Proper attire for mass for men?

[pmitch72402]

I go to mass every day at 7:00 a.m. and generally wear to mass whatever I’m wearing for the rest of that day. So during the summer time, I wear shorts (almost always khaki shorts) and a t-shirt to mass. During the winter time, I will normally wear jeans and a sweatshirt to mass. I never thought about it much until now when I saw a topic on here about wearing shorts to mass. What constitutes proper attire for attending mass? At the Christmas and Easter masses I wear a dress shirt and dress pants, but never at any other mass. I’ve always personally felt that my respect and devotion to the mass was internal and I never even considered what I wore to have an impact on how serious I was about the mass.

 

[DeniseNY]

You’re going to get a lot of different opinions (and probably an argument) here. If your church has a dress code, follow it. Some say that the clothes reflect your inner disposition, others say it doesn’t. Do you think it does? How you answer that question is probably how you should dress for liturgy.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I see boatloads of men, usually elderly, wearing some kind of knee-length khaki shorts and a polo shirt to Mass every day when it’s hot outside. Often they also wear knee socks. It’s how old suburban men dress. It’s no big deal around here.

If they were wearing such clothing in the middle of winter, I would be concerned that they needed a better caregiver or perhaps someone to help buy and launder appropriate clothes for them.

 

[ReaderT]

Obviously I only know Orthodox norms, but for us shorts aren’t considered acceptable. Not even for children. Men wear pants and a nice shirt, usually button-down. Older men often wear suit coats.

Again, that’s just our custom though: the service is beautiful, the church is beautiful and sacred, so gym shorts are out of place

 

[TheIttyBitty]

If you can afford to or have the clothing to dress nice, you probably should, but obviously not in a prideful manner, but to show respect to God.

OTOH, if a person is struggling to make ends meet, can’t afford nice clothes, they shouldn’t be refused access to Mass so long as they’re decent (Coverage, no weird Anti-Catholic imgs, etc) and unoffensive.

If you (not OP but anyone reading this in the future) can’t afford nicer clothes, reach out to the priest, they may be able to add a note in the bulletin or access clothes for you, maintaining your anonymity.

 

[PaulinVA]

Pet peeve of mine.

I think if you are an office worker, you should dress for Mass at least as well as you dress for work.

If not, frankly, I think shorts for men are not appropriate. That’s just me.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Gym shorts aren’t usually worn to RC Masses either, except by children and sometimes by teens who have just come from a weekend sports practice (usually this is at the evening Mass on Saturday or Sunday).

Khaki dress shorts are generally not suitable for gym or athletic wear. They’re considered casual wear for around the house. One might play golf in them or go out on one’s yacht, but that’s about it for athletics, especially since many men wearing them are 60+ years old.

I realize your church would probably frown on them anyway, and some traditional Catholic churches do also, but just pointing out that it doesn’t sound like he’s talking about athletic shorts.

 

[redcatholic]

You can do as you wish, people shouldn’t be at Mass policing uniforms. BUT. What you communicated was telling. The idea that you wear to Mass what you wear for the rest of the day could be telling as far as how you think Mass fits into your day.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Frankly, I think it’s pretty good when people are going to daily Mass every day during the summer. As long as they’re decently covered it’s less important to me what they wear than the fact that they are at Mass on many days when the Church doesn’t require them to attend.

I usually wear what I am wearing for the rest of the day too, except if I am in my housecleaning grubby clothes I will generally change into some summer pop-over-the-head muu muu dress I keep hanging around for just this sort of thing. As I am going to do now before going out to Mass.

 

[catholicray]

I think it is reasonable to take the positive and negative position on this. I think ultimately God calls us to humility rather than boastfulness in our attire. So dress yourself with humility.

However a formal dress code possibly closes the doors of the Church to sinners. That is to say it is better that one is at mass in informal attire than it is for them to not come to mass at all.

Therefore balance your own attire according to your personal ability in humility as a reflection of your inner disposition and yet love those who do not practice as you do because our Lord is very much in love with them as well.

 

[BartholomewB]

You’re going to get a lot of different opinions

That’s about the only thing we can say with any certainty!

My opinion: it’s mainly a cultural thing. One set of rules for Alaska, a different set of rules for Alabama, and something else again for Australia. Take a look at what other people are wearing, and try not to be either noticeably more dressy or noticeably more casual than the average.

 

[MNathaniel]

For whatever it’s worth…

I’m a (female) convert raised in an ultra casual environment that actively denigrated most attempts to look nice as vanity, and dressing up as almost always embarrassing or inappropriate (as if looking nice on the outside suggests that all you care about is the outside, not inside).

I don’t remotely think those things are true, but they informed my psyche as a developing human being.

Which is just to say, culture and context will affect what someone wears to Mass.

I have ZERO doubts that many fellow parishioners (those raised with a cultural belief that dressing up at church = good) look at how non-fancy I dress at Mass, and think I’m being somehow disrespectful to God (or that my low-quality clothing is, by whatever standard, something to be embarrassed about).

