Come As You Are Church

[MickeyMac]

For those of you who attend church, how do you dress? Some churches are pretty laid back where you can wear anything from a nice fancy suit or dress, to simple jeans and a T shirt. The chuch I attend is pretty informal. Some people dress up while others go pretty casual.

[Chocoholic]

My church is pretty casual, but I was brought up to dress respectfully when I attended any religious service. I usually wear jeans or khakis with a nice blouse.

I don't judge how other people show up in church. At least they're there :D

[browneyes106]

The churches I attend are pretty casual. One of my friends attends an Episcopalian church that is very formal. He wears a suit every Sunday and he's starting to get tired of it.

[Vito]

I'm not an atheist but I haven't attended any kind of church service in nearly 20 years, except for weddings and funerals.

When I used to attend Sunday Mass with my family while growing up in the 1970s, I usually wore a polo shirt or dress shirt, and Levi's corduroy jeans. Nobody wore suits except the ushers and the old Sicilian men.

Dress at my church became even more casual when a "hippie priest" transferred to our parish, and he encouraged everyone to "come as you are". Maybe things started getting out of hand when other teenagers started wearing their concert t-shirts to Mass. Once I saw three guys from my high school standing in line to take communion: One of them was wearing a Led Zeppelin shirt, another was wearing a Blue Oyster Cult shirt, and the other was wearing a Black Sabbath shirt. :crazy:

[Shine]

I try to dress nice for church. I wear khakis and a buttoned down shirt or sweater on cooler days or a polo on warmer days.

[PlayOn]

Most of the members of my church wear nice stuff, but we do have one or two who dress down. Like, Chocolholic, we don't judge them.
Judge and ye shall be judged.

[Sterling Holobyte]

My church doesn't really say what you can or cannot wear. They just ask that you dress modestly. They wouldn't turn you away if you came in wearing a low-cut blouse or a mini-skirt(well, they might if I did, since I'm a guy), but I'm sure the pastor would be sure to make some mention of where in the Bible it talks about dressing modestly in his sermon. ;)

I just wear the same stuff I wear for work, which I think is called business casual.

[beautifuldreamer]

Yeah, my church is casual as well, but I usually try to wear dress pants and a blouse, since that's the way I was raised. But, there are many weeks where i just wear jeans and a nice shirt or blouse.

[MrCleveland]

My church is basically like that.

Where does the quote "Being naked in church" come from?

[catlover79]

The contemporary service, which I am involved in, is very casual. The band is always in jeans and sneakers, and so am I. Casual but not sloppy. The earlier service is the traditional service, which is the one my parents and most of the older folk attend. They tend to be more dressy since that service is in the sanctuary. Our casual contemporary service is is the Praise Hall, which is a more easy-going atmosphere.

[Tweety]

It varies according to the time of year (I'm in Florida).

For a couple of months, December, January, maybe a little in February, it can be chilly (for Florida) on Sunday mornings. During those months, we'll dress up a little bit more, shirt and tie (oh, and pants too!)

But during spring, summer and fall, we'll usually go more more "dressy casual" attire.

Ushers at our church usually wear dark blue suits. Greeters (male and female) usually dress in what could be called "traditional" church attire... very nice clothes.

Most folks here go for comfort, although everyone tries to look nice.

Down here, a lot depends on the age mix in the church. My in laws, for example, attend a church which is dominated (attendance-wise) by "older" folks... 50s, 60s and beyond. There, they dress much more formally, at least shirt and tie, and very often suits. But churches with a "younger" mix (i.e. late 20s, 30s, 40s with or without families) usually go with a more casual dress "code".

The only time any kind of dress "code" is enforced is if someone is involved in certain areas of the service itself. But overall, it's pretty casual when it comes to dress.

[Schmoopie]

I don't go to church anymore, but when I was living in Texas our church was the traditional "dress up" for all services unless it was some sort of special occasion. The church I most recently went to is very laid back and casual. I still wore dresses and so forth but pretty much anything went. When the Seahawks played in the Superbowl I wore my Seahawks shirt!

[ponytail]

Joel Osteen said " I don't care how you come as long as you come."

[comedyfreak]

My church is casual some people dress up and some others are casual. I don't feel right if I don't wear a suit it comes from up bringing though, I have learned to go casual depends how I feel about myself or if I got up late and don't have time to get ready.

[Tweety]

A lot of times, how people dress for church might also depend on what they're doing and where they might be going AFTER church. If they're going out to a nice restaurant, they might dress up a little bit more. If they're going to a sporting event later in the afternoon, they'll be much more causal.

