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PatriceA
Guest
Though in this day and age, even the fancy restaurants have relaxed their dress codes considerably.
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Rich_Olszewski
Guest
That is bad. I’ll not go to such restaurants and will phone the management to complain about their policy. The usual response is that they’ll lose business if they have a jacket and tie policy or a no shoes, no service policy. Mercifully, when I’m back in NYC, they don’t take such excuses.
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MSUZeppfan
Guest
1 - anyone can FORGET to pack something, right? I forget at least one item just about every time I leave overnight, personally.Okay for being homeless or desperately poor, but on vacation and forgot to pack “Sunday” clothes? Nonsense. What is there to packing a summer weight dress shirt and slacks or a summerweight dress or skirt and blouse?
He wasn’t attending Mass.
If God doesn’t judge our outer appearance, it won’t matter if you come to Mass with pants hanging down below “the crack” or if a woman comes bra-less where you can see it all from the side.
So why not your nicest clothes at the house of the Lord?
What’s the difference?
Funny, but 40 years ago, in my youth, no one had your cavalier attitude about church. Dress one way for church, another way for casual matters.
2 - what about the apostles that dressed the same way while he was walking among them? surely being in the presence of the Word Incarnate in His human form is at least equal to attending Mass?
3 - If you’ll read my post completely, you’ll see that I agree that we need to dress more modestly. Your comment about the “crack” and bra-less women shows that you didn’t read my post before replying to it with criticism!!
4 - The difference is in the eye of the beholder. Do you expect better attire on Sunday Mass than on Tuesday Mass? (Honest question - many do.) What’s the difference? Is the Eucharist not the Eucharist on Tuesday as well?
5 - I agree with you about 90% of the way.
It’s ridiculous how people dress at Mass. But, if it’s not distracting you with lustful temptation or scandalizing you with inappropriate advertisments or phrases, I personally have no issue. Your opinion is just as valid, however. 
6 - Some people dressed to the 9’s in church are there to be seen. Some people dressed poorly are doing the best they can.
7 - Don’t assume that my attitude is cavalier about church; I personally resent that. I go daily when I am able. I say the Liturgy of the Hours daily as much as I can. I pray the Rosary daily if possible. So, if someone has a problem with me wearing shorts to church, that’s the least of my worries.
8 - I love it! Open and honest debate with a fellow Catholic!!! Yay!!!
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MSUZeppfan
Guest
I feel the need to clarify my position before I put my computer away for a while.
We should definitely think of others as we choose our attire for Mass. We don’t want to be a cause of scandal. Hooters shirts will never be appropriate. Now, are khaki shorts appropriate? To my conscience, yes. For others, no. I hold that culture and society has always been the basis for our formulation of proper attire in worship; our culture is trending towards a more casual outward appearance at this time.
Attendance at Mass is always more important than attire. If we see someone dressed inappropriately, then let us rejoice that they are there to join us in worship, even as we are (rightfully) disappointed in their appearance.
Kind of off subject, but my pet peeve at Mass is people talking after they enter the main hall. The vestibule is for meet-and-greet! I’m trying to prepare myself through prayer and Mrs. Faversham’s talking about the roast she has in the crock pot! Ugh!!
We should definitely think of others as we choose our attire for Mass. We don’t want to be a cause of scandal. Hooters shirts will never be appropriate. Now, are khaki shorts appropriate? To my conscience, yes. For others, no. I hold that culture and society has always been the basis for our formulation of proper attire in worship; our culture is trending towards a more casual outward appearance at this time.
Attendance at Mass is always more important than attire. If we see someone dressed inappropriately, then let us rejoice that they are there to join us in worship, even as we are (rightfully) disappointed in their appearance.
Kind of off subject, but my pet peeve at Mass is people talking after they enter the main hall. The vestibule is for meet-and-greet! I’m trying to prepare myself through prayer and Mrs. Faversham’s talking about the roast she has in the crock pot! Ugh!!
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VeronicaAnne
Guest
That would be my clean, solid color, crew neck, short-sleeved tee shirt. Or, if I wind up realizing while out-and-about on a Saturday and I wind up in my travels near enough to church to make it to Saturday night Mass, the tee shirt I have on might have a pattern or logo on it. Or, it might be a cold, wet day and so I’m wearing a clean sweatshirt under my raincoat.
