Luther: No gown worse becomes a woman than the desire to be wise

On the web page, Twenty Vile Quotes Against Women By Church Leaders from St. Augustine to Pat Robertson, the following Martin Luther quote is mentioned:

No gown worse becomes a woman than the desire to be wise. –Martin Luther, Reformer (1483-1546), Table Talk

This quote is one of a number proving "Christianity produced a steady diet of misogyny for over 2000 years," put forth by a "former evangelical," now a "psychologist and writer." Her biography can be found here. She appears to still embrace some form of spirituality, but rallies against conservative Christianity. It's interesting that while her entry spans the entirety of church history, she chose a big picture of Martin Luther to head her blog post (pictured here also). 

Let's take a closer look at the quote. It's easy to cherry-pick quotes from church history, especially with an agenda and self-imposed blinders. While Luther was not in any sense a modern-day feminist, he was not the simplicity of a few quotes strung together to make him "vile."  

Documentation

The quote has traveled far, found not only in a number of webpages, but published books as well. The webpage simply says, "Table Talk," which in essence, isn't a helpful reference, but the majority of uses I found either don't provide a reference or similarly mention the Table Talk. 

The quote does come from the Table Talk.  It's from the recollection of Luther's associate, John Schlaginhaufen, who recorded Luther's' remarks from 1531-32. The comment probably dates from May 1532. The comment can be found in WA TR 2:130 (#1555):

The comment made it into English via the German version of the Table Talk put together by John Aurifaber (FB. 1, 208 above). The text reads, 

This German version was translated into English in the seventeenth-century:

Then the English was eventually revised in the eighteenth-century:

What ill becomes the Women.

There is no gown nor garment that becomes a woman worse (said Luther), than when she will be wise.

There are also subtle English variations: 

"There is no gown or garment becomes a woman worse" (said Luther), "than when she will be wise." (1832)

There is no gown or garment that worse becomes a woman than when she will be wise.  (1848)

 Examples of the English version that began this entry can be found in the early twentieth-century.  

An interesting contemporary English rendering comes from Susan C. Karant-Nunn and Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks, Luther on Women: A Sourcebook: "There is no dress that suits a woman or maiden so badly as wanting to be clever." In their rendering, "wanting to be clever" has a different spin than wanting "to be wise."

Context

As with many Table Talk comments, there is not a context provided.  The Table Talk is a collection of second hand comments written down by Luther's friends and students, published after his death.

Conclusion

Luther didn't write the Table Talk. Since the statements contained therein are purported to have been made by Luther, they should serve more as corroborating second-hand testimony to something Luther is certain to have written. The "former evangelical" using the quote would've given herself more credibility had she first documented the quote correctly, then, secondly, not used it at all, but rather utilized a quote with a context and a better pedigree (something actually written by Luther).  From our current western pro-feminist zeitgeist, she would've certainly found some Luther quotes. 

Here's an opportunity to point out to Rome's defenders how wonderful "tradition" is (yes, that's sarcasm). Luther inherited his views on women from that which preceded him (as do we also). The basic overview from Luther on Women: A Sourcebook is helpful: "Luther's view of women's nature is continuous with that of earlier thinkers and compatible with the opinions of many other sixteenth-century theologians." They go on to mention an interesting historical tidbit: 

Luther was not an abject misogynist, nor a consistent misogynist. Another blogger examining the quote made an interesting observation.  If one were to follow the method of citing the Table Talk for Luther's positions, the entry that comes before the quote in question says, 

I have oftentimes noted, when women receive the doctrine of the gospel, they are far more fervent in faith, they hold to it more stiff and fast, than men do; as we see in the loving Magdalen, who was more hearty and bold than Peter.

Factor in also the comments Luther made about his wife (which would double the size of this entry). Did the "former evangelical" consider any of this evidence? I have my doubts. It's simply human nature, be it male or female, to vilify that which we're against, to treat people unfairly, especially if they've been dead for many centuries, lived in a different time period and in a different culture... that's the way discrimination works.