Sunday Best

BY Summer Blake

PHOTOGRAPHED BY Tilly Kouassi

I remember Sunday mornings when I was a child, and my mom was getting me dressed for church. She would hold my head back to stroke the hot comb through my hair as I struggled to get stockings on; getting dressed on Sunday was a process I will never forget because all I cared about was that, in the end, I looked incredible. Whether it was a dress or a skirt and a sweater, I always made sure I loved my outfit for church. 

I grew up in a large Baptist Church in a predominantly black neighborhood where generations of families lived, so everyone knew everybody. Men wore button-up shirts tucked into their business trousers with shiny leather loafers, and women wore dresses with small heels or a sleek business casual outfit.  

I attended church on and off, and it wasn't until my sophomore year of college that I avidly started going again. I now attend a non-denominational church in Center City, Philadelphia, and what people wear now is a total culture shock to me. Ripped jeans, Nike dunks, even sweatshirts!? That would be uncalled for in a Baptist church in 2008; I can only imagine the stares they would get. 

But I think this shows how, as the world and our society evolve, church is still church. There's still a pastor, a sermon, community-building events, and all other aspects of a congregation. I believe that dressing up for church grew into a misconception that defined what made you "faithful." This was clearly an idea made by man and not by God because the Bible doesn't say anything about having to dress in "your Sunday best" to attend church.  

Gavin

Gavin was raised in Atlanta and is now a student at Drexel who makes Christian rap music. His faith started for him when he was young, "my parents introduced me to the faith from a very young age. But I fell stagnant for some years, and my faith took a huge leap right at the beginning of college". He describes what a Sunday morning sounded like for him at a young age. "I still have nostalgic memories of my dad standing me on his bed, putting lotion on me while my mom would grab my clothes, or vice versa. I can still think back to the gospel music on the CD player in the background, and us rushing to get to the early service because we didn't iron our clothes the night before to save time". He speaks about his perspective of what dressing up for church is truly for and how that has made an impact on his faith. "I've realized over a span of time that coming to church you want to be presentable, but walking into the church doesn't require trying to be the best looking in the room. It's given me an interesting perspective of humility, but also opened up the floor for confidence in dressing up nicely and presenting myself before God in a way that feels really good because I know I look good, and not for the sake of others seeing me." 

Nozomi

Nozomi is currently a campus minister at two universities in Philadelphia, and she speaks about how faith and fashion began to work together for her. "Faith and fashion are two things I didn't know could go together. As a woman of God, I want to honor God in every aspect of my life - including my fashion!". She paints a beautiful picture of how fashion has impacted her faith through God's creation. "Fashion has impacted my faith in 3 ways: inspiration, creativity, and honor. I'm inspired by God's creation around me - whether it be the colors of nature or the textures in the city." Nozomi's story truly highlights the idea of still being able to be faithful with your style. "I've had to learn that my clothes aren't what make me, me, but God is. Perhaps I'm repping Jesus on my t-shirt or dressing more modestly - my heart knows that who I am and what I do is always for Jesus." 

Kemi

Kemi is a student at Drexel University; she explains what Sunday mornings were like for her when she was younger. "I grew up in church, but it was out of obligation from my parents. You know the routine: wake up early, wear your Sunday's Best, and look presentable in front of others.". Kemi mentions the simplicity of thinking of an outfit for church. "[Now] when it comes to fashion, I genuinely throw on whatever I think will look good in my head. Image is one thing, and reality is another. A lot of the clothes I wear are passed down from my dad or my brothers." Even though this is a choice for Kemi, she explains how modesty and faith have altered her style and improved her confidence in what she wears, as she is still faithful and fashionable. 

We often look at how fashion impacts the world, but it's been interesting to see how even small-scale fashion has impacted the church. I have seen this change in person in Philadelphia, but other churches nationwide also follow this forward-thinking structure. Out with the old, in with the new. I'm excited to see what this will look like in ten to fifteen years.