Out of curiosity what, if anything special do you wear to a funeral.

Usually I will wear a black or navy suit and little if any jewelry. On a few occasions I have decked all out in black muslin complete with a veiled hat. I have also noticed how much effort I put into the outfit has a close if not direct correlation to how close I was to the deceased.

Though I usually deny any "goth" tendencies I will admit to being overly interested in funeral customs.

I usually stick to dark colors, and try to take it easy one the make up. I also try not to show too much skin.

I have found it depends alot on the person for me, not just how close I was to them, but also their personality and what they would have liked. Tho I tend to go just black if it is someone I didn't know or didn't know well... the hardest part for me is finding something black that doesn't have skulls or bright colors on it, and that I haven't worn to grayness.

if i die, you are all required to be nakid at my funeral.

hrm... would that be just the three of us who posted in this thread or all of us attending the funeral?

I tend to stick to black for the most part accented with other colors such as burgundy or deep purple. Long skirts are most likely involved, but that's not unusual for me at any function, other than work. Makeup is usually as it is for a work function. The style of dress depends a great deal on the person. In addition, I somewhat tend to consider the person's family (if he/she was close to them), as well, in my style of dress.

This came out the other day, and I thought of this thread.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=books


So. Cute. I want it.

I attend funeralz n dark &/or muted colorz & uzually, with bellz on ...

This post may be too "cold" to get notice.... But here is some information of interest: in the Victorian Era, mourning was a crafted occupation of one's time. Depending on how close you were to the deceased, depended upon what you wore. A widow wore heavy mourning, including veil of some sort, for a full year. Children or distant relatives could wear softer greys or lavenders , again, depending upon how close to the deceased.

I personally feel that we are very much lacking in our regard to mourning in present day. I believe it is appropriate to wear garments that somehow celebrate the life and loves of the departed when attending the memorial. For example, if the departed loved a certain color or garment you wore, by all means wear them to honor their memory!

The value of mourning wear is that the bereaved does not have to continually explain to the "normal" world that they are turned inside out in grief, and may act a little "weird" if approached.... the clothing serves as a warning flag... don't be cheery... don't even talk to me now... I can't talk just now... I hurt... I've lost someone near and dear... and those around us can see by our "flag" that we need a little space and tenderness...

The Greeks used to wear amber as a sign of mourning, believing that it symbolized crystalized tears. For the modern soul, in discreet mourning, a piece of amber jewelry will not draw unwanted attention, but will allow the mourner to express an outlet for personal grief.

Do what your heart directs in each instance, and it will no doubt be the right thing.

One Silver Hand

I really liked that little history lesson, onesilverhand. I never knew about the Greeks & amber, though I was vaguely aware of the Victorian tradition. My obsession with black was probably kicked into gear when my biological father died when I was 19, but really heightened when my grandfather (who was like my father) passed a few years ago. It's good to have some kind of disclaimer to let the rest of the world know that your thoughts are elsewhere when mourning.