It’s not always the most joyous part of life, but it’s good to know what to wear to a winter funeral and even the things to consider if you will be at the cemetery.
Plus, we are joining forces with My Side of 50 to give you even more options.
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What to wear to a winter funeral
Jodie-Skirt and cardigan
Lesley-Pants and kimono
Charlotte-Black trouser suit
More Inspiration
Cathy of My Side of 50, and we are teaming up again after we collaborated 5 years ago with funeral outfits. This subject never goes away since death is a part of life. Therefore, I hope you not only get inspiration for the three of us but also from another woman over the age of 50. You can link to Cathy’s article here.
This part of life isn’t always presented with a save-the-date announcement. Even if you know the person is sick, you don’t automatically go out to the store looking for a winter funeral outfit. That’s why it’s good to have a couple of outfits already planned.
That means, go to your closet right now (go ahead, I’ll wait) and put together 2 looks that we could present here for what to wear to a winter funeral.
The reason I say 2 looks is so you’ll have options. You never know if it will be at a church (where you might want to be a tad dressier) or at the cemetery (where you need to concentrate on the outside elements).
Or what if one of the major elements of one of the looks is dirty? Always have a Plan B in place.
Insider tip: Just because you have these two funeral outfits pre-planned, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear the pieces at other times. It’s silly to keep a piece to ONLY wear to funerals or any other occasion.
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Jodie-Skirt and Cardigan
I realize that our society is much more casual now and many older women don’t even have skirts in their closets. Yet a skirt can be very appropriate as what to wear to a winter funeral.
And the faux leather skirts are very modern and comfortable. Midi-length skirts make it easy to sit plus you have coverage for modesty. You can layer them over tights for the cooler weather and they won’t stick to the tights like knit skirts (knit skirts won’t stick either if you are smart like my friend, Donna, and wear a nylon slip under the knit skirt).
What to Wear to a Winter Funeral with Color
Just because you are going to a funeral doesn’t mean you have to wear black. The societal rules have relaxed over the decades, and you will fit in with any darker or somber color.
Some funerals now are requesting happier colors depending on what the deceased requested. Many people plan their funeral requests while they are alive and want it to be a celebration instead of a sad event.
Insider tip: If you are good friends with the deceased’s family, it’s never a bad idea to ask about the dress code before attending the funeral.
If in doubt, brown or navy is a great option so you’re not too somber, but still respectful.
In fact, many people will say that just being there to support the family is what is important.
I opted for a brown midi skirt, print blouse, and burgundy cardigan. What you may notice is that burgundy and brown almost seem like the same color.
Insider tip: Brown pairs with all colors as well as black does. Don’t be afraid to try different color combinations.
Are Details Important?
You may think that wearing accessories isn’t important as part of what to wear to a winter funeral, but the day isn’t about being plain. It’s about being respectful and showing the deceased’s family that you care.
This blouse was made by my mother years ago. In fact, I wore it at the start of my blogging journey when we were discussing bow tie blouses. Its bow tie is very short, so I used my Maggie Snaps magnet to hold them together.
The shoes are a recent addition from a giveaway and I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how comfortable they are. I wore them with my Sheec no-show socks. For this pair of shoes, I wore the mid-cut style. Flats are always a great option of what to wear to a winter funeral in case there is a lot of standing or if you might be going out to the cemetery. And even though the outfit is darker, I think it’s perfectly appropriate to wear lighter color shoes. These are basically my skin color and so you don’t really notice them.
Lesley- Pants and Kimono
Lesley chose to wear a navy outfit for what to wear to a winter funeral. She is embracing the fact that the winter weather in the southern part of the country does not get as cold. So she wore lightweight pants with a kimono and closed-toe shoes.
This proves the point that navy is a very viable option of what to wear to a winter funeral instead of always resorting to black.
Kimonos and Capes
For those of you living in the colder areas of the world, another option instead of a kimono would be a cape, wrap, large scarf, or even a long cardigan.
But in the warmer areas, don’t rule out a kimono. Lesley has worn one over a long-sleeve, sweatshirt tunic in the past.
For any of these toppers, you can also wear a belt with them if they seem too flowy and overwhelming.
Insider tip: My best trick with a scarf or cape when wearing a belt is to only use the belt for half of the item, either have it show on the back half of the outfit or the front half of the outfit. I’ve shown this trick with a kimono in this article.
Necklace Hack
And I was SO excited to see that Lesley had used this necklace hack. It’s one that I videoed here on one of my social media platforms (even if you aren’t on social media, you should be able to watch it).
The trick is if you have a necklace that you want to be longer, attach either a bracelet or another necklace to it. I call this being the boss of your clothes. Just because your necklace comes in a certain length doesn’t mean you can only wear it that long.
As you can see Lesley added a gold bracelet to the clasps of her necklace to give it more length. Brava!! I also love that she wore red accents in the outfit so it creates more dimension.
BTW, her shoes are the Walking Cradle sneakers called the “Orleans” which may be sneakers yet they look like a loafer so you can wear them from the gym and even out to dinner.
Charlotte-Black Trouser Suit
Charlotte went with the classic black outfit for what to wear to a winter funeral and added in accents of leopard.
We could call this outfit a creation made by my mother. She hand-sewed almost every clothing item that she is wearing for this look. The suit, the shirt, and even the purse were all crafted by Charlotte.
The suit material is a crepe that is lightweight and hangs beautifully.
Insider tip: This is a great suit to have for either winter or summer funerals. You can always wear layers under the items if it’s cold, and also break up the pieces to wear individually.
Color Combination: Black and Brown
While black is classic for what to wear to a winter funeral, I think the addition of the brown top and leopard accents give it more pizzazz. Black and brown are both considered neutrals and work well together, as witnessed by the leopard accents.
Insider tip: Your color combinations can be inspired by a print you already love in your closet. For example, take a scarf and use it as the color scheme for an outfit.
The brown material for the shirt was gifted to my mom by a neighbor years ago. Instead of leaving it plain, she found an owl applique at JoAnne Fabrics and made it more interesting.
Leopard Accents with your Funeral Attire
Just as I talked about wearing accessories for a funeral, it’s not a bad thing to make your outfit individual to your style. Looking respectful for the occasion does not mean having to look dowdy.
Charlotte also wore flat loafers and these are the Walking Cradle loafers called the Wren. Considering the suit is classic, it’s nice to see some shoes with personality.
Since my mom wasn’t wearing hosiery with her pants, she opted for her Sheec no-show socks also. This brand is the best at staying up since they are sized for your feet as well as they have unique fabric blends and patented technology that makes them better than just any ordinary no-show sock.
The other item that Charlotte made is her purse. I have one just like it, and it’s made out of…are you ready? Placemats!! Now my mom did this way before YouTube, but I found a similar DIY if you’re interested.
Granted the video I shared to make the purse isn’t the same shape. But if you’re crafty enough to want to do this, I bet you might be able to finagle a way to make it any shape you want.
More Inspiration
The subject of what to wear to a winter funeral is something that you may not have the time to plan for, so it’s good to have ideas so it won’t be a stressful time.
We have delved into the subject many times before on this site, so make sure to check out the ideas
1-What to wear to the burial ceremony
2-What color to wear to a funeral
3-Can I wear blue to a funeral where I collaborated with Kay Harns
4-Casual yet respectful outfit for a funeral
Make sure to give Cathy at My Side of 50 a gander for more ideas of what to wear to a winter funeral.
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