Funerals are a time to be respectful and thoughtful, you need to think of others and often conform to traditions and cultural considerations. And for men this can influence what suit you should wear.
Your best bet is to go with a black suit, white shirt and black tie. However, if you do not have a black suit, a dark colour such as navy, charcoal or dark grey are all acceptable. While white is the most straightforward shirt colour option you could also wear a dark colour shirt such as black or maroon, but try to keep away from pastels and bright colours. Also try to keep your accessories simple and subtle, opt for a black or dark plain coloured tie if possible. You can wear a pocket square with your suit, but once again it is often best to keep it simple so stick to plain white in a simple fold.
If you don’t own a suit you could also wear slacks with a sports coat. However you should also stick to the same colour guidelines as if you were wearing a suit.
Can women wear a suit to a funeral?
It is perfectly acceptable and appropriate for women to wear a pants suit or skirt suit to a funeral. The same funeral attire guidelines apply to women, so try to keep your outfit simple and respectful and stick to dark colours such as black.
What about non-traditional funerals?
While western funeral attire is traditionally black, some people may request funeral guests wear other colours. It may be the person being honoured had a favourite colour or they wanted their funeral to be a brighter and more colourful affair. If you receive any instructions from family or friends it is perfectly acceptable to honour their wishes and go against tradition.
Tips on what to wear to a funeral
- Wear a dark colour such as black, navy or charcoal unless instructed to wear other colours by the family.
- Wear proper fitting clothes. Don’t wear baggy clothes.
- Ensure your suit and shirt have been cleaned and neatly ironed.
- If you don’t have a black tie choose one that is simple and subdued. You don’t want to wear busy patterns or bright colours.
- You can wear a pocket square, but stick to a simple fold white handkerchief.
- Wear black or brown dress shoes with your suit.
- Keep accessories simple and to a minimum.
- Don’t wear a strong cologne or fragrance, keep it subtle as you don’t want to overpower anyone as you may be sitting or standing in close quarters for a time.
Just remember you are there to honour someone’s life, so if in doubt it is always best to make an effort and stick with tradition than be underdressed.
If you are looking for a suitable suit to wear to a funeral try our online men’s suits retailers.