Church Chronicles: Ep3: Dressing for Devotion: The Perfect Balance in Men's Church Attire

0:00 Hello, and welcome to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast. I'm your host, Connie Morris, and today we are continuing our series on Holy Chic, the ultimate church attire handbook. And today we're focusing, is our focus on today, our focus on today is men attire and finding the right balance between traditional and contemporary styles. I know this is a diary for black women, but hey, black women got some men who they want to make sure looking like a holy sheik at the temple of the Holy Ghost.

0:41 Amen. And so we're going to cover making sure that your man looks nice. And if a male is listening to this podcast, making sure you entering to the sanctuary, the church, the tabernacle, whatever you want to call your sacred place, looking appropriate for worship. So first thing we want to cover is traditional versus contemporary style for men. So we're going to explore what's fashionable, what's in, what's out, and so finding what's respectful for this sacred space.

1:22 And so traditional styles often include suits and ties, which convey a sense of formality and respect. These can be perfect for more formal services or occasions within the church. And so sometimes men like to wear their suit and ties. That's okay. But lately, you haven't seen that. late. You haven't seen a lot of suit and ties. Men usually wear maybe a blazer, maybe a suit without a tie with a nice shirt, you know, maybe a suit with a shirt with a, you know, with a blazer without the tie. So without, without wearing the tie. So that's kind of formal. So a contemporary style might include a dress shirt, a pair with slacks or, you know, chinos or, you know, what.

2:09 I can't think of the other name of those pants. They're usually like beige color pants, offering a more relaxed and respectful look. The key is to maintain a sense of reverence by incorporating a personal style. So I call when men look good, they look really crispy, like their pants are iron. They just, everything look like they spend a little time taking time to get dressed. Now women, I mean, it seems like that's automatic because our material is real soft. It doesn't require a lot of, you know, you can kind of steam in and get those wrinkles out. But when a men clothes, they look crispy, crispy, meaning it's like they ironed it, got it fresh from the cleaners.

2:49 And they, you can tell when they're looking good, they looking sharp and clean. And so when we think about traditional and formal, formal usually have a tie on and contemporary, there is no tie. They just very casual. It cleans. Sometimes you don't even need the blazer on. You just have a nice shirt on with some slacks. So suiting up for formal church events, tips on dressing for occasions like wedding, funerals, and special services. And when to go like full damper, like when do you get really, really damper? For formal events, a well-fitted suit is always a safe choice. Dark colors like navy, charcoal, and black are versatile and appropriate for many occasions.

3:32 So if you don't have a black, navy or charcoal suit, just go ahead and invest in a nice suit. Sometimes getting off the rack, if you're a tall guy and you got a kind of a different build, just go get you, go to one of those men's shops and let them custom that suit jacket perfectly, custom those pants. So those pants and jacket fits you perfectly. They'll find you the perfect top. So you know exactly when you put that suit on, that suit is going to just hug you just perfectly. And you're going to feel very damper and very crispy sharp. And make sure your suit is well tailored. And don't forget the details. I love this one. A crisp dress shirt, polished shoes, and a tasteful tie, a pocket square can elevate your look.

4:20 Now, men don't need like 12 suits. Get those three suits, interchange them with different shirt, pocket ties. And you have people think that you got like 20 suits in your closet, but making sure that you get someone to dress you properly and your, your girl can do that. You know, the professionals at the store, I mean, they, they know how to mix and match some things and, and make it, make it look good. So be able to look sharp and crisp when it's time for an, a special event. Now, some casual options for Sunday service, you know, how to stay comfy but classy for more casual service and what to wear when a suit isn't necessary, excuse me, for more casual services.

5:05 Consider dress pants or a chino, I think khaki, what I'm looking for, khaki pants with a button-down shirt or a sweater. So you're just looking casual, but you're looking clean and crispy. Blazer can add a touch of formality without the need for a full suit. So just a nice blazer, different kind of blazer to offset those pants. Remember, the goal is to be comfortable while still showing respect in the sacred place on occasion. So knowing how to dress up and dress down is the key. You know, so even if you had on a polo shirt with a blazer, I mean, that changes the whole outfit too. So knowing how to kind of interchange your outfit.

