Dressing a Loved One for Their Burial or Cremation
Planning a funeral for a loved one can result in a number of unexpected decisions. For example, what should your loved one be wearing for their burial or cremation? Hopefully they left instructions regarding this matter, and then it's just a case of honoring their wishes. But when no such information is available, how do you decide?
Suitable Attire or No Attire
Your loved one doesn't actually have to wear anything for burial. When the funeral service won't feature an open casket, no clothing is actually necessary. It's a matter for discussion amongst you and your family, and some of you might find this option to be distasteful, instead preferring that your loved one is laid to rest in suitable attire. But what is suitable attire?
Making the Decision
Unless your loved one has left specific directions about what they should be wearing when they're buried, it's something you and your family must decide. It could be relatively simple, such as a suit or a dress, or you might want your loved one to be buried in an item of clothing that you knew they loved.
Purchasing Clothing
You can purchase something specifically for the burial, but this is generally not necessary, unless you have decided that your loved one should be laid to rest in something designed for the purpose, such as a burial robe or shroud. Generally speaking, you can easily choose something from amongst your loved one's belongings.
Cremation and Clothing
The same general rules apply for cremation, but there are some materials that are unsuitable for cremation. These can include some types of leather clothing and rubber shoes. However, if this is the clothing your loved one requested, it could be that they can wear their favourite leather jacket for an open casket funeral, which can then be removed prior to cremation. Mention this to your funeral director, and they can make the necessary arrangements.
Open Casket Funerals
On the topic of an open casket funeral, this can sometimes affect the choice of clothing for your loved one. When your loved one died due to an accident resulting in bodily trauma, or if they were an organ donor, it might be necessary to conceal certain parts of their body. You will be advised if this is the case, allowing you to choose the most appropriate clothing for an open casket funeral.
Choosing the last clothing your loved one will ever wear can be hard, but you'll want to make a choice you know they would have been happy with.