Funeral Home Advice For Final Service Outfits For The Deceased

When you are in the midst of loss, it can be very hard make decisions and plan all of the necessary details. Fortunately, you have the professionals at funeral homes working to help you through the process, as well as your family and friends. You need to complete the planning process so you can give your loved one the services they need—and the services they deserve. One decision you will need to make is what outfit you want them to wear for their viewing. Here’s some advice from the funeral home professionals.

Something That Fits Well

It might sound silly, but appropriately sized clothing is important. During a final illness your loved one may have lost or gained weight or undergone medical procedures that require you to use or not use certain types of clothing (such as avoiding short sleeve clothing or low cut necklines). While minor alterations can be made to adjust for size changes, significant changes in size will require providing clothing to reflect those changes. Using appropriately size clothing creates a better appearance which is more comforting to those paying their respects at the viewing.

Something You Can Afford

If you have decided you want to get something new for your loved one to wear, whether you want to keep their old clothing or have another reason to want something new, it should be something you can afford. You don’t have to go all out at the most expensive store in town. Rather choose something in your budget range that looks suitable for your loved one’s style. If you can’t afford it, it’s probably too much anyway.

Something They Would Appreciate

Consider what your loved one wore when they were alive and what they were most comfortable in. If they liked to dress up, putting them in a dress or a suit might be a nice fit. If they abhorred dressing up, placing them in jeans and their favorite t-shirt might be a better idea. Whatever they are wearing, you want them to look like them and that means going along with their style and what they would appreciate. Frequently we see people wear sports themed clothing or clothing from memorable events (50th anniversary or wedding party), traditional ethnic garb (kilts, lederhosen, Sari, etc) and even souvenir clothing from concerts or favorite vacation destinations.

Something That Suits The Occasion

If you are having a formal funeral for your loved one, and everyone will be dressed nicely, you might not want to have them in cozy pajamas. On the other hand, at a service that is more light-hearted where you have asked people to dress casually, you don’t want your loved one to be formal. Dress them in something that suits the occasion you have planned for them within their final service.

There are lots of things to think through and the experts at the funeral home will help you with every detail. Whether you have had to create final service plans in the past or not, Hopler & Eschbach Funeral Home is here to be the new tradition in your family. We can help you with your loved one now, your own final service plans in the future if you want to plan ahead, and everything in between.