During the Procession of the Holy Cross, on Good Friday, men and boys dress in purple robes and hoods as a sign of mourning and symbol of the pain and suffering of Christ's crucifixion. Many devout Catholics in Brazil also wear purple, alongside black, while mourning the loss of a loved one.
Purple flowers represent respect, sorrow, sympathy and admiration. Yellow flowers signify friendship, warmth and hope. Pink flowers represent grace, compassion and innocence.
In this Blog Post, the colors of navy, purple, green, burgundy, brown, gray and black are offered, as appropriate colors for funeral attendees to wear to Western funerals.
Resist wearing bright colors or wild prints. Avoid dressing in casual clothing, such as athletic wear, tank tops, or shorts. Skip the flip-flops, tennis shoes, sneakers, or boat shoes. Remove the neon necktie, purse, or accessory.
It is still quite respectable, and common, to wear black to funerals, but it is also accepted to wear any other color of clothing. The point is to dress in a way that shows respect for the deceased person and his/her family.
Much like with men's funeral attire, color should be used to subtly accent your outfit. Try to make sure that your outfit does not have overly bright colors or wild patterns that draw attention. Remember, you are there to mourn the loss and support the family, you outfit should not make you the center of attention.
You Don't Have To Wear Black
However, colors like dark grey, dark blue, darker green, white, and beige can be appropriate. If you don't own any black clothing, you may always opt for a subtle hue that is appropriate for formal settings. In addition, stay away from anything with distracting patterns or prints.
Wearing dark grey or deep blue is just as appropriate as black, while brown and lighter greys are suitable for the vast majority of funeral services. However, unless specifically requested by the deceased or their family, you should avoid any bright colors such as yellows, oranges, pinks, and reds.
Traditionally, funeral etiquette suggests men and women wear black clothing that's conservative and respectful. Black or dark colours are most common, but some cultures expect mourners to wear a less traditional funeral colour.
Best Types of Funeral Attire. Though today's etiquette no longer demands that funeral attendees wear all black, opting for dark muted colors is always a smart choice. Unless specifically asked for by the host, bright colors, flashy prints and trendy accessories won't be well received.
It is used more as a background color and is not usually as prevalent as the other colors on the altars or on decorations. Purple comes from the Catholic calender. It is used to show the pain, suffering, grief, and mourning which goes along with death and acknowledges the loss of loved ones.
Traditionally, men should wear white dress shirts with their funeral attire, but their ties can be any color. It's best to stick to dark colors (except for red) and avoid bow ties. Moreover, we recommend solid colors instead of ties with striking patterns.
Wearing red to a funeral can be a sign of disrespect. It will give others a completely wrong impression if you wear a bright and bold colour to a funeral, as this goes against the dark, muted colours associated with sadness and mourning.
The color purple is often associated with royalty, nobility, luxury, power, and ambition. Purple also represents meanings of wealth, extravagance, creativity, wisdom, dignity, grandeur, devotion, peace, pride, mystery, independence, and magic.
The best colors to wear to a catholic funeral include black, grey, white, navy blue, dark brown, purple, and green. Although there is no limitation to which colors you can wear, the colors should reflect the grieving mood on this occasion.
Consequently in the Church, purple has been identified with the suffering of Jesus, and therefore this royal colour also portrays our repentance and penance. Purple has become a symbol of the offence surrounding our sins.
Purple: dignity, elegance (often chosen for the funeral services of grandparents) Red: courage, love, respect. Red, Dark: grief, love, sorrow. White: humility, innocence, purity, reverence, spirituality, youthfulness (often used at the funerals of children) Yellow: devotion, friendship, loyalty.
Nobody will consider it disrespectful if you turn up in a subdued colour that isn't black. That's especially true if you were close to the deceased, as people will understand the tough time you're going through. In terms of alternatives, a deep navy blue or dark grey is equally appropriate.
You don't have to wear black but a wake isn't the place to wear your leopard print blouse or salmon-colored khakis. Stick with neutral colors like navy, grey, and dark green. Keep your accessories simple. Your accessories should be simple and neutral.
As a neutral color, white should not be considered inappropriate at most North American funerals. Though you should ask the family hosting the service when in doubt, plain, neutral colors are generally acceptable for memorials. Wearing white in conjunction with other dark tones is absolutely appropriate.
Although the traditional color for funeral clothing in many countries is black, you don't have to limit yourself to this color. Many dark colors like navy, gray, Burgundy, or brown are acceptable too. You can also wear a white shirt or blouse.
Dress Conservatively
Your clothing does not have to be all black. It's common for funeral attendees to wear navy blue, dark grey, violet, and many other colors. Men's funeral attire should stick to wearing a suit with an ironed white dress shirt and dark tie to match.
Opt for plainer clothes over patterned clothes.
A floral patterned skirt, or a dark-colored striped shirt, is played down enough to be appropriate for a funeral. However, bright and flashy patterns are to be avoided, especially if they use flashy colors as well.
The wearing of black clothing has been a long-accepted funeral tradition intended to show respect for the deceased. Wearing other colors is in fact seen as a major social faux pas, or an out and out slap in the face to mourning family members, regardless of how subdued or otherwise formal the offending clothing is.
When in doubt, always ask the family members of the deceased if their religion has any special dress rules that should be observed. Don't: wear too much makeup. If you wear makeup, you'll want to keep things minimal for a funeral. Stick to light, natural colors and a nude lipstick.