When you attend a wake, you are there to express your feeling for the loss of the person. The purpose of social gatherings around the deceased is to reflect how the loss of the person has affected the social group. So, you should show your respect towards the deceased and the family of the deceased. As you want to show respect and support to the family at their difficult time, you should dress appropriately. To help you know what to wear to a wake, we will give you a guideline in this article.
What Is a Wake?
A wake is a social gathering that occurs after the death of a person. A wake is different from a funeral, and it is held before a funeral. People attend a wake to visit the family of the deceased and to share and recall the memories of the deceased. There are also certain rituals regarding a wake. In modern days, some families also choose a funeral home to perform a wake or gather in a different place that is convenient for many guests.
Things to Keep in Mind before Selecting Your Dress:
There are certain things that you should know regarding the choice of color and pattern of your dress and the seasonal choice of your dress.
Color Choices:
- The traditional color for wake attire is the subdued colors. For this reason, black is the most appropriate color choice for a wake. Apart from black color, you can also wear dresses with navy blue, gray, and brown color.
- You should always try to avoid wearing bright-colored dresses.
Pattern Choices:
- Your shirts and dresses should have a simple pattern.
- You should avoid wearing dresses with large patterns or loud prints.
Seasonal Choices:
What to Wear to a Wake in Summer Season?
In the case of Summer, you can avoid wearing jackets, sweaters, or business suits. Even though we prefer to wear light-colored dresses in Summer, you should make sure that the colors of your dress must be subdued for a wake. A combination of shirt, pants, and a tie is a perfect dress for men in Summer. A woman can wear dress slacks or a skirt and a blouse to attend a wake.
What to Wear to a Wake in Winter Season?
If you are in a really cold region, you can wear a sweater, pants, and snow boots. In other cases, Sunday attire or business attire is more appropriate. Wearing jackets, blazer in Winter is very common for attending a wake.
What to Wear to a Wake for Women?
As a woman, while you are trying to find out what to wear to a wake, you should always keep in mind that your dress patterns and accessories should be very simple, but not so casual. For that, it is better to wear Sunday attire or business attire. Here are some following suggestions for the attire of women to attend a wake-
- Dark Colored Dress:
You can wear a dark-colored dress, and this is very common attire for a wake. A blazer or a jacket on your dress can give you a more formal look. For the black dress, dark dress shoes would be perfect footwear.
- Business Attire:
For a wake, you can also wear a combination of a business skirt, jacket, and blouse. With this dress, you should wear proper formal shoes and avoid wearing high heels.
- Dress Slacks:
A pair of dark dress slacks with a blouse and a jacket or a sweater can be a perfect dress to attend a wake.
- Accessories:
You should not wear lumpy neckless or big earrings and other noisy accessories. Instead, you can wear pearl earrings or a string of pearls.
Not to Wear Tips:
Women should always avoid wearing mini-skirts, spandex, blouses with low cleavage, light-colored dresses, high heels, and noisy accessories.
What to Wear to a Wake for Men?
For men, there are different options to choose what to wear to a wake. However, you should always try wearing formal dresses instead of casual dresses.
- Formal Dress:
A man can wear a white shirt with dark pants and a dark-colored tie in order to attend a wake.
- Business Attire:
A business attire that includes a dress shit or a suit is a preferable dress for a wake. You should wear a tie with your dress.
- Trousers:
A crunchy dress shirt and a tie with suit trousers is another perfect option for men.
- Dress Shoes:
When you will be dressed for a wake, you should always wear appropriate dress shoes.
Not to Wear Tips:
Men should always avoid wearing jeans, graphics t-shirts, light-colored dresses, vibrantly printed ties, and sports caps. These dresses give a very casual look which is not appropriate for a wake.
Wrapping Up: What to Wear to a Wake
Here, we have discussed some dress options for attending a wake. Whenever you have to wear something to a wake, you should always choose traditional conservative dresses. Above all, an appropriate dress can help you show your respect towards the family of the deceased.
