How to Dress for a Funeral
Funeral attire is a subject which is rarely ever spoken about, at least not by choice. Traditionally, the clothing that you wear to a funeral must show that you are mourning, which is most often achieved through the wearing of black. However, in other cases, other colours can be worn, whether this is for religious, traditional, or personal reasons. But, there is much more to choosing the right outfit to honour a deceased relative or friend than simply making sure that the colour is right. Here are our top tips to putting together the ideal funeral outfit.
Special Requests
More and more people are taking to making arrangements and planning a funeral for themselves before they die, and in these plans a number of people are making requests about what they want their mourners to wear. Although in the UK it is traditional to wear black to a funeral, some are breaking this tradition, instead requesting in their funeral plans that those attending wear something specific, for example their favourite colour or the colours of their favourite sports team’s kit. Before you put together your outfit for a funeral, you should make sure that there are no specific requests when it comes to your attire.
Dressing Respectfully
When attending a funeral, it’s assumed that traditional attire is required unless stated otherwise somewhere in the funeral plan. When choosing an outfit for a funeral, it’s important to not only note the colour, but also the style and the cut of the clothing. For example, sleeves should be at least cap sleeve length, and there should be no bare shoulders, especially if the ceremony is being held in a religious building. Whilst men can usually play it safe with a smart suit, women tend to have more clothing options – and therefore more risk of getting it wrong – when dressing themselves for a funeral. As a general rule, shoulders should not be exposed and skirts should be at least knee length. A funeral is not the place to dress to show your body, but rather to show respect and dress in a more conservative manner.
Patterns and Colours
Sometimes, it is appropriate to wear a pattern or add a small pop of colour to your outfit when attending a funeral. However, you will need to judge whether or not your outfit is suitable, and ensure that you do not overdo it. If you are opting to wear an item of clothing that has a pattern, go for something that is not too fussy and has mainly dark colours, for example black and white stripes or polka dots on a blouse, paired with a plain, dark skirt and coat. Small amounts of colour can be acceptable in some circumstances, for example on a scarf. If you don’t want to wear black, you can opt for another dark colour such as navy, grey or brown which are also acceptable for a funeral.
The way which you dress for a funeral should be done so that it conveys respect for the person who you are saying goodbye to.
