What is proper clothing for any Mass?

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Sailor_Kenshin said:
We’re having a big fight on this very topic in another forum.

I think we have gone way too far into ‘casual.’ I’d like to at least see that mothers don’t dress their 13-year-old daughters like Vegas streetwalkers, except half the time Mom’s dressed the same way.

Oh, and ratty old Metallica t-shirts and flip-flops on the men… :mad:

If the priests can dress in full regalia, the very least we can do is wear something that doesn’t look like we just finished cleaning out the garage.
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We hear the at least they came all the time. Well what about teaching them respect for the reason they are here. Parents tend to say I can’t do anything about (insert name) clothing. But, who purchases them and washes them, I can bet it is not the child.

I don’t request suits and ties for the boys. 🤷 But, no t-shirts with holes or obscene sayings would be nice.

I don’t expect a burka for the girls. 🤷 But, no hiphuggers with tank tops might be nice. Or pants that do not look like they were painted on. Or skirts that don’t even cover the undergarments or in some cases thongs. :mad: Or maybe a saying that said Catholic and proud of it instead of (insert obscene word) in Training. If this makes me a prude then so be it.

We sit in the second pew so that we, our sons and husbands are not forced to sit behind the women that come into mass in clothing that is less then what I have seen on streetwalkers. And just as tight. (I worked about two blocks from Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh and that was the RED LIGHT district)
 
Just my two :twocents:

I suppose I would compare my typical church clothing to business casual.

However, there have been times when I’ve worn a pair of jeans and sneakers. I’ve only done that when I haven’t been feeling well which made it difficult to get out of bed. I can count on my hand the times I’ve done that though. It is not the norm.
 
Excuse my incredulity, but is it really that frequent that people come to Mass dressed so poorly that it bothers anyone? I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone who looked like a hooker at Mass, although I did see a real life crackhead at Mass once and I know I’ve never seen a mini skirt or midriff at Mass. I rarely see those in daily life either.
 
I wear a suit to work most days, and I cannot bring myself to appear before the King of Kings in something more casual than what I work in. It wouldn’t be wrong; just a matter of respect.
 
I wore my leather motorcycle suit to Mass more than once. Of course, it was when I was traveling on the bike. Talk about odd looks.

Generally speaking, I try to be respectful, but try not to judge others by their clothing. I’ve seen homeless folks at Mass in rags. At my parent’s old parish I witnessed a man in a business suit call the cops on some poor guy who was dressed shabbily (and doing nothing) on Christmas Eve. I kick myself for not saying anything, but I was like 22 or something along those lines.
 
I post on the same message board as Sailor Kenshin. Sailor is a recent convert to Catholicism, BTW, as well as an enthusiastic and prayerful person.
The discussion on that other board has wound down now, but it got pretty heated. Here are some items I posted there on the subject:

From the Catechism
1387 … Bodily demeanor (gestures, clothing) ought to convey the respect, solemnity, and joy of this moment when Christ becomes our guest.

2522 Modesty protects the mystery of persons and their love. …Modesty is decency. It inspires one’s choice of clothing.

2523 …Modesty inspires a way of life which makes it possible to resist the allurements of fashion and the pressures of prevailing ideologies.
The Christian priority should not be the external decoration of the body with costly clothes, but the internal beautification of the soul with the love of Christ. The focus, of course, should be Christ…
ucg-sps.org/sm98-3.htm
So how does God want today’s teen girls to dress? Through the apostle Paul He said, “I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety” (1 Timothy 2:9). That means He wants you to be careful with your appearance.
briomag.com/briomagazine/healthandbeauty/a0005126.html
Do I think anyone should ever be turned away because he might come dressed like the cowboy? No, absolutely not. I think we should go back to an earlier standard. Wear your best. A farmer might wear his newest, freshly washed overalls. A businessman would wear his suit. A woman would wear her nicest dress. The cowboy would come and our deacons would get him some clothes. The minister would dress as one who knows himself to have a special calling to lead people into the presence of the majestic and holy God whom we must worship, as the writer of Hebrews tells us, “with reverence and awe” and to be the mouthpiece of God. This seems obvious to me, though I know it never occurs to some.
banneroftruth.org/pages/articles/article_detail.php?575
I think there are a few arguments that need to be addressed. Some would say, “It’s church. You should be glad that people are at least coming.” I say, “Yes—it is church. And I’m glad that every one who shows up, does. However, if you know you’re going to church, why not dress up just a little bit?”

Some might say, “But what if they’re poor. Maybe that’s all they have to wear.” I would say, “Well fine—if that’s truly all you have to wear, who am I to say? But, if church is a regular part of your day or week, then when you purchase new clothes, why not budget for a church outfit or two?” It’s easy enough to find a pair of cordury or khaki pants that can be worn for church as well as every day.
spanitz.com/artman/publish/printer_70.shtml
This one’s interesting - What To Wear To Court In Missouri
lawyers.ca/international/whattowear.asp?state=Missouri&province=MO
 
Here’s a little more.
The Bible is filled with examples of how God’s people dressed up to reverence God’s sanctuary—to reverence His presence. They made a big deal out of this one important facet because, spiritually, the outward and the inward should agree and reflect our relationship with our God.

Matthew 22:11-12 shows the calling to the wedding supper. Yet a man came in without a wedding garment, and he was cast out. Why? Because he was not prepared to meet Christ. Revelation 19:7-8 and Isaiah 61:10 show that fine and clean clothing has always been a part of God’s thinking, as representative of righteousness.

