Why don't people dress for Mass?

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Convert question here - at our Church and others, I’ve noticed people dress rather casually for Mass. I’ve seen shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, (even bikini tops under a tube top), flip flops, sandals, short skirts, sneakers, jeans.

Why don’t people dress for Mass? I was raised that when you went into the House of God, you dressed appropriately. Since I became Catholic, I’ve dressed even more conservatively (I no longer wear dress slacks to Church). Obviously the Vatican still feels this way since I recall a dress code when we were in Vatican City a few years ago. Is this only a problem in the US?

I’d be interested to hear people’s rationale on dressing casually for Church.
 
There is no excuse for the way some people dress. Its a lack of respect.

There are only a few things I deem acceptable to wear to Mass
Modest and semi-formal outfits or dresses for women, of course.
Semi formal (though formal is OK, as well) clothing for men. (Polos, slacks etc)

Of course there are exceptions to this.
If an individual comes to Mass from work, (obviously not suit and tie jobs) and could not find time to change, then its OK.
Also, There are some outfits nowadays that are ‘cool’ and still respectful.
My friends will wear button-ups with jeans for Mass, and I think its just fine. Sometimes they go overboard (Jerseys, :rolleyes: ) but their jeans are neat, and not torn. So its seems fine to me.
 
Please note that pants for women, jeans for either gender, and sandals fall within St. Peter’s Basilica dress code.

Otherwise, yeah, it really bothers me to see people dressed immodestly for Mass. I can understand not showing up in fancy clothes, especially for a weekday Mass, but is it really so much trouble to put on something that is decent?
 
I think many people simply do not know any better, and they do not mean to be irreverent. I personally prefer to rejoice that they are at mass, and hope that, in time, as theye evolve spiritually, it will occur to them, by the example of loving Christians around them, that it would be a good idea to dress for mass.

imo
 
Jesus wore sandals…🙂

I like to be comfortable and I’m comfortable in Jeans and a sweatshirt.
 
This has been beat to death here at CAF. Do a search on the words “dress Mass appropriate” and see what you get. Be prepared to read a long time.

As long as it is clean and modest, I have no problem with people wearing what they wear. I (female) wear Dockers and a nice shirt, dress shoes, earrings, and my Late, Great Aunt’s necklace.

In my neck of the woods, the Protestants no longer wear suits and ties, with dresses for the women. I’m not just talking about the folks who go to Warehouse Church or Willowbrook models, but even those mayvens of Sunday fashion, the Southern Baptists, go business casual. Even the midwest LDS are not dressing for Sacrament meeting if I go by my neighbors.

And yes, women’s trousers are allowed in the Vatican.

What bugs me: Skimpy tops on either gender, too tight skirts or pants, “Hollister” across the backside of pants. Otherwise, I’m there for the Jesus, not to critique the rest of the congregation.
 
Goody gumdrops, this topic again :rolleyes:

At St. Peters in the Vatican, the rules are - no shorts, no bare shoulders.

There is no commandment or Canon law that says women cannot wear slacks. Some of us never wear skirts. I wear slacks to weddings, to funerals, to big meetings and to job interviews.

Society no longer dresses up period. If you see someone in a business suit during the week, they are either an undertaker or going for a big meeting or a job interview. Going out to Applebees is considered a nice dinner. I remember when people dressed up to fly. Now, if you get on an airplane, the only folks dressed up are a few sales people and those going for a job interview.
 
I think that people don’t have proper appreciation for the Mass and have bought into the mantra, “God doesn’t care what I look like as long as I’m there.” It’s one of those nice little lies that helps to justify laziness and immodesty. God DOES care–he cares little or a lot in everything we do and whatever decisions we make that has any moral ramifications no matter how small.

Immodesty is way worse than coming to Mass in extremely casual clothes. If a woman comes to Mass in nothing but her underwear I THINK God is going to have a problem with that. I overheard a young lady in college saying that she had told that mantra to her grandmother when she had objected to her wearing slutty clothing to Mass. How ignorant. Trying to tempt others into thoughts of lust during Mass and in while in line for Communion is sinful and can EASILY be avoided. The FACT is that many ladies don’t care about anything other than looking “hot” or “sexy” wherever they go because they want the attention and to be regarded as having a “good” body.
 
