I read an article last year that was entitled “Dressing Down Is The New Dressing Up”. The author of the article grew up in a time, and so did I, when attending a Church or a Funeral Service called for formal dress. When I was a kid we had “Sunday clothes” and “Sunday shoes”, and if we went to a funeral, those are the clothes that we would wear. On Saturday nights I would put the shoe polish on my shoes and let them dry. And then on Sunday morning I would get the cloth and polish them before we went to church. My shirt was ironed, my tie was tied, my suit was cleaned and if it was snowing or muddy we had boots that we put on over our shoes to keep them clean. That’s just the way it was…for everybody, I think.
The author of the article went on to condemn the casual dress code that he has observed…he said that walking shorts or golf course attire predominates. Younger folks carry backpacks. And that women dress in romper suits; the range of colours and patterns inspired by a tropical bird aviary”.
The fact is that dressing down may well be the new dressing up. Schools are becoming less formal. Churches are becoming less formal. And Funerals are becoming less formal, both in the services and the attire. Some families include phrases in newspaper notices asking folks to dress casually. And short of wearing t-shirts with nasty slogans which I’m not a fan of at the best of times, I’m okay with all of that. As Rev. Bruce Cook always said at a Funeral Service…”the important thing is that you are here…that speaks volumes to a family who is grieving”.
Until next week,
Marc