And my nicest pair of bluejeans. They’re a few years old, but they’re clean. I don’t subscribe to low-level waistlines, either.
And my newest, cleanest pair of athletic shoes… and clean socks.
Yup. That’s my best. It’s good enough for God.
After all, God knows what’s going on in my heart, my head, my soul. I need to only not be distracting to others. And do my very best to choose to NOT be distracted BY others.
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TimothyH
Guest
There is a point where dressing up can be prideful.
Every time I wear a suit to Mass I find myself paying very particular attention to picking out a stylish shirt or the correct tie and worrying how it all looks while in the pew. For me, it can lead to pride.
For me, wearing respectful slacks with a dress shirt and dress shoes, earthtones preferrably, means that I will not be fluffed up with pride but humble, blending in with the crowd - passing unnoticed as St. Josemaria Escriva says.
-Tim-
Every time I wear a suit to Mass I find myself paying very particular attention to picking out a stylish shirt or the correct tie and worrying how it all looks while in the pew. For me, it can lead to pride.
For me, wearing respectful slacks with a dress shirt and dress shoes, earthtones preferrably, means that I will not be fluffed up with pride but humble, blending in with the crowd - passing unnoticed as St. Josemaria Escriva says.
-Tim-
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VeronicaAnne
Guest
I’m with ya there, Tim.
At my parish, the type of clothing that I wear is not at all unusual. So just for that reason, I’m sure that my clean tee-shirt (or sweatshirt), jeans and athletic shoes do not stand out from others.
Even if it did, I don’t really pay attention to what others at Mass are wearing. Or, more accurately … if there’s a distracting outfit being worn by either gender, I recognize to myself that yes, it IS distracting. Then I get my mind right back on the bus.
Although, if it’s a hot day and the A/C in the church isn’t working, I sometimes find myself thinking how glad I am that Father doesn’t wear a chasuble. He wears the white alb and a stole. Still… that’s an extra layer over his street clothes so I know that he’ll be warmer than anyody else. This year, he celebrated his 28th year of his ordination so I’m sure he’s quite used to it.
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Rich_Olszewski
Guest
Me, too. My office is directly behind the Cathedral, (there’s an alley between me and the Cathedral) and there’s noon Mass 4 days a week. Easy as pie to attend.
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VeronicaAnne
Guest
I completely agree… except for… Um… khaki shorts? How about shorts made of denim? (I’m just being a little ‘cute’ here.)
There’s shorts and there’s shorts… and then there’s shorts. I’d say for a woman, a city short (those are the ones that come to the vey top of the knee) are no different than a skirt of the same length. As long as not tight. For a man, same length of short. Also, not hanging lower than an inch from the waistline.
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I’m dealing with people chatting it up… if not before the Entrance Processional then the moment people stand up to leave after Father has processed out, there’s an explosion of loud conversations going on around the church as if the movie has just finished.
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PatriceA
Guest
Well if I only went to places that required a jacket, I’d soon be broke because our income wouldn’t be able to afford such luxuries as the restaurants that do still have a dress code.
And maybe that’s part of the point, not everyone can afford to meet everyone’s standards of dressing up. Clean and modest, that’s pretty much the dress code for our family for mass. We RARELY go to any function that would require anything beyond that code.
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VeronicaAnne
Guest
Where I used to live, I’d leave my apartment extra early so that I could stop by for the 6:30 AM Mass at my parish – which was 10 miles away from my apartment – before I got on the highway to drive the 25 miles to work.Me, too. My office is directly behind the Cathedral, (there’s an alley between me and the Cathedral) and there’s noon Mass 4 days a week. Easy as pie to attend.
“Funny thing.” I was never late to work if I first went to the 6:30 AM Mass.
Whereas, otherwise I do tend to slide in at the last minute or can be up to 15 minutes late to work. On a trip that is 10 miles if I went directly from my apartment to work.
Where I live now, the daily Mass is at 8:00 AM. So, am unable to go during the week.
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Rich_Olszewski
Guest
I understand. For me, a suit is ordinary business attire - that, or a sports coat, slacks, shirt and tie, so the problem doesn’t arise. Just depends on whether or not a suit is one’s uniform or something one wears for a special occasion. BTW, my suits cost in the $700-800 dollar range, but that isn’t prideful dress because it is what I spend to try to look professional in court.
