The Bible has something for everyone, even fashionistas.

The idea of wearing your best clothes, especially hats, to church to honor God is a Christian tradition based on Scripture that is especially strong in the African-American church.

Although casual clothing is the norm for many churchgoers today, "Sunday's Best: A Gospel Affair" provided many women from local churches a Sunday celebration of their stylish chapeaus.

"We wanted to celebrate women and hats, gospel and food," said Mattie Stevenson, co-founder of Above and Beyond Event Planners, the coordinators of Sunday's gathering. The event, held at 550 Enterprises on Genesee Street, attracted about 100 women wearing hats of all styles.

For black women, Stevenson said, the tradition stems back to the days of slavery in America. Once work was finished, women would go to church wearing colorful hats made of straw and any material they could find that could be constructed into "a beautiful crown."

"You would always wear your Sunday's best when giving praise and honor to the Lord," Stevenson said. "We can endure anything, and wearing the hat signifies that."

The wearing of hats to church has its Christian basis in Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, which asks, in Chapter 11, "Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head unveiled?"

"Years ago, all black women wore hats to church," said Sue Holmes of Millicent Avenue. She wore a Western-style white straw hat adorned with a cream silk band, tied in the back with a bow.

"Now, most of the time, you don't see people dressed up with their hat," said Holmes, a member of Antioch Baptist Church on Fillmore Avenue. Holmes said that she grew up with a mother and grandmothers who would dress in their best every Sunday, in ensembles that normally included a suit, shoes, purse and gloves along with their hats.

"People have been getting away from the gloves," said Mary Mitchell of Weston Avenue.

A member of Friendship Baptist Church on Clinton Street, she wore an ensemble very reminiscent of traditional African attire. Both her hat and dress featured a brilliant array of orange, blue, yellow and green on a fabric with a print that defied easy geometric description.

Both Holmes and Mitchell had owned their hats for about eight years.

"They're really easy to take care of," Mitchell said. "You got a hatbox, you just keep them there."

Sunday's event also included entertainment with praise dancers from Greater Refuge Temple of Christ, local actor Frank Handley as the "Madea" character made famous by Tyler Perry, and Christian rapper Demetrius Garrett singing "Before His Death," which tells Jesus' story from the garden of Gethsemane to his crucifixion.

"Yes, this is a different generation," said Audrey McClure of Hickory Street.

She wore a white straw fedora with a black cloth band, which she reserves only for church and other special occasions.

"I wear [a hat] because it's been all my life," said Naynay Land of Humboldt Parkway. Her pleated black silk hat with mesh fringe was just one of 50 that she owns.

"I guess it's just passed down," she said of the church tradition.

sbrachmann@buffnews.comnull