Habit: A History of the Clothing of Catholic Nuns Book

Ironically... this is surprisingly approachable. Ironic, because at the heart of this historical perspective is a centuries old (and ongoing) discussion about whether the habit protects and empowers the wearer, or subjects her to prejudice and derision. Not as academic a tone as you might expect. The end chapters were the most interesting to me, as Vatican II shakes up everything. Still, some tidbits from medieval orders about how they came to be and how they elected to distinguish their particular habit also make for good stories.