To form an idea of the richness of the vestments (Gewandtpragt) used in a German Lutheran church in the days of the strict Lutheran orthodoxy, we will go into the church of St. Nicolai in Leipzig about year 1650. (Paul Gerhardt 1607–1676):
The Alb is used with Amice, Maniple and Parurer which latter the sexton’s wife must take off to launder and put on again. Then there is a surprising collection of Chasubles for many varied occasions: For ordinary Sundays there are five: one green satin, one red patterned velvet, one dark red smooth velvet, one red satin, and one violet-brown velvet. Besides this there are sixteen most elaborate ones for Festivals. For Advent one green velvet with Christ’s Entry in embroidery, for New Year one of gold cloth, for the Presentation one of white satin, with crucifix embroidered, for Palm Sunday one green with palm leaves, for Holy Thursday one of green satin, for Good Friday one of black velvet with crucifix, for Easter day (No. 2) one with crucifix of pearls, for Whitsunday one of brown-red velvet with the Trinity in pearls and stones, and so on. There still remains a collection of “very old ones”.
At the administration of the Sacrament four boys hold the Sacramental cloths over which the Sacrament is handed to the communicants who pass the celebrating priests. The boys are in black cassocks with surplices over; but on festival days the boys wear “special cassocks of crimson velvet” donated by a widow (The Proper Communion Vestments by P. Severinsen, The Church Historical Society of Denmark, n.d., 44 pp. translation of De rette Messeklaeder, 1924,http://cyberbrethren.com/2009/09/07/historic-lutheran-vestments/).