In ancient times, when attending church, people wore only the best clothes they had. Many people know that temple servants condemn short shorts, skirts, and dresses. It is forbidden to approach the holy place in clothes with a neckline or cutouts on the back. A parishioner's makeup should be restrained and her perfume modest. Also in the canons there are prohibitions on wearing clothes that do not correspond to gender. In view of so many prohibitions, an unchurched person thinks that you can only come to church in a shapeless black jacket and a similar floor-length skirt. But this is not true at all. From this article you will learn how to dress for a woman in church, what to wear to a service for a man and children.
General rules
When a parishioner is going to attend a church service, he should understand that he is not going to a friendly party, but to a holy place, and he should look accordingly. In church, the main activity for any believer is unity with God and prayer; being distracted from the service is bad form; one should repent and pray, and extraneous thoughts are unacceptable. The Church was created for spiritual self-improvement, strengthening faith, cleansing the heart and soul from all that is bad.
The sacraments that take place in the church, weddings, baptisms, funeral services - these are sacred rites, and should not be interfered with under any circumstances.
If you understand this truth and the purpose of the space in the church, then there will be no questions about why something cannot be worn to church. The fact is that parishioners and church servants should not be distracted from prayers by each other’s appearance. We can outline general rules for attending church for all people:
- The overall appearance should be modest. Things should not stand out or look flashy. You cannot use clothing in church to attract attention, seduce, or try to distract from spiritual work.
- When going to church, you should avoid tight-fitting clothes.
- The larger the area of the body covered with fabric, the better. In clothing for church services, cuts and cutouts in any part of the garment are prohibited.
- It is contraindicated to wear things with bright, foreign inscriptions or blasphemous images, so that your outfit is not perceived by others as direct disrespect for the church.
- Women must be in the temple with their heads covered; men, on the contrary, are required to remove their headdress when entering the premises.
It turns out that there are not so many regulations and requirements for parishioners regarding clothing style. Every woman will have things in her wardrobe that meet these recommendations. If you don’t have such clothes at home, you can easily buy them and wear them not only to work, but also to various social events.
Non-believers invited to a solemn event in a temple must also dress in accordance with the norms and principles adopted by the religious organization. One should respect not only the faith, but also the people who organized the event.
How to sew a skirt for a church, temple with a wrap: models, patterns, photos
Wrap skirt models are always very original and interesting. Such products are easy to sew yourself, and even a novice craftswoman can do it. Here are a few models:
How to sew a skirt for a church, temple with a wrap: models, patterns, photos
How to sew a skirt for a church, temple with a wrap: models, patterns
How to sew a skirt for church, temple with a wrap: models
So, how to sew a skirt for a church, a temple with a wrap - patterns, photos:
This skirt is made not with ties, but with two buttons. You don't have to make pockets.
How to sew a skirt for church, temple with a wrap: patterns
More detailed pattern of a wrap skirt.
How to sew a skirt for church, temple with a wrap: patterns and photos
A wrap skirt is essentially a rectangular piece of fabric stitched on all sides. It can be gathered and sewn to the belt, or you can make darts and then sew the top to the belt. Any woman can sew such a skirt, even if she doesn’t have a sewing machine at home. All seams can be carefully finished by hand with a needle and thread.
How to dress as a woman
A worthy Orthodox woman must adhere to the following rules when going to church services:
- Say “no!” bright and flashy colors of fabrics. It is more than likely that a lady in neon or colorful clothes will look stupid when she comes to the temple, and with her appearance she will distract other people from their prayers.
- Choose clothes in calm shades and pastel colors. There is no requirement to dress up in black and gray to visit the temple. You can pay attention to clothes in purple, burgundy, and brown colors. The main thing is that the colors do not look too bright.
- Cover all areas of the body as much as possible, avoiding large cutouts and shortened models. There are many styles of women's clothing that you can wear to church: sundresses, sweaters, long skirts, dresses.
- Choose loose-fitting items. Clothing should not restrict the movement of the believing parishioner during the service.
