Published on Oct 12, 2011 
 
 Brandon Flowers, Mormon lead singer of The Killers, wants to be a positive force in the world. His wife, kids, & parents set a good example for him. More at http://www.mormon.org/brandon ||||| Tattoo fans face tougher obstacles. Those who have tattoos tend to keep them hidden, especially after 2000, when Gordon B. Hinckley, then the president of the church, spoke out against tattoos as “graffiti on the temple of the body” at the church’s general conference. 
 
 Still, tattooed Mormons have managed to find one another and form a kind of subculture. “I was blown away by the amount of tattoos I viewed in the showers,” said James Peterson, 32, about his missionary training in Provo, Utah, in the late 1990s. When he went off on his mission to Spain, he and other missionaries would trade issues of tattoo magazines, taking care to cut out images of topless women or devils. 
 
 Not only has Mr. Peterson kept up his magazine subscriptions, but he has also opened Rogue Parlour, a tattoo studio in Tucson, Ariz. While he still faces condemnation of his profession from family members, last year he added a tattoo on his left arm: a beehive, a Mormon symbol of working together for the common good. “It’s a complicated way of saying I still love the church,” he said. 
 
 It’s little wonder that Mormons express strong and varying opinions about what is stylish and acceptable. The rapidly growing religion counts more than six million members in the United States (30 percent of them in Utah), and individuals have long had to balance tradition with a desire to fit in with the culture at large. Members still battle a perception of otherness, as in the recent flare-up between Mr. Romney and Robert Jeffress, a Southern Baptist pastor and Rick Perry supporter who derided the religion as a “cult.” 
 
 Needless to say, countless Mormons work in fashion, design, art, music and film, and they generally dress and act just like anybody else. 
 
 But when it comes to dressing young and hip, some Mormons said they face unique challenges. Among other things, many adult Mormons wear a type of underwear known as the temple garment, meant as a symbolic reminder of an individual’s promises to God. Both men and women have their own style of garment, but each consists of two pieces, a chaste knee-length bottom reminiscent of a boxer-brief and a white undershirt. 
 
 Jeggings and maxi dresses aren’t an issue, but tank tops and short skirts are, said Elna Baker, Britain Baker’s sister who detailed her struggles with the faith in a 2009 memoir, “The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance.” To cover up the undergarment, some style-conscious Mormons in places like Brooklyn adopt a retro-ironic look from thrift stores, including “Mad Men”-style dresses, or a kind of ’80s secretary look: ruffled blouses, bow collars and high-waisted pencil skirts. “It’s very much a Zooey Deschanel look,” said Ms. Baker, who left the church after her book was published. 
 
 As a writer living in Brooklyn and veteran of the Moth storytelling gatherings, Ms. Baker, 29, found herself in the center of a growing Mormon subculture, populated by creative types who dress like they stepped out of “a modest American Apparel ad,” she said. Striped shirts, cardigans and horn-rimmed glasses are part of the uniform. 
 
 But for some Mormons navigating the Brooklyn waters, the struggle is less about what to wear to the loft party, and more about what to do once you get there. Drinking alcohol is prohibited, according to the Word of Wisdom, which members consider a revelation from God concerning health. 
 
 Steven Puente, another Moth storyteller, often felt awkward being the one person in a room sipping sparkling water. “The constant question in the back of your mind is, ‘If I get past the initial hello and small talk, are they going to understand how I live my life?’ ” said Mr. Puente, who works as a drug counselor at a methadone clinic in the Bronx. 
 
 Sometimes, his sobriety was perceived as its own form of hipster pose. “It was always assumed, ‘O.K., he’s mysterious and cool, he must be in recovery,’ ” Mr. Puente, 36, added with a laugh. But as the liquor flowed for everyone else, he eventually would feel restless. He would ask himself, “How long can I last before the conversations become inane?” 
 
 This is why many Brooklyn Mormons tended to host house parties of their own, Ms. Baker said. She recalled one party where someone brought a six-pack of O’Doul’s, which advertises itself as a non-alcoholic beer, “for shock value.” But typically, the only vice on display was sugar, in the form of a large dessert spread, the focal point of many a Mormon party, she added. 
 
 But even a table full of pies and pastries can pose a challenge, her brother, Britain, joked. “Because of all the dessert parties,” he said, “skinny jeans can be a bitch.” 
 
 
 
 
 
 Rebelling, If Only Just a Little 
 
 WHAT THE CHURCH SAYS 
 
 Many adult Mormons follow the practice of wearing the temple garment, which for men, means long boxer briefs and a scoop-neck T-shirt and, for women, knee-length shorts and a top with cap sleeves. 
 
 HOW TO GET AROUND IT 
 
 For men, tank tops are out, but you can stay on-trend in a button-down plaid shirt, rolled selvedge jeans and boat shoes. For women, one popular option is the “Zooey Deschanel look” — ruffled blouse, bow collar and a high-waisted pencil skirt. 
 
 WHAT THE CHURCH SAYS 
 
 Mormons are told not to “disfigure” themselves “with tattoos or body piercing.” 
 
 HOW TO GET AROUND IT 
 
 Cover up the tattoos or at least try a compromise, like getting a tattoo of a beehive, a Mormon symbol of working together for the common good. 
 
 WHAT THE CHURCH SAYS 
 
 No beards on missionaries or Brigham Young University students. 
 
 HOW TO GET AROUND IT 
 
 An allergic reaction to shaving, demonstrated by razor bumps, can score you a “beard card” at B.Y.U. 
 
 WHAT THE CHURCH SAYS 
 
 No consumption of alcohol, even at social functions. 
 
 HOW TO GET AROUND IT 
 
 Drink Pellegrino and don’t bother to correct other party guests who assume you are in recovery.
– Mormon style might conjure up images of dark suits, thin ties, and/or Mitt Romney—but for young church members these days, Mormonism and hipsterdom aren’t antithetical, writes Alex Williams in the New York Times. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does call on its members to avoid tight clothes, short skirts, and tattoos, but many young Mormons find ways to uphold the guidelines and still be on fashion’s cutting edge. “There used to be a bias against being ‘cool’ in the Mormon world,” says a stylist who is a Mormon. At Brigham Young University a decade ago, “there was absolutely zero fashion sense, myself included,” she notes. “Now when I go back to visit, the kids there look really cool.” Men, Williams writes, can wear button-down plaid shirts and rolled jeans and stay within the rules; many women opt for the “Zooey Deschanel look.” A set of current ads features an array of trendy church members, including the Killers’ frontman Brandon Flowers. Click through for photos of Mormon style.