How do you like to dress for church?

How do you like to dress for church?

  • I dress formally or "business casual." I believe we should look our best for the Lord.

  • I wear very casual clothes, but I make sure they are clean and in good repair.

  • I don't care what I wear to church, even if it has stains or rips.

  • Other. I'll explain in the thread.


Results are only viewable after voting.

LovebirdsFlying

My husband drew this cartoon of me.
Christian Forums Staff
Red Team - Moderator
Supporter
Aug 13, 2007
28,726
4,216
59
Washington (the state)
✟832,583.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Was watching Dr. Oz tonight, and there was a doctor on the program who looked just like the cartoon your husband drew of you. Made me smile. She didn't speak with an English accent, however, which is how I imagine you speaking, even though you are from WA.

Back to clothing for worship....


Southern US, actually.:D

Clothing for worship....

I do have a question, for the gentleman who equated "looking our best for the Lord" with a "have you stopped beating your wife" trap. I understand the feeling that if you wear casual dress every place else, dressing up to go to church is ostentatious. That point is understandable. I just don't get how it relates to the wife-beating conundrum, that's all. Could anyone elaborate?
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
D

Devorim

Guest
I don't understand either. I do, however, remember a family that came to the church when I was a very little girl. The ladies visited their home wearing hats and gloves and their pretty 1950s frocks and suits. That made the mother of this very poor family uncomfortable about visiting the church, but they did come, joined, and stayed until they died of old age.

I have been around churches where the people looked like they were in competition for who looks richest, for who looks most stylish, and there were churches in which everyone was incredibly poor. Then there are places of worship in which a visitor will find people with whom they can feel comfortable within the congregation.

Sure, I am an old lady who may come in jeans or may come in a dressy suit. One time, I admit, I was in a quirky mood and came dressed looking like a female Charlie Chaplin. We all smiled. I should do that again.

But isn't the point coming to services to worship the L-rd together in unity? Not a fashion show?
 
Upvote 0

mafwons

Hi guys
Feb 16, 2014
2,740
169
✟11,177.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Southern US, actually. :D

Clothing for worship....

I do have a question, for the gentleman who equated "looking our best for the Lord" with a "have you stopped beating your wife" trap. I understand the feeling that if you wear casual dress every place else, dressing up to go to church is ostentatious. That point is understandable. I just don't get how it relates to the wife-beating conundrum, that's all. Could anyone elaborate?

It's a loaded statement, it implies that if you do not dress your best for church, you do not or cannot love the Lord. I think we can see what the Bible has to say about what the older generation would call putting on airs.
 
Upvote 0

mafwons

Hi guys
Feb 16, 2014
2,740
169
✟11,177.00
Faith
Non-Denom
I don't understand either. I do, however, remember a family that came to the church when I was a very little girl. The ladies visited their home wearing hats and gloves and their pretty 1950s frocks and suits. That made the mother of this very poor family uncomfortable about visiting the church, but they did come, joined, and stayed until they died of old age.

I have been around churches where the people looked like they were in competition for who looks richest, for who looks most stylish, and there were churches in which everyone was incredibly poor. Then there are places of worship in which a visitor will find people with whom they can feel comfortable within the congregation.

Sure, I am an old lady who may come in jeans or may come in a dressy suit. One time, I admit, I was in a quirky mood and came dressed looking like a female Charlie Chaplin. We all smiled. I should do that again.

But isn't the point coming to services to worship the L-rd together in unity? Not a fashion show?

You speak truth, dressing up is a trap of satan, this is not to imply that dressing up is inherently wrong. If you wear a suit in your day to day you may well wear.one.to church because it is what you have. It is a state of mind thing, do you attend to impress others or fellowship with them.
 
