What to Wear to a Funeral: Charcoal, Navy or Black

If you have come to this page because someone has died, we are sorry. What follows is meant to be useful rather than consoling: a plain account of what to wear to a funeral, so that one decision is taken off your hands.

The short answer

A dark suit, a white or very pale shirt, a plain dark tie, dark shoes and dark socks. That is the whole of it. Nobody at a funeral is assessing your clothes. The reason to dress carefully is that it says you took the trouble, and then it stops being noticed, which is exactly what you want. If you own a dark suit, wear it. If you do not, read on, because there are good answers that do not involve buying anything.

Charcoal and navy as well as black

Black is not required. In Britain and across much of Europe a charcoal suit has been the ordinary funeral suit for a century, and a very dark navy is equally correct. A solid black suit can read slightly theatrical in daylight, and black cloth in anything other than a fine worsted looks flat. Charcoal sits better under California light and goes on being useful afterwards.

What matters is depth of colour rather than the colour itself. Mid grey is too light, and so is a navy that reads as blue across a room. Hold the cloth at arm's length in daylight: if it looks sober, it is sober enough, and our guide to choosing suit colours goes further. Plain cloth beats pattern: a faint herringbone is fine, a chalk stripe is not.

Shirt and tie

A white shirt is correct everywhere, and a very pale blue is acceptable. A plain point or semi-spread collar, pressed, sitting against the neck.

The tie should be dark and plain: black, charcoal, deep navy or oxblood, in a matte silk, a grenadine or wool. Nothing bright or shiny. A four-in-hand knot is enough. At many services in Los Angeles men go without a tie and nobody minds, but if you are unsure, wear one: a tie can be taken off in the car and cannot be conjured up in a church car park.

Shoes, socks and the rest

Black leather lace-ups, polished. A plain cap-toe oxford is ideal. Dark brown is acceptable with charcoal or navy, though black is safer. Dark socks, long enough that no ankle shows when you sit. No trainers. Funerals involve standing on grass, gravel and sometimes a hillside, so a sole you cannot walk in is a poor friend; our note on what shoes to wear with a suit covers the pairings.

What women can wear

There is more latitude and, oddly, more anxiety about it. Any of the following is correct: a dark suit with trousers or a skirt, a dark dress with sleeves or a jacket over it, or dark separates. Navy, charcoal, deep green and aubergine are all as proper as black. Hemlines at or below the knee, necklines high, sleeves or a jacket rather than bare arms, and a heel you can stand in on uneven ground.

Many women find a dark trouser suit the easiest thing to wear on a day when they would rather not think about clothes at all; our page for women's bespoke suits in Los Angeles covers how those are cut. The house dresses women as well as men.

What to avoid

Bright colour, loud pattern, logos, denim, shorts, trainers, a baseball cap. A dinner jacket, which belongs to the evening. Sunglasses indoors. Strong scent, which carries in a small chapel. And unless the family has asked for colour, do not take it upon yourself to brighten the day. Some do ask, usually in the notice, and that should be followed as written.

Warm weather in Los Angeles

A graveside service in the Valley in September is a genuine problem, and the answer is cloth rather than colour. A high-twist wool of nine to eleven ounces in charcoal keeps its shape in heat and lets air through, which a cheap dark synthetic will not, and an unlined jacket makes a real difference. Our guide to the best suit fabric for hot weather explains which cloths behave.

If you own one suit and have two days

This is the most common situation, and it is entirely manageable. If your one suit is dark, wear it. Have it pressed the same day; most dry cleaners in Los Angeles will press a suit while you wait if you ask kindly. Brush the shoulders. Polish the shoes, which takes ten minutes and changes how the whole outfit reads.

If your one suit is mid grey or light, wear it with a white shirt, a black tie and black shoes, and it will be unremarkable. A navy blazer with charcoal trousers is also acceptable. What you should not do is panic-buy a cheap black suit the night before: it will fit badly, and badly fitting clothes draw the eye in a way plain dark clothes never do.

We should be straightforward. Nothing we make can be made in two days: 4 to 12 weeks, depending on the cloth. What we can do, once the week is behind you, is make the dark suit you discovered you did not have. See how long a bespoke suit takes, and bespoke suit cost Los Angeles for the figures.

Questions we are often asked

Do you have to wear black to a funeral?

No. A dark suit is what is being asked for, and charcoal or a very dark navy is as correct as black. Follow black strictly only if the family has asked.

Is a navy suit acceptable at a funeral?

Yes, provided it is genuinely dark. A navy that reads as blue across a room is too light; one that reads almost black in daylight is right.

What tie should I wear to a funeral?

Plain and dark: black, charcoal, deep navy or oxblood, in a matte silk, grenadine or wool. No pattern and no sheen. At many services in Los Angeles men wear no tie, but if unsure, wear one.

What should a woman wear to a funeral?

A dark suit with trousers or a skirt, a dark dress with sleeves or a jacket, or dark separates. Navy, charcoal, deep green and aubergine are all proper. Hemline at or below the knee.

Can I wear a blazer and trousers instead of a suit?

Yes. A navy blazer with charcoal trousers, a white shirt and a dark tie is acceptable, and reads better than a poorly fitting black suit bought in a hurry.

What should I wear to a funeral in hot weather?

Stay dark and change the cloth rather than the colour. A high-twist wool of nine to eleven ounces, unlined, in charcoal. Avoid dark synthetic blends, which trap heat and shine in sunlight.

Can you make a suit in time for a funeral?

No, and we would rather say so plainly. 4 to 12 weeks, depending on the cloth. If you would like one made properly once the week is over, book a fitting or telephone 310-503-3592.

If you would like a dark suit made

We are a European house at 221 Culver Blvd in Playa del Rey, by appointment. Every garment is full canvas and fully bespoke, made by hand in our atelier in Southern Brittany, and a two-piece starts priced at consultation. A charcoal worsted is the suit we most often suggest a client start with, because it covers the days nobody plans for. See our page for custom suits Los Angeles, or talk it through with Robb. If it is the office you are dressing for, our note on business dress codes covers that instead.