I think the order of deacon is tremendously important.
I am glad to see you are a man of your convictions. I too have met some good ones and see some tremendous good they do in the Church--except that most of them still think they are laymen, based on my personal judgment.
Also, whatever did the pre-Vatican II Church do without permanent deacons?
Oops! I forgot. They actually had lots of priests back then--prior to the GREAT RENEWAL in the wake of that magnanimous council--the greatest of all time--mind you. They had priests back then... And lots of seminarians and boys discerning becoming vocations, and altar boys--lots of them.
They probably have to dress like laymen, by order of their bishops. Many bishops will not allow permanent deacons to wear collars, period.
Our bishop has asked us to wear clericals only when performing diaconal duties; he wants to make sure that we are distinguished from priests. I think that's a good balance.
Oh, and Paul VI decided to reinstitute the permanent diaconate at Vatican II, long before the bottom fell out of the numbers in the priesthood.
"They actually had lots of priests back then--prior to the GREAT RENEWAL in the wake of that magnanimous council"
Thank God that vocations in traditionalist orders continue to flourish....
http://www.sspx.org/RCRpdfs/2004_rcrs/july_2004_rcr.pdf