What to wear to a funeral
Funerals call for dark, muted colors and a conservative cut, whatever the weather. Choose your city or enter the weather, and we'll pick dark pieces that suit the forecast, from snow to a heat wave.
Customs vary by family, faith and culture — if the family asks for something different (some memorials ask for bright colors), follow their wishes.
This is general dress etiquette, not legal advice.
Funeral dress etiquette
In any weather
- Wear
- Dark, muted colors: black, navy, charcoal or dark gray.
- A dark suit, a dark dress, or dark trousers or a skirt with a shirt or blouse.
- A conservative cut: covered shoulders, and skirts or dresses at knee length or longer.
- Clean, dark closed-toe shoes.
- Skip
- Bright colors and bold patterns.
- Shorts.
- Flip-flops and sandals.
- T-shirts with graphics, logos or slogans.
- Athletic wear.
- Revealing clothes.
- Denim, in most cases.
- Nice to have
- Tissues or a handkerchief.
- Simple, minimal jewelry.
- For a graveside service, shoes that can handle grass — skip stilettos.
If it's cold
- Wear
- A dark wool coat rather than a bright puffer; in deep cold a dark parka is fine — take it off indoors.
If it's cool or mild
- Nice to have
- A dark blazer or cardigan you can take off indoors.
If it's hot
- Wear
- Dark, breathable fabrics: linen, cotton or lightweight wool.
- Nice to have
- A dark jacket is optional in the heat — short sleeves are fine.
If it rains
- Wear
- A plain black or dark umbrella rather than a bright or patterned one.
- Nice to have
- Leave the umbrella at the door or coat check.
Dressing for something else?
How we worked this out
We start with the same weather outfit as the home page: the National Weather Service forecast for your city, or the weather you enter, adjusted for whether you run cold or warm. On this page we assume you walk part of the day, whatever activity you picked on the home page.
Then the occasion's rules take over: anything too casual for it is swapped for a piece that fits. In cold and cool weather the result is at least as warm as the weather outfit; in the heat, we pick lighter, breathable fabrics where the occasion allows. The checklist and the guide above come from the same rules.