Funeral Etiquette: What to Wear
Just the other day we were doing some research on the most asked questions regarding funeral etiquette and the most commonly researched topic was what to wear to a funeral. This answer can vary and certainly changes over time but we will do our best to answer it.
We will begin with traditional funeral attire. Black has always been the color of morning and the most common color to wear for funeral attire. For men, traditional attire typical includes a solid color/white shirt, dark suit, tie, belt and dark dress shoes. Younger men typically wear a shirt with a collar, slacks, and dress shoes. For women, a dark or black pant suit or skirt, a jacket or sweater, or an appropriate dark color dress with dress flats or heels.
We understand that not every family feels comfortable wearing the traditional attire and more times that not families take a more relaxed approach. We have some tips for those families that find themselves outside of traditional funeral attire:
- Muted colors are best, even if it is not a full suit something darker color like dark dress jeans and a button down for men would be appropriate or ladies could wear dark or black jeans with a blouse for a more casual but appropriate look
- Avoid wearing ball caps or athletic attire unless at the request of the family
- Conservative clothes are best think of something that you would wear to a job interview or to church
However, the most important thing is not what you wear but that you show the family your love and support. We hope that you found these tips to be helpful.