Should Christians Dress Up For Church?

In the West, we’ve been dressing down for several decades. Casual culture has infiltrated society and the vast majority of Christians have followed suit. Some men wear sandals and tanktops to church in the summer and some women wear mini-skirts or even leggings as pants. This trend from formal to casual began in the 1960’s as a reaction to the stalwart view of the orthodox Christian church. In an effort to attract more visitors, we began stripping anything “churchy” from the gathering and replaced it with something less historical and more consistent with the modern culture—including dress. But what does the Bible say about dress and church? Are there any principles for modifying our outward appearance to reflect our inward reality? What about pastors? Should their clothing be a tool to distinguish themselves in the role they’re in, or should they use clothing as a way to make themselves more relatable to their congregation?