What to Wear to a Christening: Appropriate Outfit for Men & Women

by Mark Jacobovits
What to Wear to a Christening: Appropriate Outfit for Men & Women

The christening of a child is an occasion for celebration. It’s the start of their journey in the church, and as such, the event deserves some class and dedication.

Your christening outfit should reflect the importance and joy of the occasion without being overwhelming or inappropriate. Here are our tips for what to wear to a christening.

What Women Should Wear to a Christening

What Women Should Wear to a Christening

Women have lots of options when choosing a christening outfit (or a baptism outfit, depending on the church).

The most popular is a simple church-appropriate christening dress that does not expose the shoulders, back, or midriff, and which comes down at least to just above the knee. It can be in any color, but the most common are soft solids or floral patterns. A baptism dress may be slightly more formal.

Paired with simple accessories and practical shoes (as you’ll likely be at the event for quite some time), it makes for a lovely outfit suited to the occasion.

More modern services, such as those for some Baptist or Evangelical churches, may have slightly more relaxed expectations for dress. If this is the case, women might choose to wear pants and a nice blouse. Once again, consider soft colors and patterns, and simple accessory choices.

What Men Should Wear to a Christening

What Men Should Wear to a Christening

Generally, men have slightly fewer options in terms of formal wear. For a man’s christening outfit (or, again, baptism outfit), the choice of attire is largely dependent on the church itself.

For more formal events, such as those for a Roman Catholic christening, men might choose to wear a suit complete with jacket or blazer. The suit should be a simple color or pattern, with a shirt and tie in complimentary, soft colors.

For more informal ceremonies, a pair of dress slacks and a button-up or polo-style shirt might be the most appropriate option. Again, choosing comfortable shoes is highly recommended, as these events can be long.

Conclusion

Remember that a christening is a formal event that marks an important moment in a child’s life. As such, you should avoid dressing too informally (jeans and ripped clothing are a definite no). At the same time, try not to overdress (a full tux or a ballgown would be just as inappropriate). When it comes down to it, simple, church-formal clothing is the best option to wear to a christening.

Now that you have all the information you need to determine how to best dress for the occasion, if you are looking for boys and girls baptism attire for their special day, check out our baptism outfits for boys and baptism outfit for girls! We have a full adorable collection of boys and girls christening outfits to help you make sure they look their best and are dressed appropriately for their special day.


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