# Suit & Tie/Tuxedo or Casual/Plain Clothes



## Spring TX MM (Aug 23, 2012)

What do you wear to lodge, stated meeting, degrees or other?
What do you feel should be worn?
Do your lodge officers wear something different than everyone else?

I am just curious about what everyone thinks. 


S&F,
Kyle

I am sure Brother Lins wears a 3 piece suit to every communication, right Brother? Lol :001_cool: Always inspired by you Bro. Lins.


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## chrmc (Aug 23, 2012)

I'm personally of the opinion that suit and tie should be worn for degrees and stated meeting. Weekly practice session, lodge nights etc. I'm not to bothered about. But I like the idea to dress up to show some reverence towards the craft, event, lodge and fellow brothers.


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## JJones (Aug 23, 2012)

I usually aim for a suit and tie during stated meetings.  Casual wear for weekly practice.


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## Pscyclepath (Aug 23, 2012)

What I call "Lodge casual..."  Many of us are coming from work to the meeting, so it's office clothes, or a clean pair of jeans or khakis, and a shirt.   

One brother was pushing me to buy a tux, but I have no (foreseen) intentions of getting into OES, Rainbow, or the Grnd Line.


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## kwilbourn (Aug 23, 2012)

Suit and Tie for me on Stated and Called Meeting nights. I feel like as a sign of respect, I should dress a little better than I generally do daily. Very rarely, if I don't have an opportunity to change, I'll just put on a sportcoat and tie with my office clothes instead of a true suit. Practice and workdays, generally a t-shirt and shorts.


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## Michaelstedman81 (Aug 23, 2012)

Our lodge is pretty laid back, but everyone tries to look nice for the meetings.  It is a small rural town, so there is a lot of country folk so most everyone shows up with a collared shirt tucked in and they will either be in khakis or blue jeans.  This year, our new WM made it the standard for all the State Meetings and any big event for the principal officers (myself, SW, and WM) to wear a coat and tie (he provided the tie with a S&C on it).  Younger guys will tend to show up in more busineses casual looks.

As for practice nights, its usually whatever.  I know some Brothers on here won't like it too much, but I will come to practice in shorts and flip flops because that is generally what I wear day in and day out anyhow.  But I have always made it a point to try and dress up for Stated Meetings and degrees.  Lol in the winter I will throw on a beanie with my shorts and flip flops haha


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## Bro_Vick (Aug 23, 2012)

Suit and tie for stated meetings and for degrees, will wear what I wear to work for practices.  Some bodies (AMD) and other lodges locally require a Tuxedo, which I don't have a problem with.  A brother whom I have a great deal of respect said that when his son was being initiated, the Worshipful Master wore a t-shirt and a baseball cap, and said "Its hot".  So yeah, Texas can be overly dress down, unfortunately.

S&F,
-Bro Vick


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## Michael Hatley (Aug 23, 2012)

Suit and tie for stated meetings and degrees.  Casual for practice nights.

I'd prefer tuxedos for degrees and installations, personally.


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## Spring TX MM (Aug 23, 2012)

I agree with the suit and tie for stated meetings. At least a dress shirt and coat is nice for degrees.  We are a very laid back lodge as well. We even have a few kilt wearers.  No, its not me!


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## KSigMason (Aug 23, 2012)

Most of the time, I'm suit and tie, but when occasion requires and it is appropriate I may dress up or dress down.


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## kyfreemason357 (Aug 24, 2012)

We wear nice jeans and shirts. Some wear dress shirts and khakis. A few suits at times. We are country lodge and we are masons. Im ok with dress shirt and tie for the officers at least for the degree work if not for the stated meeting too. I also believe that any man who wants to come should wear what he wants. I dont care if he wears jeans/tshirt combo, or a tux. If he is comfy and happy then that is all that matters. Officers I understand being held to a higher standard but not the craft. I do not want to keep a man from coming if he feels he has to wear a suit.


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## Bill Lins (Aug 24, 2012)

Spring TX MM said:


> I am sure Brother Lins wears a 3 piece suit to every communication, right Brother? Lol :001_cool:


 
Oh yeah- you betcha! :39:


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## cemab4y (Aug 24, 2012)

In my home lodge in Kentucky, we are generally casual. Some members wear old clothing, t-shirts, etc. Virtually no one wears a necktie. In Afghanistan, we wear camouflage uniforms. When I lived in Paris, France, I usually wore a tuxedo and white gloves to lodge meeting, else I would wear a dark suit and necktie. 

In rural Kentucky lodges, men wear bib overalls, and muddy boots. 

It is the same great fraternity, regardless of what you wear.


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## Spring TX MM (Aug 24, 2012)

cemab4y said:


> It is the same great fraternity, regardless of what you wear.



I couldn't agree more.


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## rmcgehee (Aug 24, 2012)

Wear the best that you have.
Do NOT let your clothes keep you from Lodge!


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## kyfreemason357 (Aug 24, 2012)

*Suit &amp; Tie/Tuxedo or Casual/Plain Clothes*

Amen.


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## Bro_Vick (Aug 24, 2012)

rmcgehee said:


> Wear the best that you have.
> Do NOT let your clothes keep you from Lodge!



