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.

[highbottom]

I attended church today. I was in a suit; my three daughters and wife were in beautiful spring dresses. We do so in reverence for the lord Jesus Christ.

Those that chose to ware their facial piercing were also present as well as those who chose to adorn their spring dresses with tattoo’s on the middle of their backs. All are welcome in the house of the lord. No matter how poor their personal taste and fashion sense.

[FreeHueco]

I always wear sandals..

If it was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me.

All that matters to God is what is in your heart.

[Willie Green]

I have just had it with the Gen-Xers and Y-ers saying such dribble. Dribble from on of our own OTOH...

Xers & Yers do snivel and whine too much.
But they're demographic blips, not worthy of much attention.
Nevertheless, there's no sense denying the truth:
we 'Boomers were the worst wave of self-centered spoiled brats ever to plague America.

[Rytwyng]

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

One of the very, very few positive things the hippies did for our culture, was to destroy the horribly uncomfortable dress code of the past.

[mlmr]

One of the very, very few positive things the hippies did for our culture, was to destroy the horribly uncomfortable dress code of the past.


That is interesting that you say that. My children, homeschooled, revel at being able to dress up. I think it is important too, becasue it teaches them how to dress and be comfortable in business wear and more formal wear.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Do they even still make the veils? I'll have to do a check on eBay to see if altar a/k/a chapel veils are being traded.

Btw, I remember my mom having worn a black one...and I remember having one that was the palest of blues...when you folded them, you kept them in a little plastic envelop shaped cases.

[nyconse]

My children wore nice clothes for Easter. My son (almost 14) wore a sports jacket, dress shirt with tie and nicely pressed kahki slacks. My daughters (12 and 7)have pretty spring dresses with hair bows, purses and hats. I wore a coral colored suit. My husband wore a nice dark suit. He looked very handsome. When I was growing up,we always had new clothes at Easter, and I continue the tradition. This connects the generations. I told my kids stories about Easter celebrations when I was a child. They roll their eys and laugh, but wait someday they will repeat these stories and tell new ones about their childhood. We are having dinner at my sister-in-law's house. This is the first time we have been able to be together in a few years at Easter as we moved away from family because of a job transfer. Happily, they moved down here last summer- what a blessing

[freedox]

".....I don't think God really cares what we are wearing to church as long as it doesn't interfere with someone else's ability to worship."

Good point, mollynme. A church service is different from our private worship of God. We can worship God privately all week long in our bathrobes and sweatsuits. Church services, however, are public gatherings intended to minister to all in attendance. Those who take the firm stance that "God doesn't care what I wear" might consider applying that logic to other aspects of the church service. What if the priest or minister took the attitude "God doesn't care about me bothering to prepare a sermon......I'll just speak whatever comes to me at the time"? What if the choir took the attitude "God doesn't care if we bother to learn the words or the music......we'll just get up there and make a joyful noise"? What if the people in charge of maintenance and cleaning took the attitude "God doesn't care if the sanctuary is dirty and messy and the air conditioning doesn't work......those things have nothing to do with worship"?

While I think there are valid points on both sides of the proper dress issue, I think we would all do well to remember that public church services are a different form of worship than that which we do privately. Church services are intended to meet the needs of many, not just the needs of one. Just as we expect others to do things to enhance the experience for all of us, I think we should also consider how our own behavior impacts upon the group.

[threat matrix]

We still do the same at our house..

[Rytwyng]

He still expects the best we can offer him in our worship, and most of us can afford better clothes than a tee shirt or tank top. This "God will love me even if I am a slob" is a convenient excuse for laziness.

Where in the New Testament is a dress code prescribed for Christians?

BTW... most people who dress "down", so called, do so not because they are slobs but because formal clothes are so uncomfortable. How can you possibly pay attention to the Word of God if your clothes are so itchy that you're counting the minutes till you can get out of there?

[Rytwyng]

Dressing in sloppy or ugly clothes can represent disrespect or considering religion unimportant. It can also represent lack of any sense of aesthetics.

WHOSE aesthetics? Yours or Gods?

[Lucretia Borgia]

Not my family. Husband had on dress pants, pressed white shirt and sweater, young son had on nicer slacks and polo (note: he had on dress slacks and shirt for childrens choir at last nights service). I wore a nice jumper and shirt, hosery, shoes and yes, a hat.

