How to choose clothing for the deceased

You can choose to dress the body in new clothes that you’ve purchased or clothes that the person who died already owned.

When thinking about how to dress the person, consider what he or she would have liked to have been buried in, such as a favorite or special outfit. While many people are buried in formal attire, feel free to dress the person in any outfits they might have loved, such as a favorite pair of jeans, a lucky hat, or a beloved piece of jewelry.

Religious considerations

If the funeral will be following any religious or cultural customs, the clothing might be dictated by those rules. Speak to your local religious leaders to learn more about your religion's customs, or see our article Religious Funeral Traditions.

Items to bring for the deceased

If the person who died will be buried or cremated with personal items, you’ll want to gather those items before the service and bring them with you to the funeral home before the service or to the funeral service itself. There are no rules or regulations on what a person can or cannot be buried with. Common personal possessions that people are buried with include:

• Family photographs
• Favorite jewelry
• Bibles or other favorite books
• Other sentimental items

If the body will be cremated, remember that all metal must be removed from the body prior to cremation. This includes jewelry, piercings, and belt buckles, which you may have to remove from the body before the cremation.

To learn more about preparing the body for a funeral, see our article Preparing the Body.