Better yet find a lodge that you feel comfortable in for dress, and join or affiliate with that lodge.  For the life of me I can't understand why that concept is so difficult to understand, if a lodge dresses to up for you, then simply don't join that lodge.  I am sure that you can find a lodge that is very loose with their clothing standards.  My personal opinion is to dress nicely for the occasion, but as an article I posted earlier this year showed, that is out of step with the majority of Americans.  So I am member of a lodge with a coat and tie requirement and don't visit the lodges that are much more casual.  Again my choice, and I don't expect others to follow it.  I wouldn't go to a rural lodge or a dress down lodge and tell the brethren to dress up, nor would I expect them to come to my lodge and tell me to knock off the fancy suits.

Respecting other right to practice Freemasonry is paramount as long as it is regular and in due form.

S&F,
-Bro Vick


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## jvarnell (Aug 24, 2012)

I have been reading this thread and was waiting to see if others are like our lodge and I am glad to see others are. I have a tux, several suits and buss. casual my office casual and play wear and I always hope to only wear the last 3 in the list. I guess I can wear the other two when needed. I though it is the internal I am to contrite on.


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## California Master (Aug 24, 2012)

In California it is expected for officers to wear a tux during degrees and installations. It gets very hot in Redding during the summer...100 plus degrees can be normal. During that time, we relax to white shirts and dark pants. We also have some very nice collared golf type lodge shirts that we wear.

With that being said, I agree with others here. Come to lodge. Don't stay home because you aren't wearing a tux. We need to remember that it is the internal and not the external..... A clean pair of Wranglers and a nice shirt is fine with me. Knock the dirt off the Tony Lamas and get to lodge in time for the dinner.


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## MarkR (Aug 25, 2012)

We're a very casual lodge; jeans or khakis with a golf shirt is fine, a lot of the brothers have Lodge shirts with the S&C and Lodge name embroidered on them.  When I was in the East, I wore a tux for third degree nights, but it didn't catch on with subsequent masters.


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## Benton (Aug 25, 2012)

Coat and Tie (not necessarily a suit) for degrees, nice khakis and a nice shirt for stated meetings typically. Practice nights, I just come in whatever I'm wearing that day. But as others have said, if another brother doesn't come to a degree in a suit, it doesn't bother me one bit, I'm just glad to see them there, and appreciate their attendance.


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## BryanMaloney (Aug 26, 2012)

I have so far dressed as I would for church, for court, or for a job interview. It's no skin off my nose what others wear and seems to be no problem for the more casual brothers what I wear.


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## Observer (Aug 26, 2012)

I've noticed the more successful men are working on the "internal" the more they come to realize the external should not be neglected.


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## Brent Heilman (Aug 27, 2012)

I try to go with business casual attire on stated meeting nights. I will were a suit on degree nights. There are times though that I don't get away from work in time to change so I will wear what I did to work. My work attire consists of jeans and a polo shirt. Our dress code has become very casual over the years and there are a few of us that are trying to set an example that hopefully others will follow. In the end all I really care about is that they are showing up.


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## daddyrich (Aug 27, 2012)

*Suit &amp; Tie/Tuxedo or Casual/Plain Clothes*

It seems to be much the same here in So Cal. Degree work i always wear a dark suit and practice or association meetings go in whatever I feel comfortable in, usually jeans and t-shirt, always clean shoes. I have seen some older brethren scoff at newer members showing up to degrees dressed casually, but the most important of all is that they show. I'd never want to lose a brother in the seats because he felt he couldn't get his wardrobe right.


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## Mac (Aug 29, 2012)

I support leading by example:  Some will see you wearing a suit, and will do the same.  Some won't, and have no interest in ever doing so.  They're all still my brothers.

One thing I was surprised by:  In my area, I hardly ever see anyone in a Tux.  At a school social I attended in a tux, I fit right in.  I'd have stuck out like a sore thumb at a masonic function.


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## Benton (Aug 29, 2012)

Mac said:


> One thing I was surprised by:  In my area, I hardly ever see anyone in a Tux.  At a school social I attended in a tux, I fit right in.  I'd have stuck out like a sore thumb at a masonic function.


 
If you wore a tux in any Texas lodge I've ever seen, you'd stick out just as much. I'm sure there are a few that wear tuxes, but they're definitely in the minority, I think.


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## SeeKer.mm (Sep 7, 2012)

Jacket and tie or suit for stated.  Khakis and polo or jacket and tie or suit for table lodge.  Last meeting in June is Hawaiian night so Hawaiian shirt, sandals and shirts are allowed, or whatever is tasteful is allowed and left to the discretion of the Brethren.


Officers where Tux on stated.


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## Phre-massen.nash (Sep 12, 2012)

At the Lodge I was Rasied at, we wore black and white for every meeting.  At my current Lodge I would wear my black and white, but noticed that I was the only one wearing it.  Even though black and white is not the usual attire, majority of the brothers do wear an embroidered polo shirt with the name of the Lodge and their name, so that there is some form of formality.  But we do black and white for Degree work, and functions in the community.


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## JTM (Sep 17, 2012)

I generally went straight from work to lodge.  In that I was used to preparing dinner, I didn't expect any complaints from the peanut gallery regarding my dress  

Should anyone have chosen to make a comment, however, they could have usually found their own meal.  I was junior warden, I'm new to senior warden... maybe my perspective will change over the year.


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