How to Dress a Corpse

Most of us have never thought of dressing up a corpse – we simply assume the funeral parlour does it.

Undertakers do not like it when family members want to take on the dressing side of their dead family member.

In the mortuary, the body of the deceased lies on a table or gurney in a private room. A sheet covers it.

Sometimes, depending on the nature of the death, the mortician will have placed bandages over wounds on the corpse. And may even have applied makeup to cover discolorations, etc.

The Proper Burial Garb is Essential with some Customs

Remember that the funeral parlour will dress the corpse in one of their own funeral gowns.

That is if you do not want to dress your family member. Remember that that the adult body is amazingly heavy and the joints will no longer bend.

When it comes to choosing something to dress the body in, choosing something that the deceased loved wearing is a good option.

In many instances, religious beliefs are the guidelines for clothing the dead. Unlike with other practices, a dead Jewish person does not wear regular clothing. Neither does the body wear any jewellery. The dead body wears a plain white linen Tachrichim or shrouds fitting for someone to meet their Maker.

In addition to the Tachrichim, a man wears his Tallit or prayer shawl. Dressing the deceased in traditional Tachrichim is so important that funerals are even postponed until the correct Tachrichim is available.

With the Amish people, makeup is not included and men simply wear a shirt, pants, and vest while the women wear a dress, cape and apron. The body goes into a simple pine coffin.

The deceased Muslim wears a Kafan which are grave clothes for the dead. After washing the body, it is wrapped in unstitched pieces of cloth, with one piece having a hole cut out for the head. The White material is the top choice.

An Easy and Appropriate Dress Choice

Often the grief of losing a loved one can be so traumatic that people simply prefer to buy burial garments. They simply feel more comfortable in selecting a dress, pants or shirt from a funeral clothing store. This is particularly useful when immense weight loss means clothing no longer fits.

Another advantage of buying funeral garments is that they cover the corpse in such a way that no unsightly blemishes or injuries are visible. You get choices too, and these garments are made from different fabrics and colours to that they can be matched to the type of person the deceased was. These clothing items are suitable for both genders, and for adults and children.

Biodegradable Shrouds for a Corpse

In Western societies, clothing for the corpse largely depends on the age and gender of the corpse as well as their religious beliefs. The choice of the final outfit for the dead person is often very meaningful for the family, especially if they are having a viewing ceremony.

In the 21st century, a growing awareness of the environment is causing Western burials and cremations to also start looking at simple biodegradable shrouds which will enfold the body.

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All info was correct at time of publishing