While I've never actually seen it, I think it is a beautiful idea! !

Rusty

My great-great-aunt was buried in a similar garment. Why would what the deceased is wearing make any difference to anyone?

What the hay--I guess I'd be ok with whatever the person wishes for.

Being buried in sleepwear was fairly common at one time. I remember one grandmother being buried in a lovely peignoir.

Back in the early 70's my mother told me a male neighbor I didn't know was buried in a leisure suit. That struck me funny.

I don't find that unusual at all. Probably used to be more common than now.

I think we should honor the known wishes of the dead.

I agree, if that's what she wants, that's what she should have.

I have heard of this and I think it is nice that she has made her wishes know. I have never actually seen this, but I have seen women buried in evening gowns and men in hunting clothes. I certainly would honor her wishes.

Be GRATEFUL she shared her wishes. When my in-laws died 30 days apart the hardest part was trying to get a consensus on what THEY would want. Don't fight it. There will be many many decisions to be made. You will be so relieved this isn't one of them.

I can remember plenty of wakes with ladies wearing what I would consider to be "nightwear". It wouldn't be my choice, but I would be okay with it.

I think if that's what she wants go for it,

My Mother was buried in a beautiful nightgown and robe. Her choice. It looked great on her.

I believe that women are afforded more leeway in a situation like this. Men just couldn't get away with it.

go with it and be glad u don't have to make the decision. her wishes, follow thru....

one of the best things my mom did was have all wishes known. medical, bodily wishes, legal and songs for the mass. made it so easy for us. that is one thing i recommend to everyone: Make Your Wishes Known!! so much easier for the family !

I think that it's a perfectly lovely idea. Don't let her know that you questioned her on this! I believe that ladies of her generation frequently chose beautiful nightwear to be buried in.

Think about it.....it makes more sense than daytime clothing.

I so agree with everyone about making ones funeral plans ahead of time. My parents purchased their burial plots, contracted the services of a local funeral home and crematory and paid for everything well in advance.

The only thing I find unusual is the fact she wants an open casket........I rarely see that anymore. Maybe it's a regional thing.

I have absolutely no intention of questioning her wishes and told her exactly that. I also told her just what I posted......that it's a lovely gown, her choice, and I'd never heard of it. I also told her I hoped that would be a long time from now!!! I thought it was an interesting topic.

The older I get, the more I avoid the "calling hours" with the open casket. I prefer the funeral, altho some like the last one I attended as a favor to a friend who didn't wish to go alone, had an open casket. I didn't know the deceased very well.

ETA: this same friend has actually expressed that she wishes to be buried in a nightgown and has it put aside in her closet.

I believe if that's what she wants...I would move heaven and earth to make it so.

I went to the wake of a friend's father and was initially shocked to see him in a plaid flannel shirt, brown brush pants and suspenders. The casket lid had an embroidered pine branch. His favorite fishing rod was propped up against the casket and the story board had photos of him with the family and hunting and fishing photos. After I thought about it for a second, I was very moved by how the family paid respect to him in showing him as he was in his life. He didn't even own a suit and would have hated the idea of being buried in one. This changed my entire outlook.

That type of service is done here quite often, Elizabeth. Many family members also add items to the casket. My uncle had his fishing pole, pictures of the grand kids.

I figure if I'm going to spend eternity in a dark box I want to be comfortable - maybe that's what she's thinking. No bra, no hose, no pinching underwear, no tight shoes.

When my dil died at age 32, she had requested that she wear her favorite jeans and a sweater that gave her comfort with my sons tee shirt underneath the clothes to be near her body. We did it. The sweater had pills on it which I managed to get off and I did her beautiful long blond hair and the makeup. My upper crust family was a bit shocked but I held my ground as that's what she wanted. I applaud anyone who carries out the wishes of the deceased person.

Cool choice! It is an interesting topic.

I'm donating my organs & cremating what's left.

Before my Mom died and some years before, she wavered between cremation and burial. Finally she just said she would leave it up to us kids, as it really didn't matter to her. Well, my brother and I decided on cremation. Then as I was cleaning out her closet later there was a dress she had worn to my younger brother's wedding 30yrs. ago,on a hanger, set far apart from her other clothes all by itself. A hint perhaps? I'll never get that dress out of my mind. I even gave it to charity! I felt so callous. However I did save a gingham shirt and jean jacket she wore a lot, and it's in my armoire.

