The way people dress to Mass

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francisca

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I know some of you think that certain dresses are not appropriate for mass. Recently some local churches in city where I live begin to make official rules about dress code for attending mass.

I think that such step is very unwise, because attending mass is more important than how to dress for the mass.

Supposedly I have used up all my “polite” clothes during work days, I haven’t got any chance to do my laundry yet, should I come to mass with my “inappropriate” clothes, or should I just stay home?

This is just one example where “Traditionalist mind” could override what’s important with what’s not.
 
We have a group on CAF that deals with etiquette at Mass. Dress has been “addressed”. While some feel that anything goes as long as you attend Mass, others are not so generous. Me included. By Friday, I make sure that I know what I am going to wear to Mass on Sunday. I don’t have a lot of clothes to choose from as I don’t work (retired) and haven’t bought anything for a while. I have seen teenagers come in short shorts and tight t-shirts, men come in raggy jeans, women in low-cut dresses. There are times to wear certain clothes and other times not. We have become such a dress down society, no one knows what is appropriate anymore. And most of our pastors/bishops are not addressing the issue. They are just happy that one comes to Mass.

I would suggest that you plan ahead. I can’t imagine, if you are an office worker, that your weekday clothes are that soiled they can’t be reworn. 🤷

While at weekday Mass, we are a bit looser in clothing, but always dress modestly. 🙂
 
GKCT said:
We have a group on CAF that deals with etiquette at Mass. Dress has been “addressed”. While some feel that anything goes as long as you attend Mass, others are not so generous. Me included. By Friday, I make sure that I know what I am going to wear to Mass on Sunday. I don’t have a lot of clothes to choose from as I don’t work (retired) and haven’t bought anything for a while. I have seen teenagers come in short shorts and tight t-shirts, men come in raggy jeans, women in low-cut dresses. There are times to wear certain clothes and other times not. We have become such a dress down society, no one knows what is appropriate anymore. And most of our pastors/bishops are not addressing the issue. They are just happy that one comes to Mass.

I would suggest that you plan ahead. I can’t imagine, if you are an office worker, that your weekday clothes are that soiled they can’t be reworn. 🤷

While at weekday Mass, we are a bit looser in clothing, but always dress modestly. 🙂
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I agree and disagree. While we should always dress modestly, having an offical “dress code” goes a bit too far.
 
“Come as you are…” is a saying I go by. The purpose in my eyes for going to mass is to share in the celebration of the Lord… to come together as brothers and sisters in Christ. If you can dress nicely, then by all means do so. But, I agree that setting a dress code is a little much. For example, if the dress code says khakis and a nice button down shirt, or actually anything really, our homeless brothers and sister would not be allowed to attend mass. Everyone has the right to attend mass and setting a dress code may push people away. Just my humble opinion.

Having said that, I would hope that most people would know that we need to also respect other church members, the families, and most of all, our Lord… Coming in a low cut dress with cleavage hanging out or men coming in jean shorts and flip flops may not accomplish the respect the Lord deserves.
 
GKCT said:
By Friday, I make sure that I know what I am going to wear to Mass on Sunday… I don’t work (retired)
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Many people are crazy busy with jobs, kids, family, and activities (life). I am usually trying to figure out what is clean enough for mass as I get out of the shower Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon is laundry day at our house, so odds are very good that there are far more dirty clothes than clean clothes at that time of day!

My boys usually wear jeans and a tshirt or a polo shirt. (cargo shorts in the summer).

An official formal dress code is going way too far.
 
My question would be, if you were invited to the White House to meet the President, would you go as you are? In jeans or shorts etc.? I doubt it. Why would one give more honor to a mere man than to God.

A person doesn’t have to wear an expensive outfit, however wearing clothes you would wear to a ball game or barbeque, just doesn’t seem appropriate in the House of God.

