What to Wear to a Funeral

For funerals before Burtonsville, MD cremations, what people wear is important because this is a service designed to support, comfort, and encourage a family who has lost someone they love. The focus should be on the family, not on the mourners. So always keep that in mind when choosing clothes to wear to a funeral service. You don’t want to draw attention to yourself.  

Because funeral services before cremations are somber in tone, the best rule of thumb is to dress as conservatively as possible. While you don’t necessarily have to wear black, which is color associated with mourning throughout the world, you should avoid bright colors and prints or designs.   

Necklines, hemlines, and fit for women should be modest. Avoid low-cut blouses or dresses, short skirts, and spandex. Modest skirts and blouses, dresses, and pantsuits that don’t draw attention to cleavage, curves or thighs are acceptable.  

Women should keep their accessories very simple. Do not wear high-heel shoes or open-toed shoes, including flip-flops. Instead choose a basic flat shoe that will enable you to walk quietly inside or navigate easily through grass if the funeral service is outside. The less jewelry you wear, the better. Of course, wedding and engagement rings are appropriate, but it’s best to forego any other type of jewelry except a watch.  

Men who are attending funeral services before cremations should not wear jeans, t-shirts, baseball caps – in fact, all caps or hats should be removed one inside the building where the funeral service is being held – and tennis shoes or sandals. Men can wear black, gray, or navy suits with a dress shirt and tie, but a dark-colored sports coat, a dress shirt open at the collar, and dress pants with dress shoes is also considered appropriate attire for men attending funeral services.  

There are exceptions to these rules, but they are very specific. If the funeral service is for a military veteran, it is appropriate for military personnel to wear their dress military uniforms to the service. Additionally, some creeds and religions require a specific kind of dress, so be sure to honor the deceased person by adhering to those particular dress codes.  

If you’re on the fence about whether something you want to wear to a funeral service is appropriate, there are a few clothing don’ts that should help you make a decision about the clothes:  

• If it’s your sexiest outfit, don’t wear it. 
• If it’s a cropped top or low-cut pants, don’t wear it. 
• If it’s going to call attention to you, don’t wear it. 
• If it’s big, bright, shiny jewelry, don’t wear it. 
• If it’s not something you would wear to a professional job interview, don’t wear it. 
• If it’s a sleeveless dress, don’t wear it unless you also wear a jacket or sweater over it to cover your bare shoulders. 
• If it makes noise, don’t wear it. 
• If it is an open-toed shoe, don’t wear it. 

A couple of other things to consider when going to a funeral service is to cover any tattoos, and to avoid scent products like perfumes, lotions, and body sprays. Many people are sensitive to the chemicals in these products and have an allergic reaction when they come in contact with them.   

If you need more idea about what to wear to funeral services before Burtonsville, MD cremations, our knowledgeable staff at Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A. can help. You can visit us in person at our funeral home at 4400 Powder Mill Rd., Beltsville, MD, 20705, or you can call us today at (301) 937-1707.