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VeronicaAnne
Guest
I’ll be a bit off topic here, so please forgive me if I’m stating what might be obvious.
In a restaurant, shoes are required for at least for safety reasons. If somehow there winds up to be broken glass on the floor, for example.
Possibly (I don’t know this for sure, so don’t quote me)… isn’t a Health Code violation for EMPLOYEES to be barefooted on the premises, at least in the kitchen?
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VeronicaAnne
Guest
I don’t consider Mass to be a business. So I don’t wear business attire to Mass.
If I happen to one day, once again, own a pair of Dockers I’ll wear those. But no more frequently than my clean jeans.
It’s a state of mind kind of thing. If I’m wearing my nicest clothes, I’ll be more concerned about how I look than what’s going on at the altar. Whereas, if I’m wearing my clean tee-shirt (or sweatshirt) and jeans, I’m not at all distracting myself.
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Petergee
Guest
I agree with all the above, except why do you pick out “beer advertisements”? Drinking beer (in moderation of course) is perfectly legal and moral. People should not wear ANY advertisements to Mass, except perhaps an ad for the next World Youth Day.
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Petergee
Guest
I normally wear “business wear” to work. I certainly don’t spend my day at work worrying about what I look like. And I wear the same “business wear” to Mass. I reckon that if I can be bothered putting on a business shirt, tie, trousers, jacket and business shoes 5 days a week when the only people who will see me are the people who work with me, surely I can wear the same clothes for one hour when I present myself before God to hear His Word and receive His Body and Blood. I don’t even have to do any extra washing because I change out of my business wear when I get home from Mass and hang it up to wear again on Monday at work.
Now if a clean T shirt and jeans are honestly the best you have or can afford, I can understand you coming to Mass dressed like that. Even if you have “business wear” that you hardly ever wear, because you have a manual job etc, and you don’t wear it to Mass because you don’t feel comfortable in it, I can sort of understand that.
What I don’t understand is the many people who I know wear business wear to work, but when they come to Mass they are dressed as if going to a barbecue, the beach or the gym, the men with a two-day growth of whiskers.
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MSUZeppfan
Guest
Absolutely not! Denim is an abomination!
… LOL
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Hastrman
Guest
While I don’t care if people don’t put on a suit to go to mass, I think “business casual” isn’t asking too much. Heck, personally, I hold that black jeans don’t count as jeans, for formality purposes, but as closer to khakis. Maybe let kids get away with nice, inoffensive t-shirts.
But dude. Seriously. “Hooters” shirt at mass? Yeah, no way that can go badly.
But dude. Seriously. “Hooters” shirt at mass? Yeah, no way that can go badly.
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Georgia
Guest
Few would expect others to dress as if they were appearing before a court, but I have seen far too much skin while at Mass. I am sure I will see women at Mass tomorrow with outfits that, absent the colors and the logos, are the same as the uniform worn by Hooters’ servers. I have seen young men make it all the way through Mass wearing baseball caps. And, yes, I have seen them receive while wearing one. Some tee shirt logos are seen regularly that should not appear at a church.
We seem to be in a TV mode whatever we now do. If you can do it at home watching television, it is OK everywhere. I cannot imagine people dressing the way some go to Mass if they were going to meet their city council representative. Decorum seems to be dead.
When we lived in another state, the church had one central aisle and two side aisles. The gifts would be on a table about half way up the main aisle. Once they were presented, someone would go to remove the table. I will never forget my surprise one time at the tee shirt a man was wearing as he was removing the table. It advertised entertainment that should never be mentioned anywhere near a church.
We seem to be in a TV mode whatever we now do. If you can do it at home watching television, it is OK everywhere. I cannot imagine people dressing the way some go to Mass if they were going to meet their city council representative. Decorum seems to be dead.
When we lived in another state, the church had one central aisle and two side aisles. The gifts would be on a table about half way up the main aisle. Once they were presented, someone would go to remove the table. I will never forget my surprise one time at the tee shirt a man was wearing as he was removing the table. It advertised entertainment that should never be mentioned anywhere near a church.
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Phemie
Guest
Florida? Try Labrador. We get those who dress like that too, even when I feel the need to wear a sweater. But mention it and you get the ubiquitous “I’m sure God doesn’t care what’s on their backs as long as they’re there.”
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