Years ago no one would dare wear what they wear today to church. Most protestants are much more careful in what they wear to church and they are not in the Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Body, Soul and Divinity.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Bernadette
 
I think a dress code should be required… which would be modest clothing. If you wear something that you would be offended if someone touch your bear skin, then don’t wear it. This includes low cut blouses, short shorts, flip-flops. You’d be amazed at the clothes worn at some of the poorest parishes, in the Bronx. They dress light years better than wealthy parishes. Modesty does not have to be expensive. Think about those around you and are you being a distraction, by your dress. In the end, you can explain to God why you wore what you wore to the Most Holy of all Sacrifices… and it’s too hot outside or I didn’t have time for laundry isn’t going to be a good excuse.
 
There should be reverence in the mass and that include the way we dress. It is not just any ordinary gathering or party. I would wonder how the mass will be if the celebrant (priest) does not have to wear his mass attire.

That being said, there are times when we need to drop in for a mass, especially in the city context. Very often we don’t have the facility to change to more proper attire thus we still have to come in what we have. But actually this is quite a flimsy excuse, pun intended.😉 In a Catholic Community that I know of, members are taught to always dress appropriately as a matter of dressing in their daily lives. Man should dress like man and woman like woman.

Christians are to be set apart by virtue of our calling to be righteous and to be different; and the way we dress can be one of the indicators of that. This is not to say we must dress expensively but rather modestly and reasonably. When that happens, probably coming to the mass in what we are would not be so much an issue.
 
francisca said:
I know some of you think that certain dresses are not appropriate for mass. Recently some local churches in city where I live begin to make official rules about dress code for attending mass.

I think that such step is very unwise, because attending mass is more important than how to dress for the mass.

Supposedly I have used up all my “polite” clothes during work days, I haven’t got any chance to do my laundry yet, should I come to mass with my “inappropriate” clothes, or should I just stay home?

This is just one example where “Traditionalist mind” could override what’s important with what’s not.
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You should stay home and you should buy more appropriate clothes or you should gut off your bum and do your laundry. Many saints talk about the importance of going to Mass dressed appropriately. You are going to be in front of GOD Himself. Your dress can distract others around you and being distracted during Mass no small offence to God neither is being the cause of the distraction. Also inappropriate dress can be many things. Clothing that is not modest is the biggest insult to God, but those who dress too fancy and those who dress with no care for what they have on also insult God.
 
Heliotropium said:
You should stay home and you should buy more appropriate clothes or you should gut off your bum and do your laundry. Many saints talk about the importance of going to Mass dressed appropriately. You are going to be in front of GOD Himself. Your dress can distract others around you and being distracted during Mass no small offence to God neither is being the cause of the distraction. Also inappropriate dress can be many things. Clothing that is not modest is the biggest insult to God, but those who dress too fancy and those who dress with no care for what they have on also insult God.
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👍
 
Blessed Veronica of Binasco relates a similar experience: “Once,” she writes, “when, prompted by curiosity, I happened during the time of Mass to look at one of the Sisters who was kneeling near the altar, the Angel of God who is constantly beside me rebuked me with such severity that I almost fainted with terror. How threateningly he looked at me as he said, ‘Why dost thou not keep watch over thy heart? Why dost thou gaze thus curiously at thy sister? Thou hast committed no slight offense against God.’ Thus spoke the Angel, and by Christ’s command he enjoined on me a heavy penance for my fault, which for three days I bewailed with tears. Now, when I hear Mass, I never venture so much as to turn my head, for fear of incurring the displeasure of the Divine Majesty.” Now that was just for a glance! Think of the offence you give when you dress inappropriately

Lost Wanderer here is what a saint has to say about how important our dress is at Mass.

