Among the most recognizable signs of the Catholic Church are monks and nuns. Even if you’re not Catholic, you can look at the distinct garb of someone who looks like me and know something about them.

I mean, really. Even if you’re not a Christian, who hasn’t seen Sister Act?

That said, not everyone dressed in this way necessarily has the same form of life, and there are plenty of other forms of consecrated life that have no distinct garb at all. What are the many forms of consecrated life and how are they related to one another?