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

[Anonymous]

It is about showing respect for the occasion.
I know some people wear athleisure to the office but by and large that is not the appropriate dress code.
One also does not show up in sweats to even a courthouse wedding.
If one would wear appropriate attire for the above, why not church?
-signed, not a church goer

[Anonymous]

I immediately clocked what OP really meant by “clean cut.”

What a disgusting post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am far from conservative, but I do give some people the side eye at mass based on outfits. Someone said it up thread, its the sports jerseys that get me. You could have just worn a plain tshirt. Wearing a sports jersey takes effort to be noticeably un formal. Wear jeans and a plain tshirt if you seek comfort or have nothing more formal in your wardrobe. But dress for the room, use some common sense. And yes, this is directed to grown men as much as teenagers.

I was particularly surprised this past Easter at the variety of outfits. Wearing sweatpants to 9am mass Easter morning is an odd choice to me. It shows literally no effort or desire to acknowledge a special occasion. I understand on some Sundays families are coming or going from various sports games. But on Easter Sunday? You cant wear some nicer pants? Women were under dressed too, many in jeans which surprised me, as its so much easier to just wear a casual dress and look much nicer.

I am mid 40s, liberal, and not someone who cares much about fashion, so this seems like an odd issue to bother me, but somehow it just does! I have elementary and middle school age kids and its not hard to tell them to put on a nice shirt and pants or shorts that arent athletic. They sell pull on chinos that are basically sweat pants. Polo shirts with athletic material that are super comfortable. Looking nicer doesn't have to mean youre itchy and tight. My kids know church clothes are different than play clothes.

I’m in a similar demographic - 50 years old, liberal, Catholic woman with three kids ranging in age from 9 to 16. I agree that what you describe is appropriate attire for church and is how our family dresses. I usually wear dress pants or a dress, DH and our two boys wear khakis and a polo shirt or sweater, and our DD (the youngest) usually wears a casual dress. All three kids play sports (including travel/HS sports with demanding schedules) and have other activities, so we’re often rushing to a game or some activity after church. Yet, we’ve never let our kids wear a sports uniform to church, even if that means changing in the bathroom after mass. We want them to learn to dress appropriately for whatever occasion and that there are considerations other than their own clothing preferences.

That said, I don’t judge other families or how they dress or even pay much attention. I have no idea what goes on in the lives of people I don’t know. Maybe they can only get their kids to go to church if they dress casually? Maybe the parents are losing weight and baggy sweats fit best or they’re uncomfortable with how they look in dress clothes? Who knows? But, I think it’s hypocritical to sit in church and judge people.

That’s why they go to church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am far from conservative, but I do give some people the side eye at mass based on outfits. Someone said it up thread, its the sports jerseys that get me. You could have just worn a plain tshirt. Wearing a sports jersey takes effort to be noticeably un formal. Wear jeans and a plain tshirt if you seek comfort or have nothing more formal in your wardrobe. But dress for the room, use some common sense. And yes, this is directed to grown men as much as teenagers.

I was particularly surprised this past Easter at the variety of outfits. Wearing sweatpants to 9am mass Easter morning is an odd choice to me. It shows literally no effort or desire to acknowledge a special occasion. I understand on some Sundays families are coming or going from various sports games. But on Easter Sunday? You cant wear some nicer pants? Women were under dressed too, many in jeans which surprised me, as its so much easier to just wear a casual dress and look much nicer.

I am mid 40s, liberal, and not someone who cares much about fashion, so this seems like an odd issue to bother me, but somehow it just does! I have elementary and middle school age kids and its not hard to tell them to put on a nice shirt and pants or shorts that arent athletic. They sell pull on chinos that are basically sweat pants. Polo shirts with athletic material that are super comfortable. Looking nicer doesn't have to mean youre itchy and tight. My kids know church clothes are different than play clothes.

I’m in a similar demographic - 50 years old, liberal, Catholic woman with three kids ranging in age from 9 to 16. I agree that what you describe is appropriate attire for church and is how our family dresses. I usually wear dress pants or a dress, DH and our two boys wear khakis and a polo shirt or sweater, and our DD (the youngest) usually wears a casual dress. All three kids play sports (including travel/HS sports with demanding schedules) and have other activities, so we’re often rushing to a game or some activity after church. Yet, we’ve never let our kids wear a sports uniform to church, even if that means changing in the bathroom after mass. We want them to learn to dress appropriately for whatever occasion and that there are considerations other than their own clothing preferences.

That said, I don’t judge other families or how they dress or even pay much attention. I have no idea what goes on in the lives of people I don’t know. Maybe they can only get their kids to go to church if they dress casually? Maybe the parents are losing weight and baggy sweats fit best or they’re uncomfortable with how they look in dress clothes? Who knows? But, I think it’s hypocritical to sit in church and judge people.

That’s why they go to church.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will admit that for Easter, I swapped my usual jeans for a pair of dockers.

Otherwise, I always jeans because God does not care how I dress for church

He cared that Cain's offering was not his best. Are you offering your best?

God put us into this world naked. I think he’d much rather see you spending your fortune on good works rather than finery.

[Anonymous]

I go back and forth on this and have to remind myself not to be judgemental as there could be financial issues or special needs at play, like kids who are on the spectrum.

For me personally, I feel like I dress nicely in settings that are important to me and where I want to show respect: it doesn’t make sense that I would dress nicely for a dinner out, for work, to an awards ceremony, to a family event, etc. and dress slovenly for church.

The only thing I do sort of side eye is clothing that is too tight or short: booty shorts, athletic shorts or tight tank tops with boobs hanging out, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are Catholic and live in the south. Everyone in the 10 o’clock high mass dresses exactly like you’re describing in formal wear. The Catholic churches are packed every week. If we arrive at 9:55, we cannot get a seat. Women look like it’s Easter Sunday every single Sunday with full hair and makeup. I typically wear a nice dress, jewelry and heels and make up to Mass. My boys and husband wear belts and dress shoes and collared shirts and sometimes blazers.This is very normal for southern Catholics at high mass. Come down here it’s a better life!

Nice clothes don't erase the cruelty of many white Southern Christians. Neither do manners. Too many people think there is moral righteousness in both.

So much strange fruit on that tree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will admit that for Easter, I swapped my usual jeans for a pair of dockers.

Otherwise, I always jeans because God does not care how I dress for church

He cared that Cain's offering was not his best. Are you offering your best?

God put us into this world naked. I think he’d much rather see you spending your fortune on good works rather than finery.

Yes, but you must balance that out against Jesus' well-known intolerance of those who showed up in rags, or anything less than their best finery.

[Anonymous]

We walk to church so we dress a bit more causally than if we drove. No sweatpants or sloppy clothes, but we do wear sneakers or other casual shoes because it's a far enough walk that dress shoes aren't the best option.