Death

In the early 1900's many people were born and died at their home. Funerals/visitations in the early 1900's were not held in a 'Funeral Home' that we are accustomed to seeing today, but inside a persons home in a room called the 'parlor'. The parlor would contain a piano, a chandelier, pictures on the walls, a few fancy chairs and tables,  a fireplace with a mantel, and some plants. During a funeral, the deceased body was taken to the parlor of the home and then the coffin was set on a table. After the visitation, the body would be taken to the church and then the cemetery to be buried.   
One of the funeral customs in the 1900's was that everyone wore all black clothing. 
 “We mourn in black”  (Shakespeare) 
Women would wear black taffeta dresses and the men would wear black suits and a black hat. 
The clothing etiquette has changed in modern times. Women no longer just wear black dresses and men do not always wear black suits to a funeral or visitation. 





Mourning wear included a bodice, skirt and hat.
Silk, satin, taffeta ribbons, plush trim, jet, and cambric lining
Accessories photo shows late 19th–early 20th centuries mourning accessories  such as the men watch fob, chatelaine, finger purse,clamshell reticule, hair comb, and fan

University of Missouri Museum of Art and Archaeology (2013). Funerals, Burials and Mourning - Final Farewell: The Culture of Death and the Afterlife Exhibition - Museum of Art and Archaeology-University of Missouri. Retrieved October 9, 2013, from http://maa.missouri.edu/exhibitions/finalfarewell/funeral.html

University of Missouri Museum of Art and Archaeology (2013). Funerals, Burials and Mourning - Final Farewell: The Culture of Death and the Afterlife Exhibition - Museum of Art and Archaeology-University of Missouri. Retrieved October 9, 2013, from http://maa.missouri.edu/exhibitions/finalfarewell/funeral2.html

Funeral and mourning clothing attire became less customary after the mid-twentieth century. It is still customary to indicate mourning through semi-formal dress at the funeral. Men often wear a suit and tie, and women usually wear a dark colored dress or pantsuit.
It seems as though some are losing respect for the deceased and the family by wearing inappropriate clothing to a visitation/funeral. At a funeral I was recently at I observed both men and women wearing jeans and t shirts to both the funeral and visitation. 

What do you feel is appropriate funeral attire? Would you wear jeans to a funeral/visitation?