(onstage&off) The Preacher's Wife: Evolution of the Sunday Best
In 2015, Vogue photographer Carolyn Drake took photos of the parishioners of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, the home church of Martin Luther King Jr., and the meeting place of the ATL branch of the NAACP during the Civil Rights Movement. Men and women pose in their Easter outfits, sporting bright colors and the classic Sunday Best silhouette. Some women wear carefully tailored and pressed jackets and skirts, a pair of tights, heels, and a church hat. Some wear a business casual dress with high heels. There is a distinct, generational gap between these two styles. What caused it?
As time has gone on, the mission and initiatives of the church have moved with the needs of the people. Trends, ideologies, and sociopolitical climate change constantly, and the Black church, as a figure of the community, must walk alongside it. This is where we see a shift in fashion.
According to a 2021 study by the Pew Research Center, “Black Millennials… and Generation Z are… less religious and less engaged in Black churches than older generations”, a problem church leaders are looking to amend by making changes to the culture, teachings, and offerings of the church– while also maintaining their current, older population.
Various pastors reached out to their youth groups and found that “young adults… prefer dressing casually to wearing their Sunday best to services” and “shorter services”. In response, they implemented alternative services with a casual dress code and shorter run time to attract young worshippers, but maintained their longer, Sunday-best-expected services for their older congregants.
A scroll through various “Get Ready With Me For Church” videos on Instagram and TikTok shows the current trends worn by young black women in the church. Many of them don a satin slip dress, a turtleneck knit sweater on top, and a pair of boots. Some wear fashionable and versatile bodycon dresses with high heels. Others wear matching pantsuits, flowing skirts or dresses, and even jeans. You might even see a graphic t-shirt. There is no set uniform, formula, or silhouette among young women’s dress. This is simply a result of time. Trends cycle through as each decade passes, but the intention remains the same. Each of these women have put time and effort into their look as an expression of faith, a dedication to look their best for God. What is considered your Sunday Best has evolved to allow the needs of a specific time and person. Younger generations are able to express their individual styles while attending church.
In The Preacher’s Wife, we witness this distinct difference between the styles of Margueritte and Julia. Margueritte dresses in our classic Sunday Best, equipped with the ever iconic church hat. Julia dons our modern style, reflecting the satin fabrics, flowing or snug dresses, and high heels we see on young women today.
Humans are not static creatures. Therefore, our communities cannot be either. In having grace and space for future generations, we guarantee the continuation of support, stewardship, and society. As we exist in our spaces, we must consider what is necessary to make us grow.
HTTPS://WWW.VOGUE.COM/SLIDESHOW/EASTER-SUNDAY-EBENEZER-BAPTIST-CHURCH HTTPS://WWW.PEWRESEARCH.ORG/RELIGION/2021/02/16/FAITH-AMONG-BLACK-AMERICAN