5:49 Another important foundation for your outfit is wearing the proper undergarments is crucial, but for both comfort and appearance. So let's talk about underwear, socks, and T-shirts. So underwear, shoes, well-fitted, comfortable underwear that don't bunch up or show through your socks, show through your clothes. So you want to make sure everything fits. It's not too small, not too big. Boxer briefs are good options for comfort and smooth fit. So make sure you have the right underwear comfort on. So you're not, you know, make sure you can just be a smooth fit. Once you put it on, you don't have to worry about it anymore, right? Socks, your socks should complement your outfit for formal wear.

6:31 Match your socks to your trouser. Ensure that they are long enough to cover your legs when sitting down for casual outfits. Avoid socks that are too flashy or distracting. But that seemed to be an end thing. So if you like flashy socks, do what you do, right? Make sure they're long enough so you don't have them too short that you can see like your legs when your pants come up. But, you know, socks, I'm not the socks police. Whatever you like, you like. Make sure they're clean and make sure they're long enough, right? And a t-shirt, you wear a plain fitted t-shirt underneath your dress shirt can absorb sweat and prevent your dress shirt from becoming see-through.

7:12 So that's kind of an extra layer of formality. Shoes neutral colors like white, black, or gray. So you want to always look crisp and clean. And you can always see a guy when he has a t-shirt underneath his shirt. It just keeps the sweat away, and it just makes them look pretty much a layered, nice, crispy look. So let's go to, let's go to, I said let's go to crispy. Let's go to scripture, Colossians 3, 12. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, close yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Now that works too with men, that men can look nice and crispy on the outside, iron and everything is smelling good.

7:59 But if their heart is dirty, then that's not going to please God either, right? So we're dressing for the sacred place. I mean, we're dressing our outside, but most important, we're dressing our inside. So I want to read that again. It says, Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, close yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. This doesn't just go for the men, it goes for the women too, but just for the men, that they should close themselves with compassion. Kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. And the decrees is, I decree that I will close myself with compassion and kindness.

8:43 And we see a lot of, sometimes we say angry men, but to see a man who is clothed with compassion and kindness just does something, it just brings a different atmosphere to the sacred place, a different atmosphere, even at the grocery store, where you don't see a man fussing and yelling. When he brings that compassion and kindness, he has the power to change that atmosphere. And if he brings that same atmosphere to church, he can usher in the presence of God. Powerful. Not that the women can, but the man can. Not that the woman can't, but I'm saying, let's let the man can.

9:24 I decree that humility and gentleness will be evident in my life. I decree that I will practice patience as a reflection of God's love. I decree that my actions and appearance will show that I am chosen and dearly loved by God. Think about that covering a man, that a man is covered. I know I want to go back. that a man is covered in compassion, that he's covered in kindness, he's covered in humility, he's covered in gentleness, and he's covered in patience. What does that do to the atmosphere of the church? Oh my goodness.

10:05 Let's go to 1 Samuel 16 verse 7. But the Lord said to Samuel, do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things that people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. Once again, you can have all that crispy looking attire on, but if you are clothing yourself in compassion and kindness and gentleness and patience, God sees that. So let's decree from 1 Samuel. It says, I decree that I will focus on cultivating pure and a loving heart.

10:47 I decree that I will value inner character over outward appearance. I decree that I will value inner character over outward appearance. I decree that God's view of my heart defines my worth. I decree that I will strive to have a heart that pleases God. Isn't that all what matters? That we can get to church, get to our tabernacle, get to our sanctuary, and we're all dressed both inside and outside. Dressed properly, attire properly on the outside, attire properly on the inside, how would that bring in the presence of the Lord into our church, our sanctuary, our tabernacle?

11:38 Because we're honoring him both in deed and also in where we approach him. Oh, my gosh. So the takeaways for this is traditional and contemporary styles can both be appropriate. Different church service events may require for different attire. Remember, we're not going by what we wear, but we're going to dress appropriately, but we're going to make sure our heart is right. And then casual attire can still be respectful and stylish. So remember, when you dress, respectful and stylish. and the proper undergarments are essential for comfort and a polished appearance, both for male and for female.

12:21 So I want to thank you again. This has been, even if you like it, give me a like, it's good. This is so good. Thank you for joining me on this journey. Wow. Stay tuned for each episode as we bring holy back into our attire. How about holy back into our sacred spaces? I might change it to that. Holy back. We're just bringing holy back. This is your host, Connie Morris, with Church Chronicles, hosted by the Diary of a Black Woman podcast. Don't forget at the end of this series that the Holy Sheet, the ultimate church attire handbook, will be available as a free download.

13:05 So until next time, God bless you.