Saint Leonard of Port Maurice

***The Blessed Ivetta, herself a noble Flemish lady, had once a wonderful vision in church. Such a one as I have mentioned was not far distant from her during holy Mass, magnificently dressed, and the Saint was enlightened to see the disposition of her heart, and the vain, worldly, and even impure thoughts which came and went freely through her mind without any check. And all the while she perceived that there were evil spirits close to this self-complacent woman of fashion, who would at times seem to touch her lace or her ribbons as objects of which they had a care. The lady approached the altar-rails for holy Communion; the priest descended the steps, the adorable Sacrament in his hand, when, lo, the Saviour separated Himself from the sacred particle, and ascending heavenward, disappeared, refusing to enter the mouth of one so wretched as to carry her vanity into His very presence and there complacently to dwell on thoughts of sin. The Saint was made clearly to understand that the evil spirits who were near her found in her luxury and vanity of dress something congenial to their minds and easy instruments for her ruin, and that the Saviour refused to be given to her because of her sinful dispositions. Quoniam in malevolam animam non introibit sapientia, nec habitabit in corpore subdito peccatis, “For wisdom will not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins” (Wis. i. 4). ***

catholictradition.org/Eucharist/hidden-treasure3c.htm
 
If the Pope were to come to your parish to celebrate Mass for you, you would dress-up.

That is odd, considering that it is God Himself Who is celebrating the Holy Mass, via the person of His priest, and does become really, and truly, Present before us - and yet no one feels compelled to pay Him even the same respect we would happily give to His Vicar ? This, even though none of those same persons would ever dare to enter even a human courtroom poorly dressed, lest (they fear) that the presiding judge imagine he is doing so in contempt. Yet we happily dress poorly (though most have no excuse) when we are brought before the Heavenly Court of Christ the King in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass ?

Pax Christi,
Tim
 
Casual dress = casual setting
Last time I checked the mass is not a casual setting. The argument I always hear why we should “come as you are” is in defense for the poor. Funny that most people I’ve seen on the street are not revealing cleavage, or butt cracks. Their clothes may be dirty even some torn, but most of them leave something to the imagination. If you can afford decent clothes then you have no excuse, leave the poor be and if they show up to mass with the only clothes they have then they have fulfilled dressing their best, what’s your excuse? I can see coming to mass in casual clothes because you did not have time to go home and change, but other than that? So many people wear graphic t-shirts, short-shorts, or other clothes that leave little to the imagination. Why? Who’s attention are you trying to grab? Are you trying to grab the attention of the opposite sex? Go to a club/bar if that’s what you want to do. Yes you come to mass to be together with brothers and sisters, but the main purpose is that you come to give thanks and worship to God, the one who happens to be King of Kings.
 
What I find to be poor etiquette is when people don’t seem to have the decency to take off their coats and leave them on during the entirety of Mass, or before service even ends they start rushing to put their coats on. Seriously, since when were coats considered an actual item of clothing? I thought they were “outerwear”?

There are times when I want to tell ladies who wear skirts and dresses coming 2 or more inches above their knees to don stockings or tights, and not walk around bare legged, especially in winter! That looks so odd. Even if their skirt of dress was somewhat “casual,” the very fact that they are wearing tights/stockings would make them look way more dressed up.

I have also come to the conclusion that wearing basic jeans to church isn’t appropriate either. Just a personal preference that I’ve thought and reflected about over time.
 
At no point did I say that you should wear graphic shirts or what you would wear at a bar or club. My family and I dress nicely for mass because we feel we need to show respect to our Lord. Our children dress with respect as well. My only point is that a dress code could push people away. My comment about a poor person was meant to say that not everyone can afford nice clothes. I don’t believe you should come dressed to disrespect the Lord or anyone else. Come as you are means just as it sounds… If you are poor, come in the dirty or tattered clothes if that’s all you have. If you can afford nicer clothes, come dressed nicely. I highly doubt that the Lord would turn anyone away that wants to take part in the mass if their heart is truly there…
 
There is no excuse for not dressing modestly, but when it comes to "nice"clothes, some people just do not have them. Some of the most devout people I’ve ever seen were old men in worn windbreakers and old women in faded sweaters.
 
Once again, this is just another thing that needs to be addressed properly in catechism. If more people knew about and understood the sacramental nature of the Mass, more people would dress properly to it.
 
Modesty does not mean expensive clothes. It simply means that the way you are dress is a hunble way, you are not dressed to catch the attention of others.
 
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