Only the best for God

A young priest told me a story about when, before celebrating mass at St Peter's, he had the honour of preparing his vestments in the presence of His Holiness. Pope Benedict came down to the sacristy in a lift, as usual, and had three sets of vestments and mitres set out to choose from. He went straight for the most elaborate. This love of gothic vestments was about more than basic vanity; beauty and dignity reflect the splendour and mystery of liturgy. To Benedict this is God-focused rather than community-centred, as was favoured by the 1968 generation.

--http://www.guardian.co.uk/fashion/fashion-blog/2013/mar/03/pope-benedict-true-legacy-fashion-sense