A funeral is an unfortunate event, and to pay proper respect to the deceased person, it’s necessary to dress appropriately. It’s the final goodbye to the person so many care about, and it must be done perfectly and peacefully.
Different types of attire are required for funerals in different cultures and religions. It’s a method to show respect, representing a single event where everyone grieves together; therefore, it is also preferred if those people dress similarly.
Traditional Funeral Attire for Men
A. Dark-colored suits and formal wear
Black suits
A full black colored suit would be the perfect attire for a funeral. The men should wear a black suit with a white plain shirt. Then, if the person has a black colored tie, that would be nice for the attire.
Instead of white, if the man wants to wear a black shirt as a part of their suit, it’s fine as well. However, they should ensure the attire doesn’t resemble a tuxedo.
Also, men will know two blazer styles are available: single-breasted and double-breasted jackets. It will be better to wear single-breasted jackets at the funeral.
Charcoal or navy suits
Many people prefer wearing charcoal or Navy colored suits for funerals. It’s their preference, or if anyone doesn’t have a black suit, then navy or charcoal suits can be reasonable alternatives.
Also, The suit has to be of proper size; just because it’s a funeral, don’t try to borrow the suit from someone double the size.
B. Shirt choices
White or light-colored dress shirts
Men at the funeral should wear white shirts; it’s the most preferable option. Besides that, any light-colored shirt, like light blue, light yellow, etc., will also work.
Even though the shirt is mostly hidden behind the suit, the collar and cuff can be noticed. Therefore, the person should ensure that it’s better to go for Barrel cuffs instead of French cuffs. And they have to ensure they wear a medium spread collar.
Avoid patterns or loud prints
Men’s clothes for a funeral should not be loud and attention-grabbing. It’s a funeral; therefore, the men must dress appropriately, so the shirt has to be subtle in color and design. The person should never wear a shirt with huge designs and patterns or bright colors like red, purple, yellow, etc.
C. Neckties and accessories
Conservative and subdued ties
Another important part of the suit for a funeral is a traditional and simple tie. The person is not going to any party or going to pitch a presentation at the office; it’s a funeral; therefore, the men should choose their tie for the day accordingly.
It is better if the tie is in black, but if they don’t have a black tie, a navy blue or dark brown tie is also acceptable for the day. And if anyone is having trouble finding a tie for the funeral, then instead of wearing any bright-colored tie, they should just leave it.
Simple accessories like cufflinks and tie clips
With the suit, if the men have time, they should simply wear some accessories to complete the attire for attending a funeral. So it would be better for the person to carry a handkerchief in the side pocket of their jacket.
Also, it would be nice if anyone wanted to wear a match and a belt. Avoiding a French cuff shirt would be better, but if anyone is wearing one, they can still wear cufflinks.
Regarding the accessories, the person does not need to wear sunglasses at a funeral. Also, tie clips are not necessary as well.
D. Dress shoes and socks
Black or dark-colored leather shoes
About the footwear at the funeral, the men have to ensure they wear appropriate shoes for the day. The footwear has to be polished and in good condition. And men should wear footwear, something like Oxford or Monk shoes.
Also, it has to be black in color or highly dark-shaded footwear in brown or navy. Casual or semi-casual shoes are not a good option for funerals; therefore, they should wear professional footwear.
Black dress socks
With the footwear, the men must wear socks while attending a funeral. If the ankle is showing after wearing the shoes, it’s very inappropriate for a funeral; that’s why people should wear black dress socks.
Alternatives to Suits
A. Dress pants and blazer
The men can wear black, dark gray, or navy dress pants and a blazer as an alternative to a suit. With it they should wear a white or light blue shirt, tie is not required.
B. Dress shirts with dress slacks
If the weather is humid, younger men can wear a white dress shirt with a jet-black tie and black or dark gray dress slacks.
C. Sweaters and cardigans
If the weather is cold and the men are wearing suits at the funeral, then any other winter wear won’t be necessary. They can simply wear a long black or gray jacket with the suit.
However, wearing a sweater or cardigan isn’t suitable for men at funerals. But still, if anyone is thinking of wearing them, a black or muted-colored cardigan would be fine, and the same goes for sweaters.
D. Turtlenecks or collared shirts with blazers
It’s stylish yet appropriate clothing for a funeral. For cold weather, if anyone wants to feel warm and appropriate for the day, the younger men can wear a black, gray, or navy turtleneck or collar shirt and pair it with a black blazer.
