Like the reader, the clerical street-dress of the sub-deacon is the cassock, which is usually black but need only be so if he is a monk. This is symbolic of his suppression of his own tastes, will, and desires, and his canonical obedience to God, his bishop, and the liturgical and canonical norms of the Church. As a concession in countries where Orthodoxy is little known, many only wear the cassock or vestments when attending services.