Former Bachelor Matt James has never shied away from the fact that he is Christian. Within moments of meeting the women competing for his heart on season 25 of “The Bachelor,” James asked everyone to bow their head in prayer. “Dear Heavenly Father…,” he began, as some contestants said “amen” in agreement.
“Let me start by saying that of course it’s great and fun and cool that Matt James — the first-ever Black lead of ‘The Bachelor’! — is Christian,” Emily Burack wrote for Hey Alma at the time. “Not great and fun and cool? Assuming everyone else is, too.”
But as of late, it seems that the 33-year-old is branching out a bit. In a video he posted to TikTok and Instagram last Friday, James shared the he was attending his first-ever Shabbat that evening and had no idea what to wear. “I need y’alls help,” he began the 25-second video. “I Googled what to wear and it said to get a suit and a tie.” James, who appeared to be in a Target, flashed the camera a look at a tan sport-coat, lavendar button-down and green-gray dress pants. “I’m fine wearing a suit, I just don’t want to be the only one who shows up in a suit.”
He ended the video by also asking if he needed to bring a gift and asking for general direction.
@mattjames9191 what do you bring / wear to Shabbat? 😅
OK, Matt, since you’re being so considerate and respectful, here’s our advice for future reference: The vibe of a Shabbat dinner can range anywhere from formal to casual. You can never go wrong by just asking your host what the tone of the evening will be and what the general dress code is. That said, for menswear options, a button-down and a nice pair of slacks will almost always be appropriate. As for gifts, you can also always ask your host if there’s anything you can bring. A dessert or bottle of kosher wine — even if you’re not going to a kosher household, it’s always best to play it safe — are nice gifts if you’re unsure.
A belated Shabbat shalom, Matt! We hope you had a lovely first Shabbat. We’d love a follow-up TikTok to hear how it went!
