Habits convey a message of purity and godliness to many observers. Different traditions of religious iconography use mantles and other head-covers to symbolize purity and even saintliness.

Many people believe that a habit engenders respect and honor for women, thus preventing men from flirting, etc.

Habits actually accentuate many women’s beauty by drawing attention to the face and away from the hair and the body. In many cultures, the face is more important as a place of beauty than is the body, and a habit facilitates this focus toward the face, facial expression, conversation, etc., and away from secondary sex characteristics. This may be part of a woman’s attempt to deemphasize sexuality in her persona.

They identify a woman as an observant Catholic to non-Catholics. This facilitates awareness of her lifestyle right off the bat, without necessitating lengthy explanations.

They identify a woman as Catholic to other Catholics, allowing for instant community and exchange of greetings. This may come across as a superficial benefit, but in a diasporic community, this instant community is psychologically invaluable.

In certain cultures, covering one’s head is respectful to other people, especially to status superiors such as older people.