Does it bother you to see families super underdressed at church?

[Anonymous]

I know I sound both old and old fashioned but I love seeing clean cut families put effort into their appearance. Boys in chinos and a tucked in shirt, dad in a blazer or suit (or at least a collared shirt under a nice sweater), mom and gals in dresses. Everyone's hair styled nicely. It displays such an appreciation and respect for the church and the service. We'll probably never return to that but semi-casual is still nice to see. However, the hooded sweatshirts, baggy fleece pants... untucked shirts... kids wearing t-shirts under a jacket... sporty sneakers... I hate it. Often parents are dressed nice but the kids look like they just rolled out of bed. It's not a wealth thing, it's a caring thing.

[Anonymous]

Do you want them dressed up or do you want them at all?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know I sound both old and old fashioned but I love seeing clean cut families put effort into their appearance. Boys in chinos and a tucked in shirt, dad in a blazer or suit (or at least a collared shirt under a nice sweater), mom and gals in dresses. Everyone's hair styled nicely. It displays such an appreciation and respect for the church and the service. We'll probably never return to that but semi-casual is still nice to see. However, the hooded sweatshirts, baggy fleece pants... untucked shirts... kids wearing t-shirts under a jacket... sporty sneakers... I hate it. Often parents are dressed nice but the kids look like they just rolled out of bed. It's not a wealth thing, it's a caring thing.

I think you need to ask what Jesus would do? Would he welcome people who dress differently? Probably. Be glad they are there.

[Anonymous]

I don’t care one bit. No one needs to be dressed up to attend church.

[Anonymous]

This is very church or place of worship dependent. Everyone still dresses nice at black churches and synagogues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t care one bit. No one needs to be dressed up to attend church.

Why did everyone dress up for church in the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s? You don't think that looked much nicer? You don't admire a random good looking family wearing their Sunday best if you see one on a Sunday afternoon? Come on, we all do.

This erosion of effort and appearance and coming to church in casual clothes seems to be a relatively new phenomenon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t care one bit. No one needs to be dressed up to attend church.

Why did everyone dress up for church in the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s? You don't think that looked much nicer? You don't admire a random good looking family wearing their Sunday best if you see one on a Sunday afternoon? Come on, we all do.

This erosion of effort and appearance and coming to church in casual clothes seems to be a relatively new phenomenon.

Is your argument that everything people did in the 40s, 50s, 60s . . . was a good choice? Segregation? DDT? There has been a lot of progress since them.

Sure a family wearing nice clothes on Sunday morning looks nice. I will give you that. But I don't think that looking nice is more important than being at church. I don't think it has anything to do with Jesus.

When my kids were little, they wore nice clothing to church. Because it worked for us, and they behaved a little better in clothing that was a visual reminder of expectations. Now they're teens, and sometimes they go to church in athletic clothing because they need to rush to the Special Olympics teams they coach. It's what works for my particular family in this season of life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t care one bit. No one needs to be dressed up to attend church.

Why did everyone dress up for church in the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s? You don't think that looked much nicer? You don't admire a random good looking family wearing their Sunday best if you see one on a Sunday afternoon? Come on, we all do.

This erosion of effort and appearance and coming to church in casual clothes seems to be a relatively new phenomenon.

Because they dressed up nicer for everything back then. And that kind of started to decrease in the 80s and 90s anyway. If you’re focused on your fellow church goers looking like a Ralph Lauren ad instead of focusing on building community and worshiping God, then your priorities are messed up.

WWJD indeed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t care one bit. No one needs to be dressed up to attend church.

Why did everyone dress up for church in the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s? You don't think that looked much nicer? You don't admire a random good looking family wearing their Sunday best if you see one on a Sunday afternoon? Come on, we all do.

This erosion of effort and appearance and coming to church in casual clothes seems to be a relatively new phenomenon.

I can say this, my current church has a much higher attendance of teens since they can dress comfortably. Just because things were done in the past doesn’t make a change bad. There will always be those who dress up. Mind your own business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t care one bit. No one needs to be dressed up to attend church.

Why did everyone dress up for church in the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s? You don't think that looked much nicer? You don't admire a random good looking family wearing their Sunday best if you see one on a Sunday afternoon? Come on, we all do.

This erosion of effort and appearance and coming to church in casual clothes seems to be a relatively new phenomenon.

I can say this, my current church has a much higher attendance of teens since they can dress comfortably. Just because things were done in the past doesn’t make a change bad. There will always be those who dress up. Mind your own business.

Back in the 90s my parents used to fight my brother every weekend to get him dressed for church. It made everything super stressful and definitely didn't turn my brother into a church goer.

[Anonymous]

OP, I agree with you. I especially agree with you for services on Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I agree with you. I especially agree with you for services on Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday.

Then you and OP are at church for the wrong and superficial reasons.

[Anonymous]

I agree, BUT . . . I would rather the kids attend dressed in whatever than them not be there at all.

[Anonymous]

This doesn't sound very Christian of you OP.

[Anonymous]

No, doesn't bother me. I dress up more, but I'm also older. Even I will never go back to wearing heels and hose to church, lol.