Upvote 0

LovebirdsFlying

My husband drew this cartoon of me.
Christian Forums Staff
Red Team - Moderator
Supporter
Aug 13, 2007
28,726
4,216
59
Washington (the state)
✟832,583.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Thanks for answering. :)

Both sides have a point. One view says, "If I don't dress up in my daily life, then dressing up for church is being showy." The other says, "If I would dress up for other occasions, then being lax about what I wear to church is indifference toward God." There's no wrong here. Both sides are right for their own reasons, as I see it.

I totally get it that church isn't a fashion show, but those who say they want to look their best for the Lord ARE doing it for the Lord, not for others. Usually. The logic is, come as you are. Wear to church what you would wear anywhere else. What I, personally, cannot figure out is why the same person who wears a suit to work or on a date then wears ripped jeans and a polo shirt to church because a suit would be too fancy. Then why isn't it too fancy at those other places too?
 
Upvote 0

~Anastasia~

† Handmaid of God †
Dec 1, 2013
31,133
17,452
Florida panhandle, USA
✟922,745.00
Country
United States
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Married
I wear the same level of clothes to Church that I would wear to work, since we are expected to look at least semi-professional at work (the stated minimum is "business casual").

I usually wear jogging pants and t-shirts around the house, paint-stained and/or with holes as often as not. If I showed up for work in those, I'd likely be fired. If I showed up for Church, Father would probably ask me at some point if those were the best clothes I had (and I can pretty much assure you I'd have boxes of clothes coming my way if that were the case). Though if it were the best I had, I'd certainly not be thrown out of Church. But if I had better clothes, and wore what I clean house to worship, it would be seen as disrespectful to The Lord, and at this Church, I'd agree.

I used to live on a farm, and most of us had morning chores to do with animals before coming to Church. I've missed more than once because of goat kids escaping the pasture just as we were leaving for services. I dressed much more casually back then, as did others, and no one raised an eyebrow if a farmer showed up in jeans and muck boots in the middle of chores. Sometimes that's what you had to do in order to make it at all.

It can be relative ...
 
Upvote 0

LovebirdsFlying

My husband drew this cartoon of me.
Christian Forums Staff
Red Team - Moderator
Supporter
Aug 13, 2007
28,726
4,216
59
Washington (the state)
✟832,583.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Upvote 0

teesocray

Newbie
Mar 2, 2015
7
1
✟15,117.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Single
I like this topic. I dress as best as I can. I wear my "good clothes" to church because I strongly believe in giving your best to GOD. So I don't feel comfortable wearing jeans and such to church to worship the Lord when I'll dress up for work and other events. I dress modestly as the bible says women should, in and out of church.
 
Upvote 0

CaliforniaJosiah

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Aug 6, 2005
17,466
1,568
✟206,695.00
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Republican
I like this topic. I dress as best as I can. I wear my "good clothes" to church because I strongly believe in giving your best to GOD. So I don't feel comfortable wearing jeans and such to church to worship the Lord when I'll dress up for work and other events. I dress modestly as the bible says women should, in and out of church.

I live in a beach town in southern California.... the culture is very informal.

When I was young, I wore shorts (because I didn't OWN long pants!) and usually a nice T-shirt. I was a boy and then a teen...

Now I wear NICE khakis, a long sleeve collared shirt and a tie. Goes with with being a man in his later 20's.

MUCH of this issue (no, all of it!) is cultural. It has to do with the milieu, the culture, the when and where.



No, I do NOT wear my best for Sunday Worship
: I own an awesome tux. Bought one some time ago. You CANNOT BELIEVE the number of weddings I've been a part of (not yet my own)..... Lost count..... But that's the only time I've worn that tux, at weddings. Although (how to say this..... humbly......) I look nice in it. Clean up good....




No one at my church cares. The focus is on Christ and the Cross, not clothes.




