Funeral vibes, but make it fashion!
August 12, 2022
Funeral fits can feel like the last thing on your mind with everything you're currently going through, so we've got some simple questions to ask yourself and help you decide.
At Graceful Graves, we’re not just here to help you with grave care and maintenance, we’re here for all the advice around loss and grief. There’s nothing we won’t talk about here because, annoyingly, death is unavoidable! We’re all going to experience loss at some point and so we’re all going to come to that point where we don’t know what to wear to the funeral.
So what do you even wear to a funeral? Well, we all imagine a sea of black clothes, shoes, bags, hats, even handkerchiefs, right? This is true to the tradition of formal funeral-wear, but along with lots of social attitudes, old school norms are changing. In recent years we have seen families inviting guests to attend in all sorts of themes, colours, styles and party outfits! We’ve even seen people planning the dress-code to their own funerals when nearing the end of their lives. It all comes down to what the living think or know the deceased would have wanted!
You should be respectful at such a sensitive time and follow the requests of those organising the funeral. If it says black suit and tie, maybe don’t turn up in your best festival outfit, but that doesn’t mean you can’t turn up looking ready to celebrate the life of the person who has passed. Think about the relationship you had with the person and if they’d be offended or upset with you if you came in a onesie.
Generally, if you weren’t super close with the deceased but you’re attending to pay your respects, it’s probably safer to go more formal than casual. Whereas, sometimes the closest friends and family will come in the most unconventional wear, which may be due to a special request of the person passed or because that’s all they could manage to put together in the depths of grief. Whether you go for formal or casual dress just make sure to be comfortable, funerals can be difficult and uncomfortable enough without the help of annoying or restrictive clothing.
Some people may tell you to avoid certain colours or wear certain colours that mean something to the person whose life you're remembering so try and stick to those if it has been requested. Try to avoid too much colour or loud patterns on your outfit, unless specifically requested this can come across a bit insensitive.
Whatever you wear, just show how much you care! Paying your respects in all about presenting it and a lot of that comes in how you look. Whether you’re going formal or casual, in black or colour, get the iron out, make sure it all matches, tidy up your hair and simply present yourself well. That’s all that matters!
We hope this blog has been helpful for those of you attending a funeral and possibly your first one! Funerals are hard and although they are a celebration of life, they can often feel like a party you really don’t want to be at. The Graceful Graves team are here to support you in any way we can, just get in touch!
With love,
GG x