Sorry, kind of went off topic from the OP's original post.

My MIL selected a white peignior set. She is 101. My SIL thinks it is a weird choice but I say to go with it.

While my sweet mom didn't choose a gown & robe, she did show me a favorite outfit with a beautiful scarf & said that was to be her "shroud" (her word)...she lived several more years and the shroud went with her through several moves...she had a wonderful sense of humor about it & everything else! She loved her clothes and I think it comforted her to know what she would be wearing. My husband and I both want cremation & ashes scattered...daughter both know so I hope they honor our wishes.

I guess I think a bit differently than most. I have never understood dressing up someone who passed away, especially if in life they did not dress that way. If the person states that they have a special outfit they would like to be buried in then that is fine. But if that person wasn't known for wearing their evening dresses, fancy suits, jewelry etc out everyday or didn't enjoy having to get dressed up in life why dress them that way when they pass? To me when I go to a funereal and I see someone all fancied up who I know would not be happy in life having to wear those clothes I ask myself why? Now they are forever stuck in something they themselves probably would not have been happy to wear in life.

I like to see the person dressed as I remember them. If I knew them as a jeans and T-Shirt type of person or if their greatest enjoyment was dressing for their hobby, fishing, horseback riding, hunting etc dress them that way. I bet they would be happy to know that people realized that they'd be much more comfortable for eternity in their favorite clothes. I know I would. Of course I am not saying ratty ol clothes or anything like that but in something very nice that fits that person. I like to dress up once in awhile in a gown and jewelry, heels and hair done it is fun but I would not want to be buried that way because honestly that is not me. I am a jeans and T-Shirt person or I love my Jammies. So to be buried in either of those for my eternity would make me very happy. I wouldn't want my family to dress me any differently just because that is what people do. Go buy fancy clothes or save a fancy dress to wear for eternity.

I love that the woman wants to be buried in her gown and robe. They do call it the long slumber after all.

For me my eternal slumber as I said a nice pair of comfy pajamas, no bra or a T-Shirt and jeans and no bra. They can pasty me if I am perky but I want to spend my eternity comfy. If if my soul is not really there I can at least look down and smile and know my family really got me :)

As far as open caskets I find that is really big up in New England. I am from the south and I had never seen an open casket until I moved to New England. Another thing I noticed when I went to Funerals in the mid west and maybe this is not the norm for everyone but I noticed that my family members from that area took a lot of pictures of the funeral and with the person in the casket. That I did find odd especially because they make photo albums of the funeral to show family members who were not there.

Before my husband passed away, he wanted to be buried in his 'boating clothes' when he died - his favorite khaki boating shorts and one of his favorite boating shirts. He also asked that I put socks on his feet because they were always cold. It was done. We had a graveside service with a closed casket, but he got his wish - I didn't think it was at all unusual.

Thankful that I don't have alot of experience, but the visitations I've attended have been open casket. Suits and ties for men, nice dresses for women. But I fully support doing whatever the person and their loved ones want.

My mother was buried in a very nice flannel nightgown, my grandmother had a nice robe and nightgown. My uncle was buried in a nice blue sweatshirt and flannel pajama pants, he had never worn a suit as far as I can remember. We wanted them to be "comfortable" for eternity, as silly as that may sound. I think it is very important to follow the wishes of the deceased, and that is what they wanted.

When my mother died, my sister wanted an open casket (that's how it's done in New England, you know) and I wanted a closed casket. Dead people always look....well, dead. We solved the problem by having a closed casket at calling hours and the funeral. We put a nice picture of mom next to the casket. After the funeral, the casket was opened for anybody who wanted to hang around to say good-bye in person.
I fully agree with letting a person pick whatever they want to be buried in.

I didn't realize it was a regional thing but yes, open casket here in northern New England is most always the case unless there was a car accident or something similar & it would be distasteful. I have often seen women laid to rest in a beautiful nightgown, especially if they had been ill for some time before passing.

My SIL put a playing cards and a pack of cigarettes in his coffin. That was who he was.

My MIL wanted a closed casket, and she wanted to be dressed in a filmy negligee that she had last worn before her DH's sudden death at age 49. She didn't *say* it, but she was dressing for him. She died at 84. She'd told me where to find the negligee in her dresser drawer shortly after she went into a nursing home.