On Easter Sunday, Congregants at This 218-Year-Old Harlem Church Channeled Southern Baptist Style

Beyond the Easter egg hunts, the baskets stuffed with shredded tissue paper, and the sugar highs from too much candy, church is at the heart of many early morning Easter rituals. While I can’t recall the services themselves, I can still remember exactly what I wore to them: especially the frilly white socks peeking out from patent leather shoes, and the impossible task of keeping them clean. I remember the all-white dress, fluffed with tulle in a cupcake silhouette, delicate and deliberate.

For many within the Baptist denomination, Easter Sunday church service isn’t just a religious obligation, it’s a homecoming. It becomes a community celebration, a gathering to honor—as many lovingly put it—“Christ’s resurrection.” People arrive dressed in fresh, spring-inspired looks, often wearing something new to mark rebirth and reverence. The church swells with a shared spirit, and by the service’s end, as the congregants overflow into the streets, so does the fashion.

There, a distinctly Southern-rooted style appears: wide-brimmed hats with tulle, pastel suits, floral dresses, and, among children, those same frilly white socks.

In Harlem, the Abyssinian Baptist Church—a gothic historic megachurch—is a centerpiece for local communities. Rooted in a rich history dating back to 1808, the church carries an iconic legacy, having welcomed patrons including André Leon Talley, freedom riders such as Samuel DeWitt Proctor, and pastors like Adam Clayton Powell Sr.

For the church’s 218th Easter, we captured the essence of traditional Southern Baptist style, its deep East African roots, and the evolving interpretations of generational dressing.

Rondel DavisPhotographed by Rasaan Wyzard

Photographed by Rasaan Wyzard

“This wasn’t the first thing I put on, but it was conservatively festive. This whole outfit is Ralph Lauren, top to bottom, even the shoes. I’ve been a patron of this church for 50 years. And a fashionable friend of mine, André Leon Talley, who went to this church, used to come to my restaurant, and we had his picture on the wall.”

David Alston, Fatima Logan-Alston, and David Alston IIPhotographed by Rasaan Wyzard

Photographed by Rasaan Wyzard

David: “We wanted to go with all-white today to signify purity, starting fresh, and a new season. And with the resurrection, it feels like a new era.

It’s about bringing the family together. We all go shopping together and get ready together, so it’s like a ritual for our family to get as clean as we can get.”

Fatima: “We’re from North Carolina, so it’s a tradition to get new suits, usually in bright colors, like the white we’re wearing. It brings back memories of our heritage. Our outfits are from Macy’s.”

Jose, Mark, Dwayne, LuiseniriquePhotographed by Rasaan Wyzard

Luisenirique: “We always plan it together, and we love dressing up. This is our yearly tradition. But what inspired me personally is the ‘Superfine’ event [at the Met Gala], and being a part of Harlem, and being men who dress up and walk out of the house on Easter Sunday. It’s kinda iconic.

And [on Easter], you’re supposed to wear something someone has gifted you, so the [ladybug] brooch, my best friend gifted me.”

Jose: “I got this silk scarf from the Met yesterday, so I decided to wear it today. It’s a little pop of color. I got my suit from Men’s Wearhouse, and a couple of pieces from vintage shops, like this Triton pin.”

Mark: “This is just from my closet. We think about [what to wear] the day of and get inspired by springtime, and I’m always inspired when I come to this church.”

Dwayne: “My family has been coming to this church since 1938, when they migrated from Georgia to New York, so Easter is really big in our household, dressing up in bold colors, light colors. It’s what I was raised on. At age four, I wore little white suits.

Jamillaah, Andrew, Carmichael, and TorrencePhotographed by Rasaan Wyzard

Torrence: “Since the beginning, I really liked her [mom’s] dress, and I wanted to dress like that—yellow. We always wanted to wear yellow, so here we are, wearing yellow.

My favorite Easter moment was during COVID. We made an Easter cake, baked it, and decorated it ourselves, matching our dresses to the cake.”

Jamillaah: “The girls get really excited about the holidays, especially Easter and Christmas. They enjoy styling together, and they always try to decide what their inspiration will be. This time, it’s my dress. My oldest, Torrence, was the leader in picking it out this time.”

Nefertiti, Jasmine Iman, and RudolphPhotographed by Rasaan Wyzard

Rudolph: “When I heard the Met Gala was doing the Black Dandy, I had that in mind for myself and my niece. I told my sister that was the inspiration, and that’s why we selected the ensemble. My outfit is McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, and Yves Saint Laurent.

Nefertiti: “I wanted to contrast with my brother—we have different fashion styles, so I chose a different color palette. My outfit is Dolce & Gabbana, and my daughter’s is Prada.”

Joycelyn McGeachy-KulsPhotographed by Rasaan Wyzard

“I love this color, but also this church. Coming to Easter here reminds me of my grandmother. It’s a tradition of being a Southern Baptist woman—doing and looking our best, praising the Lord, and giving God the best we have. It’s part of tradition. I think what’s happening in [church] fashion right now is that we’re feeling our culture being erased, but a lot of people are leaning into it and finding strength in it. What used to bind us and connect us as women of the church, Black women, and women of the South, is dressing up, coming to church, and trying to lift up our community. That’s a lot of it. We don’t want to lose our identity, we don’t want to lose what makes us strong, beautiful, Black Southern Baptist women.