[Vito]

I once read a biographical article about Jimi Hendrix, and it mentioned that Jimi had loved going to church when he was a child. (If I remember correctly, he attended a Pentecostal church). Sadly, Jimi's family was very poor, so he always wore shabby clothes to church. One Sunday, the minister noticed Jimi's clothes and dragged him to the front of the church, telling the whole congregation "This young boy is dressed inappropriately for church. How dare you enter God's house looking like a slob". (Something like that -- I can't recall the exact words). Understandably, Jimi was extremely upset and never went back to church again.

Interesting story, and probably true.

[PlayOn]

I once read a biographical article about Jimi Hendrix, and it mentioned that Jimi had loved going to church when he was a child. (If I remember correctly, he attended a Pentecostal church). Sadly, Jimi's family was very poor, so he always wore shabby clothes to church. One Sunday, the minister noticed Jimi's clothes and dragged him to the front of the church, telling the whole congregation "This young boy is dressed inappropriately for church. How dare you enter God's house looking like a slob". (Something like that -- I can't recall the exact words). Understandably, Jimi was extremely upset and never went back to church again.

Interesting story, and probably true.

ohno:
Jesus wouldn't turn anybody away.

[Tweety]

ohno:
Jesus wouldn't turn anybody away.

Exactly right. It's absurd for a "pastor" to make a statement like that. Whether or not it happened to Hendrix, I couldn't say, but if it didn't really happen to him, I'm sure it's happened to a lot of people.

[catlover79]

If that really did happen to Jimi Hendrix, how sad. Maybe things might have turned out different for him.

Here is a picture of our church sanctuary, as decorated for last Easter. This is the "formal" part of our church, and the Praise Hall is the "casual" part, as seen on the previous page.

[*Pleasant Tomorrow*]

I don't really go to church anymore, but it was always pretty laid back. People would just wear whatever they normally wear. If I do go, it's usually on Christmas or Easter (yeah, I'm one of those lol) so I'd be dressed nicer anyway.

[gidgetgrape]

I once read a biographical article about Jimi Hendrix


I had something like happen to me when I was a kid. My parents didn't attend church, but I started going with my grandmother on Sundays and sometimes during the week for special programs. I LOVED bible school. There were several pastors, but the one "in charge" would always make a big deal about my shoes. I had to wear orthopedic shoes with braces that went up to my knees until I was in middle school. They were big, brown and ugly but they didn't really bother me much. I guess I was use to them. But, everytime the pastor saw me he had to mention my shoes and call them "cleats." It really started to bother me and eventually I stopped going to that church. I never told anybody why.

The crazy thing is that I heard a few years ago that this same pastor isn't able to walk now. Someone went to visit him and he had to drag himself to the door.

[Shine]

If that really did happen to Jimi Hendrix, how sad. Maybe things might have turned out different for him.

Here is a picture of our church sanctuary, as decorated for last Easter. This is the "formal" part of our church, and the Praise Hall is the "casual" part, as seen on the previous page.


I like this better than the "casual" part. Its quite beautiful.

[MickeyMac]

I think more and more churches are accepting towards a casual attire. Its not how you are dressed, but that fact you are there to worship the Lord that counts. Some people still dress up, and I think thats cool. Whatever gets you there Sunday morning.

[catlover79]

I think more and more churches are accepting towards a casual attire. Its not how you are dressed, but that fact you are there to worship the Lord that counts. Some people still dress up, and I think thats cool. Whatever gets you there Sunday morning.
AMEN!! :clap

[OH Nuts!]

I dunno. I'd feel funny going into a House of Worship not dressed nicely. At a minimum a dress shirt and dress pants. I'd feel I was being disrespectful if I wore something like jeans - that's just me.

[catlover79]

I dunno. I'd feel funny going into a House of Worship not dressed nicely. At a minimum a dress shirt and dress pants. I'd feel I was being disrespectful if I wore something like jeans - that's just me.
There's nothing wrong with feeling that way, Rich - to each his own!! :cool:

[charlie_voy]

I'm not a religious believer, but I'm interested in religious history and find it fascinating that churches can be concerned AT ALL with what people wear--since not only is there no Biblical warrant for it, but at the time of the Reformation it was held that wearing "nice" clothes was a type of vanity. That's why the Amish, Brethren, and people like that still dress the way they do--the plainer the better is the idea. Now, I think defining "plain clothing" in terms of what it was in the seventeenth century is kind of silly, but nowadays, jeans and a t-shirt would be our equivalent. Why would a church that is focused on the Gospel have a problem with that sort of dress?

[James]

I dunno. I'd feel funny going into a House of Worship not dressed nicely. At a minimum a dress shirt and dress pants. I'd feel I was being disrespectful if I wore something like jeans - that's just me.

