The habit, in red cotton and accompanied by the cord, is still worn by the brothers; in the ancient way it included the hood, gloves and red shoes so that anonymous was the exercise of charity. The color symbolizes the ardor of charity. The ancient stick in ebony and ivory dates back to the end of the 17th century and was used by Primicerio on the occasion of the funeral still in the 19th century, as this description reported in the Corricolo, by Alexandre Dumas father attests: "On November 15, 1834 [...] the procession set off towards Don Filippo's house. A count, chosen from the oldest nobility of Naples, carried the banner of the archconfraternity; then the brothers, arranged two by two and dressed in red "sacks", preceded a richly embossed and chiselled solid silver mortuary chest, covered by a magnificent red velvet coltrone, with gold embroidery and fringes, and supported by twelve vigorous bearers. Behind the casket went the prior, alone, with the insignia of his office in his hand: an ebony staff with an ivory knob. Finally, after the prior, to close the procession, came the respectable body of the beggars of San Gennaro ”.