Law enforcement agencies and officers were not the first groups to wear some form of a mourning band. Although there is no official consensus on the subject, many believe formally wearing mourning bands began sometime around 1770 in England.

Taking care to dress in a manner that is appropriate and dignified shows your respect for the person who passed. You are honoring their legacy by taking the time to dress correctly for a unique event intended to honor their life and achievements. Just as with happier occasions like birthday parties or weddings, putting in the effort to dress appropriately for the occasion is always an indication of good taste and genuine consideration for your hosts. Shows Solidarity with the Bereft Perhaps you’re attending the funeral of an officer you knew, and you want to show respect to the other officers at the funeral by wearing your own mourning band. Your intentions may be good, but some law enforcement officers tend to consider mourning bands a special symbol of collective solidarity that reminds them they belong to a unique fellowship. Any law enforcement officer attending a police officer’s funeral if they were killed in the line of duty should wear a mourning band on their badge (if their badge is on display, whether they are in civilian clothing or a uniform) regardless of whether the officer whose funeral they are attending was a member of their department. They are to remove the mourning band when the funeral is over. Based on local, national, and religious traditions, thege body of the deceased may or may not be on display.

Again, these are basic guidelines by which many agencies and officers should abide. However, some choose to modify them according to their preferences. Remember me when I am gone away / Gone far away into the silent land / When you can no more hold me by the hand / Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.” Chrstina Rossetti But, of course, it is maybe a class question in any country: the more traditional the family / friends – the more strict and traditional the dress code.

Mira qué bonita era (“Look How Lovely She Was”) by Julio Romero de Torres, 1895. [Image Credit: Wikimedia] The same dark suit requirement is also appropriate for wakes, especially evening wakes. (In my experience, perhaps because the work environment is what it is today, mostly people attend wakes rather than funerals these days, except, of course, when very close relatives or close friends are connected to the decedent.) There should be formality and respect, and a dark suit suggests that better than anything else. But if , for instance, the decedent was a member of a high school team or a member of a police force, firefighters’ brigade or nursing staff at the time of passing, it is quite appropriate for team mates or co-workers to wear their uniforms to indicate a sense of kinship and a recognition of the decedent’s life, values, spirit and commitment.Because a dark suit is the single most versatile suit that a man can own, you ought to have at least one in your wardrobe that is appropriate for a funerary service. Article

If possible, attend the service if you were close to the deceased or their family. Similarly, avoid going if your attendance will make the family uncomfortable.When the practice first began in England, men and boys typically wore mourning bands. This may be because women in mourning during this period already wore certain types of clothing and thus did not need to wear mourning bands, as their attire already expressed that they had lost someone close. Funerals and memorial services are where the living interact to honor and mourn the dead. It is a time to pay extra attention to etiquette when emotions and feelings are so raw. Keeping the following guidelines in mind will ensure that you behave appropriately and respectfully.

If the only suit you have is a navy blue pinstripe, then yes, that is what you should wear. However, pinstripes say “business,” and there should be nothing businesslike about a funeral. Solid charcoal gray is better. There were also strict rules about the formality and types of clothing that were to be worn at mourning events like funerals or memorial services, dictated by factors such as one’s relationship to the deceased, one’s status, and even one’s profession.Again, in the US, the term mourning band usually refers specifically to the bands that law enforcement officers wear around their badges when officers die in the line of duty. Thus, we tend to associate mourning bands with local police forces and various other law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement officers put themselves at risk to keep others safe. When they lose their lives in the line of duty, those who serve with them naturally want to honor the sacrifice they made. Wearing mourning bands has long been a common way they’ve come together to do so.