Avoiding Inappropriate Attire
A. Casual or sportswear
There is a huge range of attire that is not appropriate for a funeral,
For tops, men should never wear something casual like a t-shirt, sweatshirt, hoodie, etc. Even though polo shirts are professional, they are still inappropriate for a funeral.
For bottomwear, the invited person should always wear black or dark formal clothing. If they try to wear jeans, brown chino or khaki, then it’s not suitable for the funeral.
About The shoes, no matter how comfortable and stylish sneakers or Converse can be, funerals are not an occasion for people to show off their sneakers. Men should always go for formal black footwear.
B. Flashy or bright colors
Bright and colorful attire should be avoided at a funeral at any cost. A funeral is an event where people mourn together and bid their final goodbye, and in such a sensitive situation, showing up at a funeral wearing a bright, colorful, and designed suit is the last thing anyone should do.
C. Graphic prints or slogans
At a funeral, the men should never go for graphic or printed clothing. The attire has to be plain and formal. If not, it’s directly connected to the deceased one, or all the close members of the deceased person had plans for printed Clothing; only then can graphic print be an option. Besides that, wearing graphic prints or slogans is a big no.
D. Overly casual or informal clothing
Many do not like attending funerals, but that doesn’t mean they are allowed to be disrespectful. At a funeral, a man should never wear casual clothing like a t-shirt, joggers, or any sort of informal clothing. Men must look presentable and wear suitable clothing for the day.
Account for Tradition and Culture
A. Minority traditions and religious practices
In the United Kingdom, many people have different religions and traditions. And before attending the funeral it’s important that men should know about the customs and beliefs those people follow.
Or else, if the invited person doesn’t know what they should wear at the religious funeral, they might unconsciously end up offending the deceased person’s family.
B. Required attire by specific religious or cultural customs
The men should know about funeral clothing of different religions and customers to avoid any confusion or complicated situations. So,
At Jewish funerals, the men have to wear something black; therefore, it’s fine if the men wear black suits. And if possible, try to carry something, preferably a hat or yarmulke, to cover the head.
At the Hindu funeral, to mourn, everyone wears white. So, anyone invited to a Hindu funeral should wear a white shirt with light-colored trousers, Slacks, or Khaki.
Muslim funerals, Wearing a shirt and trousers are perfectly fine for men. So, as a guest, the person should wear a Black or dark gray shirt and black trousers.
In Sikh funerals, men should wear formal clothing in black or dark shades. Hence, wearing a black suit or black shirt with trousers is a nice option for a silk funeral. The guest should also carry a big handkerchief to cover their head at the funeral.
Etc.
C. Ethnic-specific clothing traditions
Well, every tradition has its attire for funerals. In the Hindu religion, men wear white kurta; for Chinese funerals, they wear hemp vests and a hat; Jews wear yarmulke during a funeral.
People in the United Kingdom should understand that it’s a Christian-majority country, and people can’t get traditional and ethnic funeral attire overnight. Also, without wearing traditional attire, men can still look appropriate for the funerals of different religions and cultures.
Practical Considerations
A. Weather-appropriate attire
Layering options
For winter, wearing a suit won’t be a problem. But on summer days, even if the day is hot, the men still have to wear black attire. So, in that case, the men are allowed to take off their jackets or blazers at the funeral to feel comfortable.
Choosing appropriate outerwear
There is no separate outerwear required for the funeral attire. The men can simply wear a black or dark-colored suit or professional blazer.
B. Comfortable yet respectful footwear
There are many people whose definition of comfort shoes is sneakers, converse, or Crocs. But for a funeral, none of these shoes are an appropriate option. So the men should have black-colored oxford or monk shoes. These footwear options are mostly available to men in their shoe collection.
But if they don’t have black, then brown is the color. Besides this, men should never wear casual or brightly colored footwear as It’s disrespectful.
C. Grooming and personal hygiene
Clean and well-maintained appearance
Before attending the funeral, the men should groom themselves properly. It’s an unfortunate event to attend, but if anyone attends the funeral being a mess, then it’s disrespectful. The men should trim or clean, shave their beards, and attend the funeral with finely set hair.
Avoid overpowering colognes or fragrances
Wearing overpowering colognes or fragrances is a big no for a funeral. The men can wear their choice of office cologne. But, too much cologne is not appropriate and can be distracting.
conclusion
It’s pretty much understood that not every attire is suitable for a funeral. But if anyone chooses, then it’s not even hard to achieve a perfect funeral look for men. All they have to do is keep the rules and requirements in mind.
Wearing the appropriate clothing for the funeral provides the families and the close members of the deceased person the comfort and support they require. So it’s important that everyone Maintains great harmony and follows the things that are required.