TLM Dress Code?

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bookish

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This is primarily a question about what are appropriate women’s clothes for the TLM, but guys can respond if they have any insight also. 🙂

I’ve heard it’s a bit stricter dress code for attending Latin Masses–some websites seem to say that you should wear long skirts, others say knee length, some say it’s okay to wear pants. So I’m a little confused. I want to wear what’s appropriate and what will allow me to blend in and not stick out. (At my NO parish, I wear dress pants and sweaters most of the time.)

So here’s my Q: What sorts of clothes do you wear? Is it just not done to wear pants? If you wear skirts, how long are they? What sorts of tops do you wear (is there a sleeve length rule you adhere to)? And finally, is there anything else I should know before shopping for church-appropriate clothes?

(If this would be more suited to a different part of the forums, I’m sorry. But I thought this would be the best place to get answers from gals who attend Latin Mass.)

Oh, PS: I bought a mantilla, so veiling shouldn’t be a problem. But I am very concerned with the rest of my outfit! Don’t want to offend anyone. 😃

PPS: If anyone has pictures of what they or other women wear, that would be very helpful too.
 
I agree to some extent that we should dress Mary like for Mass (OF or EF!) but I would like to add that dress length should be more what it is not than what it is - as in no mini-skirts, no spaghetti straps (unless you have a sweater to wear over it), to the best of your abilities no low cut, v-necks (this of course is dictated way to much by fashion and what we can buy!)

You can also wear dress pants. I love the new wide leg ones (back in fashion, yeah!) with nice shirts on top. I would only wear dress pants to the EF if that is all I had clean though as I feel the EF people tend to dress up more than that even.

Denim at the OF is okay in pretty much any form including jeans as long as they are clean and dressy (yes, you can get dressy jeans, just ask those of us who live in the Southwest!) I wouldn’t wear anything denim to the EF, again because of the way EF people tend to dress - I wouldn’t dress frumpy though which is unfortunately all I have ever seen of the women I know who prefer the EF. Please Note folks this is the people I know, not those here on CAF 'cuz I don’t see you, I only know you virtually if you will!

For shoes, go with dressier shoes, like no tennies. Sandals are okay in the summers if they are a bit dressier but on this one I have a tendencies to let it slide a bit more because my feet need more support than most sandals or dress shoes will give them. There is this brand called Merrill that are wonderful for me and are dressy enough for Mass yet casual enough for every day wear.

Sorry I have no pictures for you so I hope my words drew a good enough picture.

Brenda V.
 
Thanks for asking this question, bookish. It’s been on my mind (and I attend TLM regularly). I was almost afraid to start a dress code thread - despite my curiosity - since I’ve seen some posters get exasperated on that topic. But inquiring women’s minds - need to know ! 😃

To be honest, I’m perplexed. Previously, women only dressed Marylike (and no pants) where I attend TLM, but in recent years I’ve noticed women in pants. I like wearing pants but had wavered back and forth myself (outside of church) in recent years. I don’t wear them to Mass but will otherwise - even for visits to church.

Now, my question is - am I required to confess this as not dressing Marylike? The rules say pants (loose fitting) are permitted for sports, etc. I’d really like to hear Traditional priests comment either here - or in the pulpit about this. We do need clarification, and while being human, we want things our way, I’m sure women would rather know what is required. It’s not just a matter of how clean or tidy or how dressy the pants are - it’s a matter of can we wear them without feeling it’s sinful or irreverent. I’d like my mind at rest. :confused:
 
bookish said:
So here’s my Q: What sorts of clothes do you wear? Is it just not done to wear pants? If you wear skirts, how long are they? What sorts of tops do you wear (is there a sleeve length rule you adhere to)? And finally, is there anything else I should know before shopping for church-appropriate clothes?
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Before I started going to the TLM I visited with the priest and asked about if it would be ok for me ( a woman) to wear pants. If it were not acceptable I would have just kept going to my NO. He said it was fine to do so and I have been attending for close to a year and have noticed over time that many women of my age (late 50s and early 60s) wear nice respectable pants…so unless your particular TLM states otherwise…you would be fine to do so.

Most women I have noticed wear longer dresses. As for sleeves…I think maybe anything but sleeveless. I have noticed short sleeves (to elbows) and long sleeved.

Most women wear headcoverings (mantillas or scarves) and yet, some do not.

At my TLM, they have the dress code on the bulletin, so maybe you could pick one up some day before you go and see what they require.

We have had the conversation about the topic of no pants vs pants and I hope this will not degenerate into that thread. Suffice it to say, that wearing pants…if not specifically forbidden by the TLM where you are attending are fine and maybe we could leave the personal likes or dislikes regarding that out of this particular thread.
 
There’s no real “code” besides a general one of modesty (but that is true for all Masses and Divine Liturgies everywhere).

However, when going to a particular church it is always good to follow the prevailing custom there (provided it is a lawful custom of course)–so I would see what people wear at the particular church you are going to and make a determination based on that.
 
I’ve attended the TLM at a number of churches. There is no standard dress code for the TLM. In general, however, they tend to be more conservative and the parishoners tend to “dress up” more than you find at most Ordinary Form masses.

Modesty involves not drawing undue attention to ourselves, and as St. Thomas Aquinas explains, this differs according to custom. So I would advise you to observe how others dress at the TLM you attend, and use this as a guideline.
 
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