But I know that God knows my heart and that I’m doing my best, and I know God knows it’d be a stumbling block to me making it to Mass at all (at this point in my life) if I had to dress up in a way that mortified me. (And dressing up in public absolutely mortifies me.)

Basically, all I can say is that I make zero judgements about how others dress at Mass (unless something literally rude is on a shirt, or someone is approaching the priest basically naked). Some people are dressed very fancy, some are dressed very casually. And I just assume that everyone has their private reason why they’re dressed however they are, and that’s between them and God. Male or female, I have no across-the-board opinion on the ‘right’ clothing.

 

[DeniseNY]

Basically, all I can say is that I make zero judgements about how others dress at Mass (unless something literally rude is on a shirt, or someone is approaching the priest basically naked). Some people are dressed very fancy, some are dressed very casually. And I just assume that everyone has their private reason why they’re dressed however they are, and that’s between them and God. Male or female, I have no across-the-board opinion on the ‘right’ clothing.

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[MeganCecilia]

There’s a different between gym shorts and nice shorts. Wear your nice shorts and don’t worry about it I live in Florida and it’s HOT!!! So many men wear nice shorts

People will always have conflicting options. And if this still is bothering you, just ask a priest!

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

There’s a different between gym shorts and nice shorts. Wear your nice shorts and don’t worry about it I live in Florida and it’s HOT!!! So many men wear nice shorts

This is my stance too. If they’re clean, nice khaki shorts I don’t have an issue with it. Gym shorts would be something else.

 

[ReaderT]

There’s a different between gym shorts and nice shorts.
I live in Florida and it’s HOT!!! So many men wear nice shorts

Sorry - I live in a college town, and apparently it’s youth fashion to look like you just came from / are going to the gym at all times, so that’s what I was thinking of.

I’m a Southerner too (Georgia) but our parishioners still wear pants in July/August

 

[pnewton]

I believe proper office attire is best, an usually wear a tie. So that is my norm. However, my norm applies only to me. About half of the men will wear tee shirts, and that is their norm. Shorts would even seem a reasonable norm in some situations.

 

[redcatholic]

Daily Mass is not really a place of Uber judgement like a Sunday Mass might be.
Everyone is there voluntarily. There is one gentleman who goes to daily Mass in painters gear. It’s quite the sight. He comes early with his kids before work and school. This man is incredibly prayerful and devout. A second man comes in a suit. He doesn’t wear a suit for work but he does for Church before work. This is an incredible witness if you see him outside of work that same day. And another wears shorts and a t. Now, that is fine. But the other two had a visible witness to what Mass is to them. Have I been caught at Mass in swim trunks, cammo, or a snow suit. Smelling of bug spray, B.O. smoke, or sunscreen? Sure. And the reason people would notice that is because it’s not the norm.

 

[TK421]

I go to mass every day at 7:00 a.m. and generally wear to mass whatever I’m wearing for the rest of that day. So during the summer time, I wear shorts (almost always khaki shorts) and a t-shirt to mass. During the winter time, I will normally wear jeans and a sweatshirt to mass. I never thought about it much until now when I saw a topic on here about wearing shorts to mass. What constitutes proper attire for attending mass? At the Christmas and Easter masses I wear a dress shirt and dress pants, but never at any other mass. I’ve always personally felt that my respect and devotion to the mass was internal and I never even considered what I wore to have an impact on how serious I was about the mass.

I used to do very, very casual at Mass sometimes but I changed my mind and I dress up a little bit: pants and collared shirt, or a sweater if it’s cold.

How fashion impacts our mental wellbeing | Science| In-depth reporting on science and technology | DW | 24.09.2019.

Peace.

 

[Margaret_Ann]

These might help:

Overdressing for Mass in Tennessee Liturgy and Sacraments

Greetings all, I am a transplant from England who has recently moved to Tennessee. I have always put on a suit for Sunday Mass, nothing outlandish, gray suit, white shirt, black tie. I recently attended my first Mass in Tennessee, and was the only guy in Church with a suit on. It would be going against a few decades of muscle memory to not wear my Sunday best, but if I continue with my suit am I committing a cultural misstep? Thank-you for any guidance.

Overdressing for Mass in Tennessee Liturgy and Sacraments

A fellow parishioner once commented, “If you won’t dress up for our Lord, why dress up for anyone?” I think it honors God to dress nicely while in Church. A suit and tie in conservative colors sounds very nice, to me.

Think of it this way: If you got an engraved invitation from Buckingham Palace to personally meet the Queen, you definitely would not go in shorts & a T-shirt. You’d get your best suit and tie on, spiff up and look like a gentleman.

So if you can dress up for an earthly queen you can dress up for the King of Kings at the Eucharist. And most of all, be in the state of sanctifying grace when you receive Him and make a good thanksgiving while He is sacramentally present within you.