Whatever happened to dressing up on Easter Sunday?

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | Saturday, April 10, 2004 | Alyson Walls

[Willie Green]

Although famed musical composer Irving Berlin thought them lovely enough to write a sonnet, nowadays few women are donning Easter bonnets.

In fact, you're more apt to see wrinkled khakis and rumpled polo shirts than pressed suits and pastel pumps at church on Sunday.

While Easter Sunday has traditionally been the day to show off your new spring finery, America has become a nation that dresses down, and not just on "casual Fridays" in the office.

[all the best]

Giorgio Armani does not do three-piece suits. I know, I wear Armani. I dress well and am more conservative than most of you folks, positively 18th century!!

[mlmr]

Bunnies and eggs equal new life

Easter bonnets come from the time no good Christian woman would enter a church with her head uncovered. Easter is a time of renewal and there fore the new bonnet

[threat matrix]

I'll give Barbara the younger the benefit of the doubt today because it was raining in Texas and she may have had only a jean jacket in the car.

But I bet Laura insisted that it did not go to church.

[cyborg]

Ole Crusty with a hat

[freedox]

"Call me crazy, but I'm much more certain that the Lord would rather see you at a church praising his resurection than showing off your new 3 piece armani."

You make an excellent point. While I do believe that one should "dress up" in accordance with the importance one places upon an occasion, I think there are limits. IMO, the point is to dress in such a way as to show respect for others and for the event. This precludes showcasing oneself in such a way that others will be made to feel uncomfortable with their own attire.

[mlmr]

I'll wear a Brooks Brothers suit, a Nautica tie, and wingtips. And I'll shave my face. Must. . . strike. . . blow. . . against Baby Boomer slobs.



If I were younger I would ask you to marry me!

[rodguy911]

"from a disgruntled Methodist"--I too am a disgruntled Methodist. I just returned from church and we had our share of visitros in shorts at the sermon. But what really soured me was the pony-tailied types from the Methodist church run by hillary when they sent Elian back to Castro. That really soured me and made me think twice. But it's hard to give up one's religion.

[threat matrix]

I may not have the strength to post thay one.. (lol)

Interesting how there is nothing on the wire about Hillary out today

[nutmeg]

find later bump

[mlmr]

It's called dressing down. Everybody does it, and you get in the habit. But when you go to church you should dress at least as well as you would to meet a great king. And I have to confess I don't do it.


The counter trend is beginning. I see it in some of the younger couples.

[cyborg]

That's because witches in her coven don't celebrate easter.

[Snickersnee]

I was born in 1946. In my youth, Easter was easily the second-biggest holiday of the year, almost as big as Christmas. Everyone got new clothes and shoes, and pictures taken at the big department store downtown. Easter Sunday morning, we would troop off to church after admiring the living room filled with mountains of flowers and baskets of candy. Then there would be a special dinner -- ham or lamb, ususally. Easter was a BIG DEAL, make no mistake about it.

Sometime during the late Sixties, Easter "slipped" behind another holiday as the second-biggest: Hallowe'en. Anybody surprised? How long before Hallowe'en overtakes Christmas?

[threat matrix]

Im sorry, I cant say if I recieved communion..that is a national security isse!

[threat matrix]

Laura looks stunning as usual..

[Khurkris]

Somebody pi** in your Cheeri-O's this morning?

Happy Easter Willie

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

He wants to see some Easter bonnets, he should visit some of the black Baptists churches.

My wife and I have black friends that we attend church with 3 or 4 times a year. They dress far better than most of those where I go. In my own church we have a 20-30% minority population. The blacks and Asians dress better than the white and Hispanics.

[MamaB]

I wore a red dress with my promise cross necklace and Jan's cross, too. The cross has the colors of the rainbow, colors for the 12 disciples and a larger purple stone for majesty. I get a lot of comments from people who see it because it is unusual. Today was not as hard as I thought it would be. It is the first Sunday service since Jan died. I just could not face being in the sanctuary where her funeral was held. I received a lot of hugs which I appreciated very much. Today was a milestone for me.

[MamaB]

I only noticed 1 hat in the congregation and that was at our 2nd service.

[freedox]

"All I said was that I don't really think God would be angry with someone because they didn't wear a suit. I stand by my assertion that God cares about what is in our hearts, not what we wear on our bodies."

I agree. However, I think that what we choose to wear on our bodies is often a direct reflection of what is in our hearts. If we do take care to dress up for social occasions, business meetings, etc., yet do not take care to do the same for worship, I think we should examine our motives closely. Is it really because we believe that God doesn't care, or is it because we don't care? Or is it an attempt at subtly putting others down because they do choose to dress up? As you say, God cares about what is in our hearts.......and He knows the real reasons behind our mode of dress.

[CindyDawg]

I don't think the girls wanted to go to church this morning lol