Cremation Clothes

You may not have thought about your deceased loved one’s clothes for a Tallahassee cremation, but if you haven’t, you’re in pretty good company. While you may give a lot of thought to the clothes that your loved one will wear when they are being buried (usually, because a viewing precedes the burial), clothing seldom enters the picture when your loved one is being cremation.

This is, in part, because the cremation process itself is still very mysterious to most Americans. Even though almost half of us are choosing to be cremated or have our loved ones cremated, we still don’t know exactly what happens during the cremation process.

The clothes you pick for your loved one to wear for their cremation are every bit as important as the clothes you would pick for them to wear if they were being buried.

It’s important to understand that the same dignity and respect is shown to and for your loved one by the funeral home regardless of whether they are being cremated or being buried. The funeral home staff will give them the same level of detail and attention, regardless of which final disposition method you choose.

However, there are special considerations for clothing when your loved one is being cremated that are not a factor when they are being buried, so you do need to be mindful of that when you are choosing the clothing they will be cremated in.

There are several different options that you can choose from. If your loved one died in the hospital or in a care facility, they may have died wearing a hospital gown, pajamas, or a robe. Generally, if hospice is involved in your loved one’s final care, they will clean the body and change clothes, so if there is a clean pair of pajamas or hospital gown, they will dress your loved one in that after they are clean.

This is perfectly acceptable clothing for your loved one to be cremated in as long as there is no metal in the clothing (snaps, for instance, on hospital gowns or pajama tops or bottoms). Metal can cause tremendous damage to a crematorium, so all external metal (this includes the cremation container, which must be completely combustible) must be removed before your loved one can be cremated.

You might want your loved one to be cremated in clothes that were comfortable for them. Perhaps that was shorts and a t-shirt, or sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Again, as long as the clothing doesn’t have any metal in it, you can choose to have your loved one cremated in clothing that they wore all the time when they were at home.

You might want to dress your loved one up, just like you would for a viewing where they would be lying in a casket. Maybe they had a great black outfit that they looked very sharp in, or maybe they loved colorful clothing that mirrored their zest for and enjoyment of life. If this is what you want – or what they would want – then, by all means, dress them to the nines.

Be sure, however, to leave off jewelry (watches, rings, necklaces, tie clasps, cufflinks, etc.) and make sure the clothing doesn’t have any metal in it.

You can also choose to have your loved one cremated in an outfit that conveyed one of their interests in life. Perhaps they rooted for a specific football or baseball team, were an avid follower of a particular college’s sports, or participated in a particular sport themselves. It is very common for loved ones who are being cremated to be dressed in an outfit like this.

If you want to know more about cremation clothes at Tallahassee cremation, our compassionate and experienced staff at Lifesong Funerals & Cremations can help.