Dressed In Sunday Best

"Anyone can get dressed up and be glamourous,

but it is how people dress on their days off that is 

most intriguing."

- Alexander Wang

     When I walked into school today I was wearing a black maxi skirt, a maroon long sleeve v-neck and mustard yellow button down cardigan. Oh I can't forget my infinity scarf. Also when I walked in, I had my backpack on, was carrying two hot/cold mugs and a container of soup. My hair was frizzy thanks to the rain outside and my TOMs were a little wet. As I trudged up the stairs, I pretty much wanted to go back to bed on this dreary day. However, two dearhearts were seemingly waiting for me. I stopped to talk to them and after having a discussion of petitioning for rainy days off, one of them told me a story about her Sunday Church Clothes outfit. A direct quotation, "I was feeling very Miss G-ish." 

     If you asked my 18-year old sister, she would tell you that I have no sense of style. What she means by that is that my style is not the same as her style. Basically if you went on Pinterest and searched Fall Fashion, you would find some things similar to what I wear on the reg. Long skirts, big sweaters, fall-ish colors, skater skirts, and some type of sensible shoe. The truth is, I love getting dressed up. I've always loved dresses and skirts. Of course, I LOVE sweaters and scarves. And there are even times when I love putting make-up on. Getting dressed up has always been something I simply enjoyed doing. And while some people wish they had jobs that required a dressed down setting, I love being a teacher because I get to look cute and snappy. 

    Of course, I never really realized how much I enjoyed fashion until one of my high school teachers, Miss C, said something about it. In fact, I actually denied what she had to say for a few years. She always used to tell me that the hardest thing for me to give up when I enter religious will be fashion. I always deny this. I always tell her that it won't bother me at all. But the more I started to think about it...I'm kind of attached to my sweaters. Anyway...that doesn't really matter. Truth is, that's not the main part of this post. Sunday best is. 

     Last week our way home from a community service event, I was talking with another one of our faculty members about how we were brought up Catholic. I began to tell her that it was always required of us to wear nice clothes for Mass. Nice clothes meant dresses or skirts. No jeans, no t-shirts, no sweatshirts, no leggings, no sneakers. If we even thought about it, Dad would know and we would be marched back upstairs for a more appropriate outfit. My Dad, who wears a suit every weekend, would have had a fit if we tried to pull a stunt like wearing jeans to Mass. Of course, she shared a similar experience. It was always Sunday best for Mass on Sunday. 

     As I drove home from school that night I started to laugh at myself. It seems absurd now-a-days to be caught going to church is something other than jeans and a t-shirt. But the truth is, my family still does. I was laughing, too, because I have a whole other perspective as to why I dress up for Sunday Mass. Whereas my Dad grew up with the same concept of dressing nice for Mass, I have a different feel for it other than just being brought up that way. Of course, being someone who likes to dress up is just added motivation. 

     I think of going to Mass in this way: I've had a standing date with God every Sunday morning since the day after I was born. Seriously. Every Sunday, God and I get to go on a date. We get to spend a little one on one time at His house. We have conversation and quiet times together. We enjoy each other's company. Every Sunday, we have a serious date. If I was going on a date with someone else, I wouldn't show up in my sweats or pjs. I would spend all morning getting ready. I would want to go out a week in advance and pick out a new outfit. I would fret over my hair for days. Why wouldn't I give the same amount of attention to my appearance before meeting God for our weekly date? 

     A Sister I know told me once that she always irons her habit before Mass in the morning. After Mass, she doesn't care how many wrinkles she gets, so long as she is in her perfect habit for Mass. Her reasoning behind this? She is dressing to meet her Beloved and she wants to be her best dressed. Every day this woman does this. Every day she makes she she looks absolutely wonderful in her habit before catching her Beloved at Mass. It makes me smile. 

     Now some may say, God loves me regardless of what I wear. Well yes, this is true. Unless you're donning one of those way too over-rated and popular halloween costumes. Some may say, God loves me in my sweatpants, God loves me in my t-shirts, God loves me in my pajama pants. Yes. Yes, He does. But what do we equate with the concept of getting dressed up? We dress up for important events and when we are meeting a significant person in our lives. We dress up because of the significance of the event. Someone I know once said, "I would wear my wedding dress every day if I could because my marriage is still as important as it was on the day I got married."

     Perhaps I am stuck in the ideas that we don't really give much thought to our appearance anymore. I don't think the emphasis should be completely on our outward appearances, true. But I still see that dressing up for special occasions is still viable. As far as I am concerned, going to Mass is a special occasions. For many, it's the only time one gets to see and sit for an hour with God. For even more, it's the only time one has to talk to God. If we dress up when we are going out with friends, friends who are probably attached to our fingertips, I think we can at least ditch the sweatpants and t-shirts when we go to Mass on Sunday. It's not asking much to maybe give a little more thought to your appearance for an hour on Sunday. 

     The truth is exactly what Alexander Wang said above: how people dress on their days off is most intriguing. I always had a fear that my students would see me dressed down after school. But I know one thing is for sure, they won't see me dressed down on Sunday. I'll be dressed in my Sunday best right next to my dad in his suit. For me, dressing up for Mass is significant of how I feel about the importance of God. Honestly, you don't have to go out and buy all new clothes for Mass, but hey, at least brush your hair and ditch the sweats. Thanks.