[xsmommy]

chapel veils are still worn to tridentine latin mass. we go to the one near us and luckily i had the mantilla style veil from my mom, and my daughter wore the little round doily one that i wore when i was little. Vat2 was right when i was in 1st-2d grade. you can definitely still buy them.

[Former Fetus]

Wouldn't dressing up to look all pretty or dapper in front of your other church members be more egocentric than a person who shows up to truly honor and venerate God and the scrifice of His only begotten son regardless of how that person is dressed?

I agree. Years ago, more than I care to remember, I was a graduate student and rode a motorcycle for economic reasons. Ok, I loved it, but I got it because I could not afford anything else. Then, this cold January morning I showed up at the local church, dressed in my motorcycle winter outfit, helmet and double gloves. I took off the helmet and gloves, tied the top of my overalls around my waist and started to walk into the church. A priest stopped me. Didn't I know I wasn't supposed to dress like that for church? I could have explained that it is hard to ride a motorcycle with a dress during January, but instead I blurted out that the Lord would rather see me like that in church than all dressed up at home. I pushed him and walked to my usual spot in the front pew. But I felt so out of place that it wasn't long before I stopped going to that church. Now I'm married and the mother of two. I dress up on Sundays but I don't see the point of buing a new dress every year on schedule. I have a couple of nice dresses that I've worn for years, but they are just fine, they are my church clothes. I know of ladies at my church who keep tabs of who is wearing what, but I don't go to church, or get dressed up, to impress anybody. This morning, for a fleeting moment, I felt funny at being the only woman in the church without a new dress (at least that's what it looked like), so I prayed to the Lord for help to focus on Him and Him only.

[hawm4]

Perhaps I've misunderstood, but -

Call it what you may. I'm Christian and a member of a southern Baptist church - have been for my entire life. A very conservative person with high morals and values. I'm glad that people seem to be moving away from the stereotype of Easter being some big day of fashion within out religious systems. Churches were never formed in hopes to boost the profits of local clothing store owners.

Church is a building fill of people who love and serve the same God, the one, the only God. What does it matter how one dresses to do this? Sure, there's a time and place for everything under the sun. As I see it, if a person can't afford to go out and buy an expensive suit / dress to wear to Church, others shouldn't look down on them (or post negative messages about the same) on the internet. Church is a place to learn and worship. I can worship the exact same way as my father if I'm wearing a polo and he is wearing a $600 suit.

God is in the heart, not underneath your shirt trying to find out where you bought it.

I wouldn't care if someone walked into my Church with a shirt that wasn't professionally ironed and sat beside me. Sadly enough, it is this very stereotype that turns people away from Church.

Shouldn't 'we' as believers encourage others? Perhaps not, but I know, without doubt, we shouldn't be making backhanded comments regarding fashion.

'Woodstock-era Baby Boomer hippies are all a bunch of lazy, atheistic slobs' - Are you saying that if I don't meet your definition of 'dressing up' then I'm a 'woodstock-era baby boomer hippy, atheistic slob' If so, you shouldn't even be going to Church, my friend.

Please note: No profanity, No personal attacks, No racism in posts. You have violated a part of this.

With all that said, Happy Easter to you and yours.

[ClearBlueSky]

They're still made, but hard to find. As are the larger mantillas, remember those?
The church I attend-Latin Mass- has a small supply of round, lace chaplets on a table in the vestry, for those who come without. It must not be easy to find them retail, but I have seen religious supply stores with them and, yes, I'm sure Ebay has some.

[adiaireton8]

Is it better to look good for Easter than to be good?

The two are not mutually exclusive.

[adiaireton8]

I don't think there's necessaroly anything wrong with wearing polo shirt and khakis. Now don't read what I am about to say the wrong way, but times have changed, and fashions along with them. The perception today is that polo shirts, khakis, and dress shoes are what passes for formal these days.

Formality is wholly in the eyes of the beholder. What counts as respectful and reverent in dress and manner is wholly relative. Besides, what matters is the heart, not the body. /gnostic sarcasm off/

[Pahuanui]

Bonnets are because Ladies of old, unlike the shameless hussies of today, would cover their heads in church.

Somewhere out there, there's a mosque with your name on it, Kemal.

[adiaireton8]

The only King I ever hope to meet will love me whether I wear a suit or a tanktop.

Therefore, it follows that it is appropriate to treat Him irreverently. /sarcasm off/