What to Wear to Church in Austin

Matthew 6:28-31

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

I wouldn’t really say we worried about what to wear to church when I was growing up, but we intensely cared about it.

We shopped for school clothes, and we shopped for church clothes – two totally separate things.  As in 5 school outfits and two church dresses.  School shoes and church shoes.  Separate things.  School clothes vs. church clothes was sometimes the Sunday morning battleground. No matter how badly you wanted to wear your new floral bell-bottom pants to Sunday School, you knew your mom was not going to let you.

Adults had their own set of guidelines.  Could a woman wear pants on Sunday morning?  Only if she had a broken leg and had to cover the cast.  Men in jeans? No way, no how.

Getting five kids and two adults “ironed and ready” for church was hard work.  I’m tremendously grateful to my mom for making sure we got there.  It was worth it – but it wasn’t easy.

School clothes vs. church clothes.  Never the twain should meet.

Basically, these “rules” still applied when I was raising my kids.  However, over time, things have changed, and I think we can all say we’re over that.  We don’t want to show up in our jammies or workout clothes and tennis shoes, but gone are the days of Sunday morning hair bows, ironing boards and hurried bowls of Fruit Loops.  Basically, what you wear to work or school can also be worn to church, even on Sunday morning.

And I’m fine with that.  In fact, I think we’re all fine with it.

Especially in Austin.

If you come too dressed up, you’ll be overdressed.  If you come in your flannel house pants, no one will bat an eye or tell a deacon.  Men wear shorts, and women wear off-the-shoulder.  At first, it bothered me.  Have you noticed how “bothering” sometimes snuggles up a little closely to “worrying?”  It no longer bothers me, and I’m not anywhere close to worried about it.

Here’s how I’ve learned to get past my past when it comes to dressing for church.

No judgment.  I care about what I wear.  I do not care about what someone else wears. After a stressful week at work, going to church on Sunday is just exactly what I need.  I can’t let what someone wears (or doesn’t wear) influence my thoughts and worship.  My Granddaddy shined his black leather shoes every single Sunday morning, because he wanted to give his best to God in worship, and that’s the way we should look at it.  But going to church shouldn’t be made stressful by worrying what we’ll wear, and if someone who hadn’t attended in a while was hesitant to come because they didn’t have the “right” clothes, that would be a crying shame.

So, if you live in Austin, come to church in your flannel jammies – just come.  And if you’re planning a trip to Austin that includes church on Sunday, don’t worry about packing a suit and tie!

I’m so glad it’s easier now than it was when my kids were little.  This is as dressy as you’ll EVER see us at church in Austin. Hold it – is Kelsey wearing floral “‘bell-bottom” pants??

Encouraging a life filled with everyday intentional adventure and less worry about what we wear,

Here are a few other posts you might enjoy:

Get Through This with 20 Encouraging Scriptures

One Really Great Reason to Be a Member of a Church

The First Time I Went to Black Church