.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

LovebirdsFlying

My husband drew this cartoon of me.
Christian Forums Staff
Red Team - Moderator
Supporter
Aug 13, 2007
28,726
4,216
59
Washington (the state)
✟832,583.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
CJ, you make a strong point about the tux. People who say "best" usually aren't referring to formal attire. In this same thread, several pages ago, I made reference to a young visitor who came to services in a strapless prom dress, apparently because that was her mental image of the concept of dressing up. She probably thought, if it's proper to dress up for church, then.... It was a bit overdone, even for those who would say, "Look your best for the Lord." Generally, it isn't what people are picturing. There's a difference between dressing for business (which, to the "look your best" crowd, would be more on par with dressing for church) and dressing for a formal occasion such as a wedding, a prom, or the Oscars.
 
Upvote 0

teesocray

Newbie
Mar 2, 2015
7
1
✟15,117.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Single
Precisely! 👍

CJ, you make a strong point about the tux. People who say "best" usually aren't referring to formal attire. In this same thread, several pages ago, I made reference to a young visitor who came to services in a strapless prom dress, apparently because that was her mental image of the concept of dressing up. She probably thought, if it's proper to dress up for church, then.... It was a bit overdone, even for those who would say, "Look your best for the Lord." Generally, it isn't what people are picturing. There's a difference between dressing for business (which, to the "look your best" crowd, would be more on par with dressing for church) and dressing for a formal occasion such as a wedding, a prom, or the Oscars.
 
Upvote 0

~Anastasia~

† Handmaid of God †
Dec 1, 2013
31,133
17,452
Florida panhandle, USA
✟922,745.00
Country
United States
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Married
CJ, you make a strong point about the tux. People who say "best" usually aren't referring to formal attire. In this same thread, several pages ago, I made reference to a young visitor who came to services in a strapless prom dress, apparently because that was her mental image of the concept of dressing up. She probably thought, if it's proper to dress up for church, then.... It was a bit overdone, even for those who would say, "Look your best for the Lord." Generally, it isn't what people are picturing. There's a difference between dressing for business (which, to the "look your best" crowd, would be more on par with dressing for church) and dressing for a formal occasion such as a wedding, a prom, or the Oscars.

Ah, yes,I suppose my "best" is that I do have my wedding dress (!) in the closet, as well as a formal evening gown. I don't wear either of them to Church (with the exception of my wedding dress on the day I got married lol).

You're right that tuxes, prom dresses, and evening gowns never even entered my mind lol.

Though our Church does sometimes sponsor a formal evening ball, like on New Year's. If I ever get to go to one of those, I've have somewhere to wear the evening gown. :)
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

~Anastasia~

† Handmaid of God †
Dec 1, 2013
31,133
17,452
Florida panhandle, USA
✟922,745.00
Country
United States
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Married
My wedding dress! I should try that. I could get by with wearing it, sort of, because it is not that formal. People would probably fall over, however!

Lol, if I wore my wedding dress to Church, I'm sure it would raise quite a few eyebrows. It's very traditional. They would probably think I'd gone off the deep end ... à la Great Expectations.

:D ^_^
 
Upvote 0
D

Devorim

Guest
Lol, if I wore my wedding dress to Church, I'm sure it would raise quite a few eyebrows. It's very traditional. They would probably think I'd gone off the deep end ... à la Great Expectations.

:D ^_^

Hee-hee-hee!
We got married in the redwoods, and mine was one of those mullet dresses with sleeves that were puffy at the top but fit everywhere else. I tried to wear it once, while I was losing weight, but I couldn't zip it. Now, it would probably fall off me... :D
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

~Anastasia~

† Handmaid of God †
Dec 1, 2013
31,133
17,452
Florida panhandle, USA
✟922,745.00
Country
United States
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Married
Hee-hee-hee!
We got married in the redwoods, and mine was one of those mullet dresses with sleeves that were puffy at the top but fit everywhere else. I tried to wear it once, while I was losing weight, but I couldn't zip it. Now, it would probably fall off me... :D

In that case (danger of a severe wardrobe malfunction) I would definitely NOT wear it to Church!

;)
 
Upvote 0