# Attire at Catholic funeral in the South?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attire-at-catholic-funeral-in-the-south/185323>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 30, 2003, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attire-at-catholic-funeral-in-the-south/185323 "2003-06-30T10:50:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attire-at-catholic-funeral-in-the-south/185323/1 "2003-06-30T10:50:34Z")

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My daughter and I are going to a funeral this evening (her ex-boyfriend’s mother) at a Catholic church. I haven’t been to a Catholic church in many years – like, back in the '70s! – but I remember having to wear a hat, or, since I didn’t have a hat, pin a hankie on my head. I’ve heard that this is no longer the case, but my Catholic connection is incommunicado and I want confirmation.

Also, I’ve only ever been to funerals in California, which is a good deal more casual than Virginia. In California, I’ve always just worn modest, quiet, church-type clothes to funerals without sweating that they be black. As it happens, I have a black coatdress with off-white collar and cuffs, but what about my daughter? She’s 16 and doesn’t have anything black that’s also appropriate for church. I was going to have her wear an olive green pants suit with a black shell underneath. Will that be OK?

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**Author:** ![Ardrine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@Ardrine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ardrine)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attire-at-catholic-funeral-in-the-south/185323/2 "2003-06-30T11:06:24Z")

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I’m not American, but those clothes sound fine to me for a Catholic funeral.

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**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attire-at-catholic-funeral-in-the-south/185323/3 "2003-06-30T11:40:05Z")

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Catholic in Tennessee here.

The clothes sound fine - the main thing is that they are subdued colors, so both outfits sound appropriate.  
You have no need to wear a hair covering in a Catholic church anymore. No one will (or should) look at you strangely, ask you to cover your head or anything if the like.