If you’re wondering about funeral attire at funeral homes in Sterling Heights, MI, here are some time-tested guidelines about what you should – and should not – wear.

Don’t be surprised if you attend a funeral and you see people wearing all kinds of attire. You may see people dressed very formally. You may see people dressed in business casual clothing. And you may see people dressed way down, as if they are heading out to a recreational activity or getting ready to do yardwork.

This may be very disorienting and confusing as you wonder whose attire is appropriate for a funeral and whose is not. The reason that you see this wide and disparate range of attire is that some people have been taught about appropriate funeral attire, and they dress in a manner that shows respect to the deceased and the bereaved family.

Other people, who perhaps have never attended a funeral before, have not been taught that how they dress can be a symbol of respect or disrespect, as well as a reflection of the soberness of some events that demands different attire than what they normally wear throughout the course of the rest of their lives.

If you’re unsure about what is appropriate and what is not appropriate attire for a funeral, consider these broad thoughts about funerals and their purpose. A funeral is a ceremony that enables a grieving family to be comforted during the loss of a loved one. It is also a ceremony that pays tribute to someone who has died.

Therefore, the focus of funerals is the family and the deceased, not the other mourners who are attending. So, if what you are thinking about wearing would draw attention away from the family and the deceased to yourself, then you shouldn’t wear it.

Extremely casual clothing like shorts, t-shirts, jeans, baseball caps, flip-flops, sandals, and tennis shoes is not appropriate funeral attire. Because this type of attire makes the people wearing it stand out in the crowd of mourners, it naturally draws attention away from the bereaved family and their loved one who has died. It can also give the impression of being disrespectful and insensitive.

By the same token, provocative clothing that fits like a second skin, has plunging necklines, and hems that are extremely short (if you have to keep pulling a skirt down, it’s too tight and too short) is also inappropriate attire for a funeral.

If you’ve never attended a funeral and don’t know what attire you have that is acceptable, look through your closet and pick out an outfit that you would wear for a professional job interview at a corporation.

Remember that even if professional corporations have a business casual or casual dress code for employees, they expect interviewees for employment to dress more formally because that is part of what they use to evaluate whether they will hire them or not.

So, for women attending a funeral, dress modestly in a professional outfit that is black, dark brown, navy or gray. Wear a simple dress or nice pantsuit with a nice blouse. Keep jewelry to a minimum. Wear dress flat shoes.

Men attending a funeral should wear dark dress pants, a dress shirt, and a blazer. Ties are optional, but if they’re worn, they should be dark and plain. Dress shoes that are neat and clean should be worn.

For more information about funeral attire at funeral homes in Mount Sterling Heights, MI, our compassionate and experienced staff at Lee-Ellena Funeral Home can help. You can come by our funeral home at 46530 Romeo Plank Rd., Macomb, MI, 48044 or you can contact us today at (586) 412-8999.