people say, "Whoa, who's this,'" said former LDS missionary Joshua Prince.
The decision of what is allowed is at the discretion of the mission president.