:yeahthat

For the record I usually wear tan pants and a polo shirt to church. Some wear jeans, even shorts if the weather is right, but not me. Heck, I'd feel funny wearing a T-shirt there.

[sara]

I usually try to dress nicer for church, dress pants, nice top. I don't have a problem with people dressing more casual within reason. I don't think you should show too much cleavage for example. I also don't have a problem with T shirts as long as they aren't offensive. My feeling is you should still be respectful that it is a house of worship.

[MickeyMac]

At my church on Wednesdays, that day is pretty loose. Most people dont dress up for that service and its common during the summertime to see people in shorts (nicely dressed of course). The pastor dosent even wear a suit on Wednesday's but he wears very nice casual outfits.

[KJH278]

I where a Tux when I go to Church

[Vito]

One of my college classmates claimed that he once walked into a church wearing a toga and no shoes. Everyone stared at him in silence, and then he ran back out. Of course, it was a prank.

Those crazy college kids! :crazy:

[PlayOn]

At my church on Wednesdays, that day is pretty loose. Most people dont dress up for that service and its common during the summertime to see people in shorts (nicely dressed of course). The pastor dosent even wear a suit on Wednesday's but he wears very nice casual outfits.

Same with mine.

[JoPol_wannabe]

At my church most people dress nice or as they call it respectfully I mean we do have a few that dress casual and by casual I mean like if they wear jeans it usually the colored jeans like black or khakis and some women wear dress pants but there a few who do still wear dresses and like my dad wear suits with ties. And you won’t find to many people who come wearing shorts and t-shirts. I usually dress up for chruch. I either wear a skirt and a shirt or a dress sometimes I do wear nice dress pants but my mom taught me to never go to chruch in jeans and a t-shirt.

[OH Nuts!]

I had something like happen to me when I was a kid. My parents didn't attend church, but I started going with my grandmother on Sundays and sometimes during the week for special programs. I LOVED bible school. There were several pastors, but the one "in charge" would always make a big deal about my shoes. I had to wear orthopedic shoes with braces that went up to my knees until I was in middle school. They were big, brown and ugly but they didn't really bother me much. I guess I was use to them. But, everytime the pastor saw me he had to mention my shoes and call them "cleats." It really started to bother me and eventually I stopped going to that church. I never told anybody why.

The crazy thing is that I heard a few years ago that this same pastor isn't able to walk now. Someone went to visit him and he had to drag himself to the door.

Shame on him! It really boggles my mind sometimes just how UNGODLY some of God's helpers can be. In the same vein, what goes around comes around.

[OH Nuts!]

I had something like happen to me when I was a kid. My parents didn't attend church, but I started going with my grandmother on Sundays and sometimes during the week for special programs. I LOVED bible school. There were several pastors, but the one "in charge" would always make a big deal about my shoes. I had to wear orthopedic shoes with braces that went up to my knees until I was in middle school. They were big, brown and ugly but they didn't really bother me much. I guess I was use to them. But, everytime the pastor saw me he had to mention my shoes and call them "cleats." It really started to bother me and eventually I stopped going to that church. I never told anybody why.

The crazy thing is that I heard a few years ago that this same pastor isn't able to walk now. Someone went to visit him and he had to drag himself to the door.

Shame on him! And to a nice person like you. It really boggles my mind sometimes just how UNGODLY some of God's helpers can bme. In the same vein, what goes around comes around.

[Marvo301]

I've been going to the same church for over 40 years and things have changed over the years. When I was a child all the men wore suits and ties (and at least one of the little boys!) and all the women wore dresses. Now a days the dress is much more informal. All though many of the older folk dtill dress fairly formally. I usually were a shirt and tie(and pants!) but not a suit. i usually dress more casually on the days I teach children's church and am going to be hanging out with the kids.

[JT]

If people are going there for the reasons they claim to be going there for, then what everyone else is wearing should be the last thing on their mind, so I wear whatever's clean and not wrinkley whenever my mother drags me out to go. Plus, I never really got the whole "respect" thing. If God is everywhere all the time, he sees us when we're wearing even the trashiest of trashy clothes. He sees us when we're naked as jaybirds, too.

[ThomasE]

For those of you who attend church, how do you dress? Some churches are pretty laid back where you can wear anything from a nice fancy suit or dress, to simple jeans and a T shirt. The chuch I attend is pretty informal. Some people dress up while others go pretty casual.


My church is the same. Some people come dressed in jeans and t-shirt. I dress informal sometimes. I am there to receive the word of God and not to impress others.