"Many need instruction as to how they should appear in the assembly for worship on the Sabbath. They are not to enter the presence of God in the common clothing worn during the week. All should have a special Sabbath suit, to be worn when attending service in God's house. While we should not conform to worldly fashions, we are not to be indifferent in regard to our outward appearance. We are to be neat and trim, though without adornment. The children of God should be pure within and without."

• What is a "Sabbath suit"?
  1. The context indicates that the "Sabbath suit" is something that should be worn "for worship on the Sabbath".
  2. Since no gender is mentioned, the "Sabbath suit" must be something worn both by men and women.
  3. So, what could be her definition of the word "suit"? BTW, this statement was written in the 1890's:
     • In the 1828 Websters Dictionary, there are two possible definitions of the word "suit" that may fit this context:
     1. "A set; a number of things used together, and in a degree necessary to be united, in order to answer the purpose; as a suit of curtains; a suit of armor; sometimes with less dependence of the particular parts on each other, but still united in use; as a suit of clothes; a suit of apartments."
     2. "To dress; to clothe. Such a Sebastian was by brother too, So went he suited to his watery tomb."
     • We may also get a clue from the context of part of a letter that Ellen White wrote to her children in 1865:
       • "If you think the suit of clothes made out of that remnant of Grandma’s dress and waist out of that old cloak of Willie’s looks nice enough, you need not be at the expense of purchasing the plaid. Do as you all may think best. I do not think it will pay now to make up anything as thin as that ladies’ cloth for he might outgrow them and they be too small next summer, but I leave this merely as suggestions. Do as your judgment dictates. He has a good warm everyday suit. He needs now a nice suit for summer. His green suit is all the summer clothes he wants considering how late in the season it is getting to be. Look at the cloth at Cobb’s and see what you think of it. It is single width pants cloth. Then look at Skinner’s and see what they have. The cloth at Cobb’s may not be so suitable for a boy as something prettier or some plaid." Lt 5, 1865 (September 18, 1865) par. 8
• What is NOT appropriate for a "Sabbath suit"?
• "common clothing worn during the week"
• conformity "to worldly fashions"
• "adornment" (see below for possible definitions...)
• What IS appropriate for a "Sabbath suit"?
• "We are to be neat and trim"
• Clothes that are clean ("The children of God should be pure within and without")
• What is the definition of "trim"?
• The 1828 Websters Dictionary definition: "TRIM, adjective Firm; compact; tight; snug; being in good order. We say of a ship, she is trim or trim-built; every thing about the man is trim We say of a person, he is trim when his body is well shaped and firm; and we say, his dress is trim when it sits closely to his body and appears tight and snug; and of posture we say, a man or a soldier is trim when he stands erect. It is particularly applicable to soldiers, and in Saxon, truma is a troop or body of soldiers."
• What is the definition of "adornment"?
• The 1828 Websters Dictionary has no definition for the word "adornment"
• Google defines "adornment" as 'a thing that adorns or decorates; an ornament. "the necktie is no longer a necessary male adornment" synonyms: decoration, embellishment, ornamentation, ornament, enhancement; beautification, prettification; frill, accessory, doodad, fandangle, frippery; trimmings, finishing touches "why all the adornment just for a casual dinner party?"'
• "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. 1 Peter 3:3, 4, NIV." (LIFT HIM UP, PAGE 305)
• "... Christ exalts natural simplicity above artificial adornment, and counts the flowers growing in beauty in the valley as more attractive than all the glory of Solomon upon his throne. The devoted mother will not rob her children of the time that should be spent in their instruction, to waste it in preparing fine clothes for them, and in arraying them with garments that would tend to excite their vanity. She will rather impress upon their minds the fact that purity of heart and beauty of character are the only ornaments necessary for them to wear in order to enter the heavenly courts." (ST December 19, 1878, par 4)
• What about neckties?
  • The 1828 Websters Dictionary has no definition for the word "necktie"
  • Ellen used the word "necktie" only once and the editors seemed to think she was talking about a scarf.
  • Not written by Ellen, but appearing in the Adventist Review & Sabbath Hearld, September 1, 1869, p. 116.17 were these words: "... The minister is idle six days in the week. He wears a white nectie, lives in the lap of luxury, and is pampered into arrogance by his people..." Of course, this is only anecdotal, just an example of how a necktie could be adornment...
  • Wikipedia and TIE-A-TIE provide extensive history of the necktie, which seems to have often been an article of adornment/fashion.