Funeral Attire? In a bind

[StevenDElliott]

So there was a death in my family, funeral coming in a few days. Don't have a black suit (or dark grey is ok I'm told)


I do have dress shirts and ties so that's covered.


Any tips on Attire? Where to get something of decent quality (I'd like it to last at least 2-3 years)


I've been in the market for a nice suit, (IE Suit Supply) but I don't really want to spend the that kinda money on black.


Quick About ME:

Philadelphia,Recent Grad, Creative Industry, Athletic Slim Build. 6'1" 175lb

Few jackets I have are 38R I believe. I have a tailor so If need be We can work on that.

[LesserBlackDog]

It's a bit of a myth that you must wear black to a funeral. Any dark, sober suit would be appropriate for a funeral - charcoal and navy are the best options. Just make sure to skip the pinstripes or any other obvious patterns (subtle variations like heathering are ok).


If I were you, I would go ahead and splurge on a nice charcoal or navy suit that you will be able to wear for the next few years, rather than wasting money on a black suit that you will only get to wear for funerals.


Even though you say you have a tailor, keep in mind that you've only got a few days before the funeral, so take that into account if you plan on ordering something online or having it tailored. The fastest turnaround I've had from my tailor is about a week. Unless you have a really good relationship with your tailor, I wouldn't expect to be able to get any major changes done in a couple days.


As far as shirt and tie goes, go with a plain white or light blue shirt and a dark tie in a solid or conservative pattern.

[thmage]

Charcoal is appropriate, and it's a good suit to have in general.

[thomaspaine]

Don't waste your money on a black suit, a navy or charcoal suit will be fine. Wear a white shirt.


The last couple of funerals I've been to, I would say only about 25% of the guys even wore suits. Just try to dress respectful/conservative and you'll be fine.

[nicholascrawford]

Suit shopping is time consuming. For a major expense like that, you really want to try on a ton of options to find the right fit and feature set. For this, you're best doing as others are suggesting - dress respectfully, but don't rush out to buy a suit. You'll probably wind up buying something that's a real compromise.

[StevenDElliott]

thx for the reply guys. agred on all fronts. not thinking suit at this point.