OutinChgoburbs said:
What bugs me: Skimpy tops on either gender, too tight skirts or pants, “Hollister” across the backside of pants. Otherwise, I’m there for the Jesus, not to critique the rest of the congregation.
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No kidding. If I never again see another pair of those pants with writing on the bum, it will be too soon.
 
I always dress for Mass! Heaven forbid if I walk into church undressed! :eek: 😃 just kidding, I know what you mean 🙂

I always wear something nice to church.
 
All of you remember what Jesus said regarding appearences? Before I tell you let me say this I’m only speaking generally and not to anyone in particular. So please don’t attack me. Now on to what he said. " Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing" Matthew 23:27-28
Jesus did not exclude anybody. He was more concerned with people’s heart and not the outside. How do you know that just because somebody doesn’t dress the way you think someone shall dress is not a reverent people? How can you make a judgment like that? Earlier someone said people were showing up to church in sandals(Some religious orders wear sandals, earlier Christians wore them too.), shorts, and some other clothing that sounded like what tourists wear Were they tourists? Some pastors and parishes of primarily tourist spots may not personally like it. However, they are a little more understanding,
compassionate, welcoming and not so judgemental.

Again before some of you might want to personally attack me. Let me say our parish has a dress code and (conduct code). Ours is a little more relaxed. But still a dress code: No miniskirts,
no t-shirts with bad images, no shorts, no bare stomachs, no plundging neck lines, no wearing of baseball caps in church, anything that is blatantly immodest dress. Jeans are okay, pants for women are okay. When Father sees something that he doesn’t think is appropriate. He’ll pastorally and tactfully mention to the congregation, without putting anybody on the spot. If some teens in our Life Teen Mass dress in a way that doesn’t fit the dress code. If Father sees it he’ll usually the tell Youth Minister and/or the team after Mass. Then we remind them at our after Mass Life Night meeting that Father saw something out of the ordinary that he didn’t approve of. Sometimes even the older teen on the Core Team will spot something before anybody says anything. And will tell them.

As for me, I used to wear slacks and a shirt to Mass. But when Life Teen started in our parish I started going for jeans, sometimes a LT t-shirt, and some other times a polo shirt. Because after Mass during our Life Nights icebreakers or social night, sports night(no teaching, just fun). People can get wet,dirty,and/or sweatty, so why ruin some really nice clothes. Besides the leaders are told by the Youth Minister to participate. To help our shy teens break out, we are servants to them, etc.
Oh, by the way on special days of the church, I still dress up a little bit more.

A couple more questions.
Didn’t Jesus accept people for who they were? Not on externals
Which is better to have people show up for church wearing something that is questionable? (They can be told about the dress code later.) Or people not showing up at Mass with the excuse they don’t have anything to wear for church.
 
I’m a jeans/t-shirt guy and that’s what I wear to mass. In the winter, when it’s cold, I’ll modify it by wearing a jacket/coat and in the summer, I may wear shorts. None of the churches I go to have air conditioning and I get far too hot.
 
I live at the beach and now it seems like I am the one overdressed.

I just got back from Ireland where I thought that they would be more conservative in their dress at Mass and they were wearing dungarees and tshirts there too.

I once went to mass in a jogging suit. I was running around and running late - the choice was to miss Mass or go underdressed. I chose the latter. I sat in the back, though 🙂

It used to bother me, but then I said to myself “who am I to judge - they’re HERE aren’t they?”
 
I don’t think people should dress immodestly, so on that, I agree there should be some sense of respect for where a person is…CHURCH. I don’t agree with dressing immodestly to begin with, but that’s another topic.

Now, my kids sometimes wear shorts, but ‘dress’ shorts, with a nice polo top (my son) and my dd will wear a pretty top. I usually dress how I dress for work, my hubby typically wears a polo shirt, and dockers, or a shirt and tie if he is feeling particularly in the mood. I don’t pay a whole lot of attention to what people are wearing, but I think that my main concern is more that people dress modestly, and with respect–than if they are wearing jeans or not. We attend the teen mass and it is definitely not as dressy as Sunday mornings, for some reason. 🤷 Anyone notice that, who has attended teen masses?
 
Maybe I am judgmental, but it seems disrespectful to me. Yes, I’m glad people are there, but I think that the way we dress is a sign of respect (or disrespect). You either are making the effort or you are not.