In church life, it is believed that the main adornments of a woman are modesty, fidelity, humility, and love for God. But if in the world the church leadership cannot influence the shape and style of dresses, then within the walls of the church a believing lady is obliged to follow the laws that have developed over centuries. A prudent parishioner should not wear the following on her upper body:
- tops, T-shirts that leave bare arms, stomach, shoulders;
- T-shirts and sweatshirts with a neckline;
- clothes made of transparent fabrics;
- things that have inscriptions or images of something on them;
- colorful or bright shirts and sweaters.
The ideal clothing option for going to church is an opaque and non-tight shirt with long sleeves and a collar. This item is suitable for women with any figure. It is permissible to decorate the outfit with delicate, modest embroidery. Also suitable are such wardrobe items as:
- closed blouse made of opaque fabric;
- loose-fitting sweater;
- voluminous jacket;
- tunic.
In the hot season, short sleeves are not frowned upon. For example, it is appropriate to wear a modest blouse or T-shirt when going to church. But it is unacceptable to appear in the temple with bare shoulders, even if the weather is very hot. For summer, it is especially important to choose clothes made from natural fabrics; they are more pleasant to the body, allow air to pass through well and allow the skin to breathe.
With the selection of the upper part of the outfit, everything is simpler; it is more difficult to choose the right lower part for the female image of a parishioner.
The following were banned:
- jeans, trousers, sweatpants;
- shorts, capris, leggings, breeches;
- skirts to the knee and above, miniskirts;
- figure-hugging skirts;
- skirts made of translucent fabrics.
The right solution for going to church is a skirt made of opaque fabric, below the knee length.
Nowadays, full-length skirts are at the peak of fashion - this is a suitable option for attending religious services. You can wear a below-the-knee length skirt with a calm geometric print or a plain one.
Older ladies usually go to services in dark long skirts without a pattern.
The same laws apply to dresses - length that covers the kneecaps, covered arms, no neckline, calm color, loose fit.
If a woman comes to church in inappropriate clothes, she will be offered a loose skirt with ties and a scarf. Thus, the church dress code will be observed.
To attend the service you must wear comfortable shoes. Church services can last for several hours, so it would be a serious mistake to wear tight or high-heeled shoes.
In shoes, a parishioner should walk easily, withstand long periods of standing on her feet, and bow to the ground.
What is forbidden to wear to church:
- high heels and “clack”;
- open sandals and sandals;
- dirty shoes.
It is allowed to attend church in shoes with flat soles or small heels with a rubber heel.
Dress for church
A loose-fitting, trapezoidal dress with closed sleeves looks modest and dignified. The length of the dress should be below the knees. The floor-length dress covers open legs and shoes. A dress that is too long can be accidentally damaged by parishioners, choose the right length. It is better to avoid provocative cuts and smells. A high-neck dress covers the chest and part of the neck. The style of such a dress can be easily selected in any store. Modest details will emphasize the individuality of the hostess - a belt, piping, a small bow. A fluffy lower part of the dress may disturb other parishioners. A dress bought for a church for a woman will look decent and respectful if you pay close attention to the process.
How to dress for a man's service
Men are forbidden to come to church in a tracksuit. It is also unacceptable to visit a holy place in shorts, or in any clothing that exposes legs, for example, breeches, Bermuda shorts.
A believing parishioner should attend church in modest closed shoes; there should be no flip-flops in the church. Just like women, men are prohibited from entering the church wearing clothes with inscriptions or images.
The shirt should be loose and fully buttoned, even if it is hot.
The best outfit for a church service is a light shirt and trousers. In the old days, ties and jackets were welcomed, but now this rule has been abolished.
How to sew a skirt for a church, temple with pockets: models, patterns, photos
Pockets are a convenient thing because you can put money and other necessary items in them when going to temple. After all, it is inconvenient to go to church with a bag or package; you need nothing to interfere and your hands to be free. How to sew a skirt for a church or temple with pockets? Here are a few models with patterns and photos:
It will be easier if you make pockets along the side seam of the skirt. When you sew the side seam, do not sew the 10-12 cm wide hole at a distance of 15-20 cm from the top. Then cut out the pockets: 4 rectangles measuring 15 cm x 20 cm. Sew them and sew them to the side seams.
