How do non-Catholics dress to go to church?

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The pastor at the Evangelical church I stopped in at a few weeks ago would disagree with you. He makes a point of telling people they don’t need to dress a certain way to come to his church. That’s part of his message and his church is doing very well.

I myself don’t think the Lord is bothered that I go to daily Mass in modest shorts or casual pants and a T-shirt that sometimes has cat hair on it, because that is what I am wearing in my daily life on many days.

We are each entitled to our opinions on this matter. At this point my clothes are about the last thing on my mind and not something I want to have to pay attention to, and I am confident that Our Lord understands that.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
The pastor at the Evangelical church I stopped in at a few weeks ago would disagree with you. He makes a point of telling people they don’t need to dress a certain way to come to his church. That’s part of his message and his church is doing very well.
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Since its an Evangelical church, they’re not conducting a scared liturgy, a divine worship, the Holy Mass. They won’t be encountering our Lord in the most blessed sacrament. They’re having a prayer service where the attire can be informal if that’s the norm for his church.

And Christianity in general, and Catholicism in particular isn’t a popularity contest.
 
For some of us, the manner in which we dress simply isn’t part of how we express our love for God, or the Church. I do give some care to my dress for Divine Liturgy, but I don’t wear a tie or jacket, and I’m not going to do so. It’s not at all unusual for me to wear jeans. I make no apologies for this. On the other hand, I won’t judge as pretentious or ostentatious those who are always dressed more formally. For them, it may be simple custom, or habit, and that’s fine. Or, it may even have to do with how they show love and reverence for God. In either case, I respect their choice. I think the respect should go both ways. For the most part, I think it does.
 
HomeschoolDad said:
Do any other churches allow this kind of thing?
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In my experience, churches have become far more casual than they once were. Daily Mass is somewhat different (it’s at noon where I go), as many people come straight from work and have to go back. So whether it’s shirt and tie or construction dirt, they come as they are. Or in my case, I’m done work by then and am wearing what I biked to work in; shorts and t-shirt. Mind you, the Canadian winter sees a bit more in the way of cover. 🙂

Our youngest son married into the Salvation Army and the few times I’ve been to that one the dress was pretty much what I go to weekday Mass in. I’ve seen at other churches people arriving on Sunday morning, often in jeans or sweats. At the Saturday vigil I’ve sat near teens who look like their clothes were sprayed on. Only the elderly, it seems, wear suits and ties, dresses and the like for Sunday service anymore. Personally I like the casual look. It’s far more comfortable and I long ago gave away all my ties. My family and friends know that if they expect me to attend a wedding or anniversary (chances are very slim I would do so- they know that too) I won’t be dressing to impress. lol
 
Can I ask everyone a question?
How would you dress on a visit to
A) the White House on a personal invitation from the President?
B) Buckingham Palace on a personal invitation from the Queen? (there are garden parties where 'ordinary ’ folk are invited)
 
One of the first things that got me thinking, a handful of years ago, that I might think about returning to church was a conversation I had with an in-law. I had said that I can’t go to church and probably wouldn’t, because I didn’t have any clothes. Whereupon, she looked me up and down—I was wearing jeans and polo shirt. I said, well, of course, I had clothes, but I didn’t have any church clothes. She said that what I had on was what a lot of people were wearing to church.

Was I surprised! Back when I went to church, decades before, I wore a dress, high-heeled shoes, and hose. I hate the thought of those things now. And the last time I saw a Catholic church, when I was a kid, the women had to wear hats, most having flowers and a veil, and they wore white gloves. And if you didn’t have a hat or didn’t want to wear one, there was the “doily” that some women wore. That was some time ago, and it turns out, things are different now. Thank goodness!

I remember back when I was a kid, my mother and I had clothes that we wore only to church, and they were our best clothes. Going to church was a huge deal, and it took a very long time to dress for it! I am so happy that those days are in the past.
 
I’m trying to figure out why black church-goers manage to dress up. Aren’t there some poor black Americans?
 
Okay. People seem to admire black church-goers who dress up, but not white (or other) people? If you’re white, it’s judgmental, but if you’re black, it’s just a wonderful cultural thing?
Or am I misunderstanding something?
 
James Chapter 2 (NABRE)
The sin of partiality

1 My brothers, show no partiality as you adhere
to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.
2 For if a man with gold rings on his fingers
and in fine clothes comes into your assembly,
and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in,
3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine
clothes and say, “Sit here, please,” while you say
to the poor one, “Stand there,” or “Sit at my feet,”
4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves
and become judges with evil designs?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers. Did not God
choose those who are poor in the world to be
rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he
promised to those who love him?