My favorite Easter fashion moment is that every year we got a pair of black patent leather shoes and a new floral dress, sometimes made by my grandmother.”

Camillya Lima-Peterson, Michael Peterson, and Camellia PetersonPhotographed by Rasaan Wyzard

Camillya Lima-Peterson: “I decided to do an all-white look with flashes of color. We look modern, but I wanted to keep the tradition with the hat and a scarf to cover the shoulders. I wanted to complement my style.

My dress is from the Gap, this scarf is repurposed by Larry Jay—he’s from Ghana, and he does everything repurposed from waste. My hat is from a vintage store in France, and my shoes are Vince Camuto.”

Michael Peterson: “I wanted to wear red today to represent Resurrection Day—red and white with a touch of detail. Something fun, light, something we can transition from church to brunch and take advantage of this weather that’s trying to break through.

My hat is Aimé Leon Dore, my shoes are Gucci, my suit and pants are from Denim Tears, and this shirt is vintage. The bag is Yeezy, and this is my wife’s ladybug pin.”

Camellia Peterson: “I like the pink.”

Lenora Taitt-MagubanePhotographed by Rasaan Wyzard

“I’ve been with the church for a long time, coming in and out since I was a child. I can’t remember how many years ago, but I’ve been here, and I love it. My dress is from the country of Benin, where I’ve spent a lot of time. My cane is from Kenya. I always take my fashion inspiration from Africa. My family picked out my outfit for me.”

Catherine and her granddaughterPhotographed by Rasaan Wyzard

Catherine’s granddaughter: “She’s a dresser, she comes from the old-school Baptist—that’s where the hat comes from, that’s where the dress comes from. It’s Easter, so she had to step out.”

Catherine: “My sister made the hat and gave it to me as a present. My favorite Easter outfit, though, was my peach outfit when I was with three of my sons, and we had a big dinner.”

Gary Grant, Valerie Grant, and Gary Grant JrPhotographed by Rasaan Wyzard

Valerie: “I picked this out last night. This isn’t something existing in my wardrobe. I usually try to find something new for Easter because it’s a celebration of Christ’s resurrection, but I really liked the colors and the vibrancy. The hat was a last-minute decision, but this is one of my favorites.

I love hats—they feel like a celebration. It runs in my family. My mother wasn’t a hat person, but many of my aunts and grandmothers were hat wearers, so I got it from them. There was also a time when a hat was almost mandatory, so I think it’s making a comeback. My mother used to dress my sister and me in matching outfits, matching her as well, and we’d go take pictures by the cherry blossom tree on Easter. That was my favorite moment.”

Gary Grant: “It’s kind of a last-minute decision based on what my son was wearing, so I decided to put on my jacket as well. We got these suits from a menswear store online. We also got him a seersucker jacket online and new shoes to hold the tradition of buying something new.”

Gary Grant Jr: “I feel good in my outfit, my parents buyed it for me and I like it, it’s awesome.”

Sandra Allen-LesibuPhotographed by Rasaan Wyzard

“I’m 77 years old, and this has been my church since 1960. I was married here in 1967, when Adam Clayton Powell was the pastor. I’ve been singing in the choir since 1967, and I sang in the choir today.

I chose this outfit because it was appropriate for Easter—he arose, and so the flowers are out. My hat is from Harlem’s Heaven, and you always have to wear a hat. Harlem’s Heaven came to the church and put this hat on me, and I loved it.”

Afrika OwesPhotographed by Rasaan Wyzard

“I got the dress from Amazon, and I wasn’t going to wear it at first. I was looking for a different outfit, but I wanted to match my son. I’ve always liked Easter blue, and I wanted to wear a hat. My mom was really into hats—she passed away and was also a member of the church. I wanted to try something different. I wanted to feel like a princess but still keep it classy, and mix in my personality as well.”

Robin Bristow and Adrienne JonesPhotographed by Rasaan Wyzard

Robin: “We’re traveling, so this wasn’t a last-minute outfit—we packed our outfits ahead of time, looked at the weather, and that helped dictate what we wanted to wear. We tried to incorporate some spring colors. And we wanted to be comfortable, because we were planning to walk around and get brunch afterward. We chose this church specifically because of its history. Adam Clayton Powell Sr. was the pastor here back in the ’60s, so we wanted to experience the culture.”

Adrienne: “My favorite Easter fashion memory is the ruffle socks, and of course, sometimes we’d have little hats and gloves when we were younger. And seeing the elders wear the white gloves, hats, pastels, and vibrant colors.”

Susann Miles-WestbrookPhotographed by Rasaan Wyzard

“As deacons, we have to wear black, and I needed to wear something I really liked that was a bit more upscale. This was my favorite Easter outfit—André Leon Talley always used to tell me, ‘Susann, I love that on you.’ So, I actually wore it at his funeral. That’s an Issey Miyake dress, and the hat, I made out of feathers.”

Patti LoisPhotographed by Rasaan Wyzard

“I’m the church photographer, and I’ve been a member of the church for 25 years. For my Easter Sunday look, I wanted to keep pearls because I’m in a sorority, AKA, and pearls are part of our beading. I didn’t want to do too many, though, but I wanted my beads to match the polka dots on my dress.”