How to sew a skirt for a church, temple with pockets: models, patterns, photos
This elasticated skirt is sewn without a pattern. Take two panels 1 m wide and the length of the skirt. Sew them together, leaving holes for the pockets. Make and sew pockets. Sew an elastic band at the top. You can sew on belt straps. Insert the rubber and the skirt is ready.
How to sew a skirt for church, temple with pockets: models
Skirt with large patch pockets on the waist.
How to sew a skirt for church, temple with pockets: photo
Straight pencil skirt with a pleat at the front.
How to sew a skirt for church, temple with pockets: pattern
You can independently come up with your own model of a skirt with elastic or ties with pockets for the temple, and then sew it.
How to dress a child
There are no special regulations for children's clothing. Selecting clothes for children may have some concessions:
- Boys under 8 years old can wear shorts, with the exception of jeans and sports ones. The wardrobe item must be of a classic style.
- For girls, it is allowed to choose a knee-length dress, but the shoulders and back should not be exposed.
- Things should be well ironed and look neat.
- From the age of 7, a girl must wear a scarf; this should be done especially if the child takes part in the sacraments.
Which shoes to choose?
The main requirement for shoes is comfort and neatness. Moreover, it is meant that not only the parishioner should feel comfortable, but also those around her. Therefore, shoes with clicking heels are not suitable for going to church, as they distract the attention of the worshipers.
It is best to opt for shoes with flat soles or small heels. Whether it will be boots or shoes depends on the weather. An undesirable option are open-toed sandals.
Make sure your shoes are clean, otherwise you are disrespecting God.
Handkerchief
It is believed that a man is closer to God, and a woman should obey him. But this does not mean at all that according to the laws of Orthodoxy they are of lower rank. A man is stronger and more resilient, so it is believed that he is able to make better decisions and protect in case of danger. He stands in the church without a headdress. And the woman puts on a headscarf as a sign of humility.
What color should the scarf be?
There are no strict rules regarding the color of a scarf, but black has long been considered mourning. In Rus', the headdress was worn in accordance with the requirements of the church calendar:
- For 40 days of Easter they wore a red scarf;
- White was the color for Christmas;
- on the Day of the Holy Spirit and on Trinity - green;
- on the Mother of God holidays - blue and blue;
- on ordinary days - yellow.
In the old days, women wore a headscarf even on the street, with the exception of young girls. If a married lady was seen outside the walls of the house without a headdress, then she was classified as a harlot.
How to tie a scarf?
There are several ways to cover your head with a scarf, depending on the shape of the headdress and your personal preferences.
You can simply cover your head with a scarf and throw the ends over your shoulders back. You can pin a brooch in front.
There is another way: fold the scarf in half to form a triangle and tie it at the back or front.
Nowadays there are special hats on sale that look aesthetically pleasing, look like a hood and are pulled together with a cord around the neck.
When choosing clothes for visiting church, you should be guided by the principles of modesty, neatness and humility. There are no strict restrictions in a woman’s wardrobe. You just need to remember that the Temple is visited to read prayers and appeal to God.
Cosmetics and jewelry
It is best to do without makeup altogether and appear before God in a natural image. If you feel uncomfortable without makeup, then make it unobtrusive, barely noticeable. Brightly colored eyes and lips are not suitable for a church setting. As for lipstick, it should be excluded if you touch the icon with your lips. She leaves traces.
Perfume is not suitable for a place where a large number of people gather. Some people cannot tolerate strong odors, and mixing perfumes, if several people use perfume, will create a cacophony of smells. It's better if you smell soapy, fresh and clean.
Church canons are very strict when it comes to wearing jewelry. If you come wearing earrings or rings, there will be nothing wrong with that. You should only refuse elaborate jewelry, large and provocatively expensive.
