Garments for the Grave

"In almost every human culture, when an individual is prepared for burial or cremation, their body is dressed in a garment that will literally and symbolically become part of the body as it returns to the earth."

Why does the outfit we wear to the grave not have the same amount of thought put into it as a wedding dress?  Pia Interlandi thinks that it should.  She has been working on a project called Garments for the Grave which explores clothing made specifically to be worn to the grave.  These clothes take into consideration the difficulties in dressing a body once it is stiff with rigor, the use of materials that will decompose along with the body, and the price appropriate for their use. 

There is something quite lovely and respectful about clothing the dead in garments appropriate for the unique needs of the situation.