6 But you dishonored the poor person.
Are not the rich oppressing you? And do
they themselves not haul you off to court?
7 Is it not they who blaspheme the noble
name that was invoked over you?

8 However, if you fulfill the royal law according
to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor
as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show
partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted
by the law as transgressors.
 
Oh I always think of the person who wasn’t wearing the right clothes and got thrown out of the wedding banquet.
 
Jen95 said:
Oh I always think of the person who wasn’t wearing the right clothes and got thrown out of the wedding banquet.
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You make a good point about the parable of the wedding feast. But James 2 directly addresses how a person dresses at while at worship. You could make a case that this passage has to do with class, not clothing. I contend that anyone is welcome at church.

I am mixed race. But I grew up in an all-white Baptist congregation in Oklahoma. Our neighborhood was blue collar. Everyone dressed in their Sunday best – meaning dresses for women and girls and suits for men and boys.
 
I think this is absolutely down the middle of the fairway. (Meaning “True” for non-golfers.)

And now ‘Tis, my friend, I’m going to meddle with you 🙂

You guys believe in the Real Presence. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is actually physically present with you during the Eucharist. What a gift!

Dressing up is a chore (a “work”?). Sometimes as I dress for church, I find myself looking through my clothes in my closet looking for non-work shirts that I could wear so that I don’t “burn” a just-dry-cleaned one for the coming week. And then I think, what if this were a really important client? I wouldn’t think twice. I’d be in my best suit - yes, to impress, but mostly as a sign of respect.

King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Creator God - physically present in your midst. Yes, come as you are. Yes, the poor widow. Yes, he wants us to be there regardless of what we bring. Yes, the shepherds (and drummer boy?). The wise men brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. I think they nailed it. All that to say - if you got it, bring it - not for anyone else but Him. He is worthy!!
 
When I was a boy in elementary school, every kid in the family had a Sunday outfit that was worn only to Sunday Mass. We had to change out of it as soon as we got home.
 
“Around the middle of the last century, children dressed like their parents. Nowadays, parents dress like their children.”

A quote from Chilton Williamson, Jr., here.
 
Wow Jim, that’s quite the essay!
I think some people on this forum will have a fit when they read it.
I remember one Easter seeing a girl of about 8 wearing a t-shirt to Mass with her ripped jeans. I remember feeling sad for her because Easter is the one day when girls might actually show up to church in their Sunday best. Not her fault of course.
 
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You sound so much like my husband. Now and then, I’ll say, Let’s get you a few shirts. And he will say that then he’d have to start throwing out shirts that are still good, because he would end up with “too many shirts.” (I don’t think a woman would ever say that!)

I think we are all on a casualness spectrum somewhere, and we just have to locate our place on it and feel comfortable there. I have an informal personal code for dressing for church: No shorts, no cut-offs, no cargo pants, no flip-flops or open sandals (keep toes covered), and, generally, no bare shoulders. That said, I do dress casually. Usually jeans, polo top, simple casual tops in colder weather.

Another thing to consider. I go to the earliest Mass. In the winter, the church is still cold when I get there. We all usually spend the hour sitting in our coats, which in that case, it hardly matters what the heck we have on under them!
 
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Frankie65 said:
Can I ask everyone a question?
How would you dress on a visit to
A) the White House on a personal invitation from the President?
B) Buckingham Palace on a personal invitation from the Queen? (there are garden parties where 'ordinary ’ folk are invited)
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I don’t think this is a very good comparison, honestly. Depending on the nature of the invitation and the event, I would be wearing either a suit (or something very similar), or an evening gown. I’d consider both of those really too showy to wear to church. Especially the evening gown; typically that sort of outfit is too glittery and fancy and I’d be drawing far too much attention at church.

Something like this would be beautiful for a formal social event, but far too much for church.
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This would be the more business style, but still not really church wear.
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This is more what I’d consider a church dress, even for a nice place, unless I was attending something like a wedding or other particularly formal occasion.
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So I’d actually consider my “best” clothing to be inappropriate to wear to church. It would be too showy and I’d just be attracting attention to myself.
 
I suppose what I was trying to say was, would you turn up to either of these events in jeans hoodies flipflops shorts t shirts etc etc etc
 
What I’m trying to say is that’s not a terribly good argument.

To use a different example - would you think you didn’t value your parents if you visited for Christmas wearing jeans and a hoodie? Or would it just be that dressing up isn’t how you show honor in that context?
 
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