What to Wear to funerals

Dad, you’ve been a funeral director for over 40 years now. What would you suggest that people should wear to a funeral?
Yeah, a really good question because funerals aren’t formal funerals anymore. In fact, most funerals are just private gatherings or small gatherings or large gatherings that aren’t formal.

So, wearing a tie, you know, if it is formal and perhaps the person themselves was a bit more formal, you might want to wear a tie. In the old days, everybody wore black and everyone wore sober ties or formal dresses. Now, if wearing a tie is right for that person, do so, some of my funeral colleagues, they love the idea of you wearing a tie and being more formal, but others have retired and they’re a bit more chilled.

So, they might actually go, nah, ties off, just relax a little bit, open neck shirt, business attire, but relaxed business attire. What does that mean? I don’t know. The key to what to wear at a funeral is wearing what’s appropriate.

So, if they’re a tradie, for instance, you might wear something like this. Yeah. You know, why not? Well, if you’re a tradie, why not wear what a tradie would wear? Maybe you don’t wear your scruffy shorts and your dirty shirt.

You might wear your clean work shirt. But you know, if you’re a gardener and you’re outside and you’d wear a high-vis vest, why wouldn’t you also wear something like this? Yeah. So, you know, keep the sun out.

Maybe you wouldn’t wear it inside if it’s in a chapel, but hey, we do a lot of farewell gatherings in gardens and in parks. So if you’re doing that, you’re going to wear a hat, surely. And if you’re outside, maybe you’d also wear something like this.

You know, be realistic. The whole idea of attending a farewell gathering is to honour the deceased and honour the family. So wear what is appropriate for that service.

If it is outside in the garden, if it is a tradie, you wear stuff that’s going to make a connection. It’s all about making that right connection. And if you’re not sure, the trick is to ask.

Ask the family. How do you want us to wear? What do you want us to wear? Is it formal? Is it relaxed? Is it bright colours? You know, ask the family. If you’re not sure, always ask.

Be in the know.

Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai.