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General Tips Of Selecting Appropriate Attire For A Funeral
At one time, all mourners were expected to wear formal black dress, complete with hats, ties, veils and gloves. Nowadays the rules have become somewhat more relaxed due to the many cultural, religious and personal influences on burial arrangements. For times when no special requests have been made, there are guidelines for appropriate funeral attire.
Black is still the go to color and a traditional suit and basic dress remain the staple fare. The difference now is that the styling has relaxed to a more semi-formal level. This means slightly more casual yet staying with the darker colors including gray and dark blue.
Men can wear the traditional suit and tie or they may opt for the slightly more casual ensemble of slacks, sport coat or blazer and collared golfing shirt. The general rule is that the look be conservative and always paired with dark dress shoes. Shirts may be light colored but pants, jackets and ties should be dark with little to no pattern print.
Women should wear conservative office style dresses, skirts or suits in the darker colors. Avoid necklines that are low, hems that are high and patterns and design elements that are flashy as these elements tend to draw attention which is inappropriate for such an occasion. Flat shoes may be substituted for heels, especially for outdoor services.
Children's rules are more relaxed. Their clothing is similar to that of the adults in that boys should wear a suit or dress slacks with light colored shirts and ties, dresses for the girls. Though black is not the staple for the young ones, they should stick with darker or neutral hues and the bare minimum of patterns and ruffles.
The traditional basics of funeral attire are always a safe guideline though there will be times when this is not the norm. Many religions and cultural groups have their own expectations as to how mourners should dress, and personalized instructions from the deceased may also change the rules. In those situations, the special style requests should be followed as a show of final respects.
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