Monsignor Pope Ping!
I moved to Florida in Nov 2007. Spent a few Sundays visiting different churches...looking for a home. Up north, it was ALWAYS jacket and tie for the men, except in the summer, as our AC was somewhat iffy, we were allowed to dispense with the tie. So, my first Christmas Eve service down here..I’m wearing a navy blazer, tan slacks, starched collar shirt, and my favorite Santa tie...I’m the ONLY guy in the church wearing a tie...and I’m astonished to see MEN in Bermuda shorts..teenagers in tee shirts and flip-flops..
Even in my wayward hippie daze, when I DID feel guilty (rare) or tender (not so rare) and I felt a desire or need to "go to church", I put on my least ripped/torn jeans and cleanest shirt ... not really looking at myself from the outside in, but from the inside out ... I knew I had on my best .... and that was all that mattered.
America's falling away from church had the unintended consequence of falling away from proper dress
I remember that even while publicly travelling ... airplane or bus (I did both as a 50's child), you dressed up just like going to church
America USED TO BE a decent nation .....
Before we hippies came along as devil's deciples and thoroughly screwed EVERYBODY'S brain up
When I was a young girl I remember owning a matching outfit. It was a Saturday outfit consisting of a blouse shorts and a wraparound skirt and a triangle kerchief. I think one work the shorts all Saturday and the wrap around skirt fit over it so one could go to confession Saturday afternoon and of course pop the kerchief on one’s head.
With sneakers or sandals of course.