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The History of the Sunday Church Suit

No lady has looked finer than the pastor's wife dressed in her finest suit with a gorgeous hat. As the first lady of her church, she sets the tone for many of the congregation. But whether simple or 'over-the-top', the history of the entire ensemble began with the hat.


The history of church hats is chronicled in the book, Crowns, Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats. Here is an excerpt from the inside flap:

Countless black women would rather attend church naked than hatless. For these women, a church hat, flamboyant as it may be, is no mere fashion accessory; it's a cherished African American custom, one observed with boundless passion by black women of various religious denominations. A woman's hat speaks long before its wearer utters a word. It's what Deirdre Guion calls "hattitude...there's a little more strut in your carriage when you wear a nice hat. There's something special about you." If a hat says a lot about a person, it says even more about a people-the customs they observe, the symbols they prize, and the fashions they fancy.

...there's more to come on the history of the Sunday Church Suit.


The Immediate Resource offers the retailer of women's apparel for Church the largest selection of the top designer labels available for immediate same-day shipment.
As trends in Sunday Church Suits change, a wide range of styles offer customers the most elaborate embellished suits to the non-embellished dressy suit with a touch of rhinestones on buttons or the brooch-like closure.

Here are some examples: Embellished Dressy Suits & Non-embellished Dressy Suits.