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Help with funeral dress/outfit please

57 replies

Hotsunights · 01/08/2024 23:48

For next week so my problem is I think it's going to be hot. I don't feel black is appropriate as for someone in their 50's.

I'm of similar age, slim, 5 ft 4"

Price range up to about £100

Thank you!

OP posts:
Evenstar · 02/08/2024 00:12

It’s a tricky time of year to buy cooler stuff, the sale stuff has largely gone and the winter stuff isn’t really in. I had a short sleeved navy dress from M and S a few years ago for a summer funeral, but couldn’t see anything similar online.

spikeandbuffy · 02/08/2024 00:15

Have they specified a dress code? Unless it said specifically not to, I would always go very dark grey/black/navy if pushed

IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle · 02/08/2024 01:10

Evenstar · 02/08/2024 00:09

What about this in navy linen from White Stuff? They have a petite fitting too https://www.whitestuff.com/p/3291/ivy-linen-v-neck-midi-dress/DARK_NAVY

What a nice, wearable, everyday dress. Definitely suitable. It's a brand I've never looked at. It looks much more expensive than it is - covering the buttons in fabric is a nice touch.

Hotsunights · 02/08/2024 09:28

Thank you everyone, no dress code that I know of. Yes was definitely along the lines of safe, navy dress. Can I have bare legs? If dress long enough obvs.

OP posts:
Evenstar · 02/08/2024 15:10

I had bare legs for the funeral I mentioned earlier, but I did wear a smarter court shoe with a small heel in navy which looked smarter than a sandal. I also put a little self tan lotion my legs the night before.

Edited to say it was London with a tube journey and temperatures were pushing 30° so in high temperatures so felt bare legs were necessary!

Hotsunights · 02/08/2024 16:48

Thank you 😊.

Footwear.....urgh yes

OP posts:
DappledThings · 02/08/2024 16:54

Yes you can have bare legs and sandals to keep cool. It's fine.

Evenstar · 02/08/2024 17:34

@Hotsunights do you have anything already? If not do you need wider fitting, what heel height or do you need flats?

Hotsunights · 02/08/2024 18:00

I live in trainers, have some brand new navy ones but guess that's a total no no. It's so daft, i must have been to 25 funerals easily but never a summer one weirdly. I'm not even close to the person who died but there will be a lot of people attending and don't want to offend anyone.

OP posts:
IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle · 02/08/2024 18:34

Do you not have any shoes or ankle boots. You could wear the navy dress linked with black or brown ankle boots but you'd need black or near black tights. Tbh I wouldn't go bare legged no matter what footwear. It's not that hot.

Or these are cheap and smart

These are navy but there's no reason why you can't wear black shoes with a navy dress, if you have only black.

Cheapest pair of ok shoes found on a quick Google search

Evenstar · 02/08/2024 18:36

These might be a compromise between a shoe and a sandal, Pavers are very comfortable and as a non heel wearer I find I cope OK with a block heel. In the sale and looks like there’s a code for an extra 20% https://www.pavers.co.uk/products/peep-toe-slingback-high-heels-huang35005-322-263

Help with funeral dress/outfit please
Hotsunights · 02/08/2024 18:38

Oh thank you, yes maybe a pair of ballet pumps would suffice?

OP posts:
Evenstar · 02/08/2024 18:42

Ballet pumps would be perfect, do you have those?

IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle · 02/08/2024 19:10

Frenchsplit · 02/08/2024 18:43

I’d wear black to be safe. This jumpsuit or something similar would work and solve the tights problem. Nice shoes

Personally I think that creates more problems than it solves temperature wise and doesn't look right for a funeral.

Navy is fine for a funeral.

Evenstar · 02/08/2024 19:17

I personally wouldn’t consider a jumpsuit appropriate for a funeral

hby9628 · 02/08/2024 19:40

I wore this to my dads funeral last week. It was a really warm day

I wore it with a khaki jacket, animal print sandals and coloured earrings.
I didn't really want to wear black but it was the coolest thing I could find & I wanted to be comfy. It's going to be a useful dress in the warm weather. They do it in khaki too

www.apricotonline.co.uk/boxy-tiered-midi-dress/Dp374-Black.html

DappledThings · 02/08/2024 19:46

Navy is fine, green is fine, purple is fine, bare legs are fine, sandals are fine, a jumpsuit is fine.

I've been to about 30 funerals, nearly all of which have been elderly people. None of the above outfits would have stood out in any way.

The only time I saw anyone actually dressed inappropriately was DH's uncle's ex wife who turned up to DH's grandad's in fuschia leopard print. Even then nobody was offended, she just looked rather silly.

Hotsunights · 02/08/2024 20:23

DappledThings · 02/08/2024 19:46

Navy is fine, green is fine, purple is fine, bare legs are fine, sandals are fine, a jumpsuit is fine.

I've been to about 30 funerals, nearly all of which have been elderly people. None of the above outfits would have stood out in any way.

The only time I saw anyone actually dressed inappropriately was DH's uncle's ex wife who turned up to DH's grandad's in fuschia leopard print. Even then nobody was offended, she just looked rather silly.

Trouble is this funeral isn't for an elderly person sadly. I think black is a bit Victorian? Old fashioned and too dramatic? I don't want to draw attention to myself whatsoever.

OP posts:
Hotsunights · 02/08/2024 20:24

hby9628 · 02/08/2024 19:40

I wore this to my dads funeral last week. It was a really warm day

I wore it with a khaki jacket, animal print sandals and coloured earrings.
I didn't really want to wear black but it was the coolest thing I could find & I wanted to be comfy. It's going to be a useful dress in the warm weather. They do it in khaki too

www.apricotonline.co.uk/boxy-tiered-midi-dress/Dp374-Black.html

Thank you and I'm so sorry about your Dad 😞 xx

OP posts:
Hotsunights · 02/08/2024 20:25

Evenstar · 02/08/2024 18:42

Ballet pumps would be perfect, do you have those?

Just looking now, they're all a bit dull and not my normal thing (I'm more of a DM's person) but obviously this isn't about me!

OP posts:
IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle · 02/08/2024 20:36

Hotsunights · 02/08/2024 20:23

Trouble is this funeral isn't for an elderly person sadly. I think black is a bit Victorian? Old fashioned and too dramatic? I don't want to draw attention to myself whatsoever.

I agree that going full on black can risk being attention seeking.

Frenchsplit · 02/08/2024 21:33

Black is the accepted funeral wear here in Scotland and anything else would make you stand out

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