In Exodus 19:4-6 Israel was called “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” In 1 Peter 2:9 we are called the same. Exodus 19:10-11 and 14 shows that they were to come with clean clothing, prepared to meet God. Again clothing, cleanliness, etc., were all a part of meeting God and reverencing His sanctuary and presence.
PROPER DRESS FOR CHURCH----Not to hurt anyone’s feelings BUT; Dress is not about the clothing (unless the clothing is an issue of modesty). How we dress for Mass, for example, is a reflection of our respect for God. We are coming to “dinner” with the God of the Universe, but we come wearing clothes that look like we are about to mow the lawn. We would not dare do such a thing if we were invited to dinner at the White House with the President, or to Buckingham Palace to dine with the Queen, or to the Vatican to sup with the Pope. Are the President, the Queen, or even the Pope more worthy of respect than God? We even take care to dress up for a wedding. Is a wedding more of an occasion for respectful dressing up than meeting the God of the Universe? It would seem so as reflected in the way we dress for Mass. Please come to Church dressed appropriately, turn off your cell phone or pager, and remain in the Church until the end of the Mass.
websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/apologia/vpost?id=2097242
A very good article, written by a Catholic.
catholic.com/thisrock/2004/0404fea3.asp
First, let us start at how we prepare for Mass. People should dress appropriately. In our society, we still consider coat and tie for men and dresses or suits for women appropriate attire for weddings, for special parties (even Christmas parties) and certainly for meeting dignitaries, like the pope or the president. We should then dress in the same way to meet our Lord, present in the holy Eucharist. Granted, perhaps in the summer we could be a little more casual, but we can still be neat, clean, and properly clothed. Frankly, shorts should be worn only by very young children; T-shirts should be kept for picnics; spandex pants and tights should be reserved for exercise; and halter tops should be burned. In deciding what to wear, we should be thinking, "I am dressing to meet my Lord and to participate in the mystery of my salvation.
catholicherald.com/saunders/99ws/ws991021.htm
These are very good articles also, written by Protestants.
vincentcheung.com/2005/05/17/dress-code-at-the-church/

fellowshipbaptistyouth.org/service/dress.htm

fbcschool.org/dresscode.html

associatedcontent.com/article/51787/church_etiquette_and_dress_code.html
 
I think some that have posted on this thread are like the Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14, where the story of the Pharisee and tax collector is told.

Pope Benedict XVI said it best in his book, ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ in chapter 3, page 61. I’ll paraphrase.

*Both the Pharisee and tax collector pray in the Temple in their own different ways. The Pharisee boasts about several virtues (could be compared to some who boast about their great wardrobe they wear to Mass here), and the Pharisee thinks he is praising God, but he is actually only praising himself.

But the tax collector knows he is a sinner, knows he can’t boast about himself, and he prays full aware of his debt to grace. Pope Benedict goes on and says that this does not mean that the Pharisee represents what God wants, but rather He prefers the worship of the tax collector.*

My point is I think God prefers people that are at Mass in jeans who are there for the proper reasons, and not gazing and judging others for what they are wearing. Give me a holy, reverent man in jeans or shorts over a well dressed man or woman who have their nose in the air, never go to confession, etc, and are there gawking at others and their inferior attire. Please…
 
A lot of parishes have masses right before or right after normal work hours. What about those of us who work in a casual or even a dirty environment. If we’re supposed to look our best for church the schedule makes it hard for anyone who doesnt work in formal business dress to attend daily mass.
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Daily Mass is one thing. I think it’s great the people go to Liturgy before they go to work or before they go home at the end of the day.

I’m thinking more along the lines of Sunday Liturgies.

Remember the old expression, “Dress in your Sunday best”?
 
Oh, one last thing. Please God tell me there are no neck ties in heaven. Instrument of the devil if anything ever was. (so is the business suit, IMHO)
 
If you want to know how to dress for mass, stand in front of a protestant church.
Deacon Ed B
 
These days with the rise of the casual Calvary Chapel I would say look at the Mormons. 🙂
 
Deacon_Ed_B said:
If you want to know how to dress for mass, stand in front of a protestant church.
Deacon Ed B
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I don’t know why this “Look at the Protestant churches” comment is made. I have gone to service with my Baptist raised husband and he wears jeans, as do his friends. His parents and grandparents are dressed casually, as are their friends. The only person I see in a suit are the pastor and the hospitality couple (and that’s only sometimes). Even parents brining their kids up for dedication were casual!
 
Oh, I don’t know. How about mukluks and parkas north of the Arctic circle or south of the Antarctic circle, shorts, tees and sandals between the tropic of cancer and the tropic of capricorn and a sliding scale of coverings between the two. What’s the problem with clothing anyway? I’m wearing my best heart when I worship and I don’t think God is much interested in my clothes.

Matthew
 
God does not care what you wear to church. What matters is what good you have done to serve him and your fellow man/woman. Remember, the devil can take the most pleasing of shapes but is he any less evil. A couple of weeks ago during morning mass. A homeless man came in, slept a little bit in the pews, and listened to the end. At first i was disturbed by his presence but had to correct myself because I had to ask myself how Jesus would have handled the situation. I think he would have been happy that he came inside.
 
God certainly does care what one wears to Mass or anywhere for that matter. One is not to dress so as to lead another to have impure thoughts and be distracted. I’m not saying one can’t dress in jeans and a t-shirt but they should not be so tight as to show every curve of the body, nor should someone dress in a short skirt and belly shirt.
 
Ask yourself how you would dress if you were invited to have dinner with the pope. He is only the vicar of Christ on Earth. Christ is the Lord of Lord and Kings of Kings,God forever and Prince of Peace. Should you not at least dress as well for your banquet with him as you would for the pope.
deacon Ed B
 
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