Growing up, money was so tight with the four of us kids, but still my mom found a way to make sure we each had at least one outfit for church - dresses or skirts for the girls, and a jacket and tie for my brother. Now I’m fine with our boys (and DH) wearing a polo or collared shirt and khakis - no jacket & tie required. And I’m fine with women wearing slacks (not jeans). I just said that I’m (me, just me) not comfortable wearing pants to Mass. It doesn’t feel right to me.

Dressing for the occasion puts me in the right spot of mind. If I’m having a dinner with my husband, I feel more beautiful in a pretty dress. If I’m teaching a university class or meeting a client, I wear business casual because it helps me feel more professional. And if I’m going to Mass, I dress respectfully because I feel it’s part of worshipping the Lord.
 
God sees us in the nude, people, which I’m sure gives Him a good laugh. I am not a different person, neither is God a different God, for the fact of my putting on some dressy threads.

There are a few reasons why we dress, and why we choose certain types of clothing:

a) a concession to the weather (ie it’s too cold to sleep or strut around the house in the nude - I live alone by the way)

b) a concession to human respect and opinion which has nothing to do with God.
Either self-image or the respect of others. Fear that the neighbours/boss/President or Pope/my grandma/the people on the bus would be offended if I went naked/wore a bikini/wore a low cut top and miniskirt, or else I would feel uncomfortable going naked/wearing certain clothing in given situations, including church.

c) vanity or pride. I want to look good or show off in front of others.

I’ll freely admit that, a couple of things aside (fear of causing scandal and respect for my body as a Temple of the Holy Spirit) which dictate modesty and cleanliness but not skirts, suits or heels, I REALLY don’t think the Almighty cares what I wear, and most of our clothing choice is motivated by one of the above three reasons rather than anything else.

I like the poster who said you need to ‘make an effort’ for God. God Himself, in the person of Jesus, taught us to call Him ‘Abba’, a word akin to ‘Daddy’, not even a particuarly formal or respectful way of saying ‘Father’.

Now I don’t know about how you all have been raised, but I have a human father, I know that he loves me and I love him regardless of clothing, and if he turns up in sweats to my wedding I will still be as pleased and proud as punch just that he is there as if he was in a tuxedo, and I believe he reciprocates those feelings about me.
 
The way we dress often has an impact on how we behave. If I’m wearing jeans and a t shirt, I behave much more casually than if I’m wearing dress clothes & heels. I have started wearing a hat to church now because I love hats & it’s my chance to wear one. I’m on a crusade to bring back hats!😃

Peace,
Linda
 
stelline said:
I think that people don’t have proper appreciation for the Mass and have bought into the mantra, “God doesn’t care what I look like as long as I’m there.” It’s one of those nice little lies that helps to justify laziness and immodesty. God DOES care–he cares little or a lot in everything we do and whatever decisions we make that has any moral ramifications no matter how small.

Immodesty is way worse than coming to Mass in extremely casual clothes. If a woman comes to Mass in nothing but her underwear I THINK God is going to have a problem with that. I overheard a young lady in college saying that she had told that mantra to her grandmother when she had objected to her wearing slutty clothing to Mass. How ignorant. Trying to tempt others into thoughts of lust during Mass and in while in line for Communion is sinful and can EASILY be avoided. The FACT is that many ladies don’t care about anything other than looking “hot” or “sexy” wherever they go because they want the attention and to be regarded as having a “good” body.
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I totally agree with this as a 43 year old father of a 17 year old daughter. My wife and I raised her in the faith and try as we might when she hit 12 she started pushing the limit with slutty dress for Mass. It was such a hard time as we had many loud discussions just before leaving for Mass! We were torn between keeping the peace for Mass and letting her go as-is, or insisting 100% that she dress non-slutty. It was such a terrible time!! Now she is somewhat respectful but still dresses in form-fitting tees, jeans and flip-flops. I hate it. Wife and I dress nicely, casually, but no jeans, sneakers or “go-to-the-mall” clothes.

But I do agree there are way more many people that show up in lazy wear (shorts, tees, flip-flops). Our area is tropical so there are lots of ladies in loose, revealing clothing too. It’s heartbreaking. I pray for them all at every Mass.

Sinnergy
 
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