What do you wear to church?

[Belle Du Jour]

I usually dress up for church so that's usually a dress or skirt. I grew up going to a church where women didn't wear pants to church so I still feel funny about it.

 

[Belle Du Jour]

I do dress up when at the Copts or Tridentine...the latter absolutely forbids pants for women, shorter skirts, uncovered shoulders, low necklines...and a mantilla for the head is necessary.

I've seen women at Tridentine Mass in pants and (gasp) without a head covering. But they were few and far between. I love my mantilla (but I only wear it for Tridentine Mass or when I'm in the presence of the exposed Blessed Sacrament.

 

[CoilyFields]

Growing up I had "church clothes" most likely because as a child I had nowhere else to wear nicer clothes (wore uniforms to school). Now my work clothes and church clothes double...though I do have clothes that I only wear to church cuz my job only requires business casual (and my division is super casual).

To Belledujour DreamLife and others who mentioned not really wearing pants often...what was/is the reason pants were/are discouraged/forbidden at your church? Do you agree with the reasoning? If it is just your personal preference, may I ask why? And does it translate to your whole wardrobe or just when you go to church?

At my church growing up it was forbidden (they have since changed it). At my last church women couldnt wear pants in the choirstand unless it was on a day we wore choir robes. At my present church its whatever. At my last church the reasoning (from mainly the older members) was that it just seemed inappropriate and "a woman is at her best in a dress". And me being the rebel that I am I argued with them at EVERY choir business meeting each year to get it rescinded lol (pantyhose too lol).

 

[Belle Du Jour]

Growing up I had "church clothes" most likely because as a child I had nowhere else to wear nicer clothes (wore uniforms to school). Now my work clothes and church clothes double...though I do have clothes that I only wear to church cuz my job only requires business casual (and my division is super casual).

To Belledujour DreamLife and others who mentioned not really wearing pants often...what was/is the reason pants were/are discouraged/forbidden at your church? Do you agree with the reasoning? If it is just your personal preference, may I ask why? And does it translate to your whole wardrobe or just when you go to church?

At my church growing up it was forbidden (they have since changed it). At my last church women couldnt wear pants in the choirstand unless it was on a day we wore choir robes. At my present church its whatever. At my last church the reasoning (from mainly the older members) was that it just seemed inappropriate and "a woman is at her best in a dress". And me being the rebel that I am I argued with them at EVERY choir business meeting each year to get it rescinded lol (pantyhose too lol).

Some people refer to the Bible verse about a woman not wearing a man's garments and have decided that it is a sin to wear pants (there's that fallacy of sola scriptura at work). Since pants weren't even invented at that point, that verse couldn't possibly be talking about pants. However, I was raised with that mentality that women wear dresses and skirts to church so that's generally what I do. I actually don't wear pants that much and I wouldn't ever wear jeans to church so that leaves dresses and skirts.

My professional clothes also do double duty as well. In general, I dress on the modest/feminine side so I don't really have a set of clothes for the club, clothes for the office, clothes for church, etc. It all works.

 

[DreamLife]

The dress code for my home church USED to be women no pants, and also the church my mother grew up in was no pants (which I attended in the summers). Never even knew what the reasoning was, I guess just that it was "inappropriate" I guess. I personally just took it as being my mother's rule because she was more strict on it even when I started seeing more women wear pants at church. Now women wear pants at both churches. I've worn pants, but I'm just going back to dresses and suits for church just because of personal preference (excuse to go shopping and buy dresses lol). At work I wear dress pants and occasionally dresses or skirts and in school I wore jeans and t-shirts all the time.

 

[Laela]

Glad I'm not the only one.. lol.. Growing up.. we had 'church clothes' too, because for us, church was the place to wear our best and the clothes were too nice to wear anywhere else..
Today, I'm just as reserved and dress modestly as well; I tend to wear dresses to day services... come to think of it, I don't wear some of those dresses anywhere else but church.. lol. Occasionally I wear career-type suits (slacks or skirts) but wear those out and other places as well. Once in a while I wear jeans and dress them up.

 

[jhcprincess]

I don't have a set of church clothes; everything that I wear to work can double as church attire. For those whose churches have a dress code, is it written down somewhere or is it "understood?" Ours is understood lol.

 

[LiftedUp]

Nice dresses that I pair with a cardigan if they're sleeveless.

I don't wear pants to church though. Not as though there is a rule or anything. Also I don't wear hats and people rarely wear hats unless it's a funeral and maybe Easter/Christmas.

I also have a specific set of church clothes that I wear no where else unless I'm in a jam and I can use something as a double for another occasion.

 

[Sweet C]

My church is pretty casual, so on weekdays, whatever I wore to wore unless its a special event. So on fridays that usually jeans and a tee, but during the week and sundays usually dress slacks, knee highs, heels, and a dressy shirt. If shirt is sleeveless, pair with cardigan.