To wear jeans to a christening?

[Greedytiger]

I am breastfeeding so can’t wear any of my usual dresses. Can I wear black jeans and a smart ish jumper?

I say go for it! I’m a church goer (albeit not as regularly as I would like) and had DD christened last year and I’m pretty sure my partner wore jeans and a shirt and nobody cared.

It's not about the church though. If I was invited to a naming ceremony in a hotel Id still dress appropriate to the occasion. Same with a wedding or funeral, doesn't have to be in a church!

All the cliquey unwritten rules that the 'regulars' use to judge other people.
And yet nearly all of the people on the thread who have said they are currently regular churchgoers have said jeans are fine

@NerrSnerr EXACTLY that! The most devout Christians I know would giggle at the thought of having to dress up for a church service. At our church there's lots of moving around, getting down to child-level when involving them in sermons etc. It would be difficult in heels and skirt!

Nanny0gg why do you need an excuse not to wear jeans? Just wear something else on any random Wednesday...

I got told to enjoy the excuse to wear a dress to my sister's wedding when I was mildly fed up about having to waste time and money on buying one I'd probably never wear again, and ditto DD who never wears dresses or skirts and doesn't feel comfortable in them but has fantastic dress sense and dresses beautifully.

I don't enjoy the excuse to be told what to do - I wear sun dresses occasionally if it's very hot and I'm just going to laze around in a very informal way in the garden or on holiday, but I don't feel comfortable in them otherwise. I don't need an excuse to do something that makes me uncomfortable and neither does DD.

I did wear a dress to pacify my mother - and it was windy and I wished I'd worn trousers. I didn't make DD wear a dress (on the basis I didn't make her brothers wear dresses, or silly bow ties and waistcoats they'd have been uncomfortable in) and she looked lovely in white jeans and a very nice top and jewelry. She was, and looked, far more comfortable than me.

I’m a regular church-goer, and you should wear whatever you feel comfortable in. Jeans are fine.

I wore jeans to church today, but that was because I was having a day off. Usually I wear a cassock because I’m the minister.

I hate dresses, skirts and never wear heels.

I went to a double baptism stout local village (read suburban) church. The families didn't know each other. One family were dresses to the nines with hat and fascinators, the other family were jeans and nice tops.

God doesn't care what you wear. The baby doesn't care what you wear.

If you personally wouldn't wear black jeans to a wedding or funeral don't to a baptism. (I might wear black jeans to a funeral but not a wedding) although I've been to three weddings where the bride and groom largely couldn't care less what I wore.

Although I do get how difficult it is to wear anything but jeans when breastfeeding- I think I lived in one pair of jeans for six months.

It's not the fact that it's in a church. It's a formal occasion, regardless of where it takes place

My DC's baptisms were not formal in that way. They followed the solemn rite as part of the normal service and were a very important occasion in the church followed by a few friends and family back to ours for barbeque and cake.

Significant yes, but not formal. I would hate to think anyone agonised in the least about what to wear.

A baptism is much more than a formal occasion!

And it does matter that it happens in church!

So it is very important that the OP wears what she is comfortable in, and that no one turns up their nose at her for wearing jeans!

Those who would insist that anyone has to dress up for church is missing the point.

James 2:1-4

Warning against Partiality

2 My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favouritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? 2 For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, 3 and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Have a seat here, please’, while to the one who is poor you say, ‘Stand there’, or, ‘Sit at my feet’, 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

Regular church attender. My God would be delighted to have you as a guest in church. The clothes really don’t matter at all.

@Nerrsnerr blimey no, people wouldn’t be so rude because it’s actually a really lovely community. I doubt anyone would say anything, but they might think that it was a bit odd. Although baptisms are now part of a normal service, the parents/family/guests tend to dress a little more formally than they would for a normal Mass. The priest is fab, he’s really revitalised the parish, went to the local school etc.

No absolutely not.

I wouldn't, but it's up to you.

We dressed smartly for my son's christening in October - and our guests did too (e.g men in suits, women in naice outfits etc). And no, it wasn't "for social media".

I went to a christening where one of the godfathers wore a white tracksuit .
You'll look fine in smart jeans and a nice top.

The only point of that event is to indoctrinate an infant into some religion, the guests clothing shouldn’t matter, anyone who thinks otherwise is missing the whole point of the superstitious ritual they’re participating in.

Wear whatever feels comfortable. Nobody will notice what you’re wearing.

"Nobody will notice what you’re wearing."

Why do you think this?

"The only point of that event is to indoctrinate an infant into some religion, the guests clothing shouldn’t matter, anyone who thinks otherwise is missing the whole point of the superstitious ritual they’re participating in."

"Too many people see it as an excuse for a party or an event so distant relatives can meet the baby and not for it's real reason."

That's up to the priest/vicar/minister isn't it? If they're happy to perform the christening, then who are you to argue against it? There seems to be a lot more criticism of people who don't practise all the time having christenings than there is of them having church weddings.

Well I wouldn't. I was very pregnant at the last one I went to but managed a nice dress. Everyone was pretty dolled up; women in dresses and men in jackets etc.

Not OK. I woukd think you were being disrespectful to the family if you turned up to what is an important day for them dressed on jeans

Not OK. I woukd think you were being disrespectful to the family if you turned up to what is an important day for them dressed on jeans

Whereas I would just be grateful you came.

Why is it disrespectful to wear jeans? I wear them to work, at home, out shopping, in a restaurant- what’s different about a church?

I went to a christening recently and wore black jeans with heels and a smart top - was fine. A good few were in jeans too