Choosing your final outfit is a key part of planning your final farewell. Your choice in attire can ultimately play an important role in comforting your loved ones, creating a precious final memory, and reflecting your personality and religious or cultural identity. In this blog, we explore the personal and practical points to consider in selecting your last outfit.
Preferred Burial Method
Firstly, you should keep in mind the potential impact of your preferred burial method on the outfit choices that are open to you. For instance, if you opt for a natural burial, your final outfit must be entirely biodegradable. In other words, it must be made of materials such as wool, linen, or cotton, and must be free of any zips, synthetic fibres, elastic bands, or plastic buttons. Similarly, there are certain substances that cannot be cremated, such as rubber, glass, treated leather, latex, metal, and vinyl. Traditional burials, on the other hand, do not entail similar restrictions.
Effects of Death on the Body
The effects of death on a body can include discolouration or patching of the skin, bloating, and stiffening. As such, you may wish to avoid see-through fabrics and select a long-sleeved outfit to cover any discolouration of the skin or autopsy scars. Also consider whether the clothes that you wore during your lifetime will fit you after death and ensure that your chosen outfit is loose enough. Moreover, keep in mind that it is standard practice for funeral homes to cut clothes in order to dress the body more easily, and avoid selecting any clothing items that have sentimental value to yourself or your family.
Personal Factors
Within the bounds of the above restrictions, it is important that you choose an outfit that expresses your personality, makes you feel comfortable, and aligns with your religious or cultural beliefs. For instance, some people choose to be buried in formal attire, while others feel that their personalities are better represented by their favourite t-shirt or hoodie. Many people also subscribe to religious or cultural beliefs with specific requirements for burial clothes, such as symbolic colours, modesty stipulations, and ritual accessories. When it comes to the personal considerations related to your final outfit, there are no hard-and-fast rules, and the choices involved are really yours to make. However, if you feel that you need some guidance, you can always discuss your options with your funeral director, pastor, priest, family members, or cultural leaders.
Jewellery
Adding some jewellery to your final outfit can also be a great way to reflect your personality, incorporate sentimental items, and pay tribute to your hobbies and religious or cultural values. As certain types of jewellery can shift around, depending on the positioning of the body, you may wish to consider whether and how your body will be displayed and select your jewellery accordingly. Additionally, you should stipulate whether you want any jewellery items to be returned to your family members after your funeral service, or whether they are instead to be buried with your body.
Unseen Items
You may be wondering about whether to incorporate clothing items that will not necessarily be seen by anyone, such as underwear and shoes. Generally, to preserve the dignity of the deceased person, it is recommended that they be buried wearing underwear. However, shoes are generally not required, as they can be nearly impossible to place on a deceased person’s feet and are never in view during open casket services.
Making Statements
In short, once you’ve considered all the relevant factors, you should be ready to embark on the important task of choosing a final outfit that makes a statement reflective of your personality and beliefs. At this point, it is also important to remember to make another kind of statement, namely a written statement documenting your wishes on this. For your and your family’s convenience, consider getting My Final Farewell today to help you record these dual statements.
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