A former co-worker sadly passed away recently, and a group of coworkers and I are attending his celebration of life that is held at a restaurant near a winery. I’ve never been to a celebration of life, and am wondering what to wear? (For context, he was a really laid back, open-minded co-worker who died in middle age and is survived by a wife and kids.)
Comments
First I would check if the winery has a dress code. If it does I would follow that.
I would still wear all black, or navy blue.
If it’s after work, I just wear what I wore to work (business casual).
I would just dress nice, not a black funeral outfit. I just went to one and I wore a long floral dress and light cardigan.
Conservative, darker colors, but not making a point of wearing all black like you would for a funeral.
All black or dark, neutral colors are traditional, and formality level should be somewhere between smart-casual and business formal. So no T-shirts and jeans, and also no fancy evening wear. Skirts should be at least fingertip length, and I would avoid shorts altogether. Steer clear of too many bright colors and bold, funky prints; you can include them, but modest, dark colors should dominate your outfit. The vibes you’re going for should include “respectful, somber, something to cry in.”
If people in your city tend to dress up for formal occasions, then dress to the typical level of, say, a wedding guest (but while a wedding outfit should be fun, this one should be more subdued). E.g. I would wear a full suit to a funeral in NYC, but slacks or black jeans and some kind of “nice” top (collared shirt, cardigan, or sweater) to one in my podunky hometown. Also try to dress 1-2 levels above the formality level of your workplace, since the deceased was a coworker: smart-casual or business-casual if you worked in like a restaurant; closer to business formal if you worked in an office.