Judaism in Fashion

Judaism in fashion Photo by David Weiss

Written by Raya Benus

From the beginning of creation, we learn that clothing is a basic necessity. Hebrew biblical terms for clothing (beged, kisoot, livoosh) are employed in connection with covering the body for warmth or reasons of modesty. At a point in time, clothing became more than just protection and warmth, it became an aesthetic expression. Clothing can display one’s personality. Fashion is a tool for communication and has the capacity of exhibiting cultures. Religion can play an integral role in the way one dresses. Judaism uses clothing in many customs and religious practices and has always been influenced by societal trends. Jewish dress was inspired from Jewish law and throughout time has been influenced by modernity. While Jewish religious beliefs are universal, no matter where Jews have lived, clothing adopted the artistic, cultural, and social influences of the host society. Today, religious Jews have adapted modern day dress to abide by these older restrictions. Costume has always been a marker of Jewish identity, despite the fact that no universal Jewish costume

evolved. Several principal factors have determined not only Jewish dress but the use of materials throughout the ages. Jewish law, as well as Jewish codes of conduct and customs like Shatnez, Tzitzit, and Tallit, give guidelines to clothing. Shatnez is a law that prohibits the wearing of fabrics made out of a mixture of linen and wool, an ecological sensitivity towards the mixture of animal and plant products. Tzitzit and Tallit are certain religious garments that men wear as a constant reminder of the covenant with God and his commandments. The garment’s four corners have tassels knotted in a prescribed method which remain outside of the regular dress. Men generally cover their heads with a kippah. The origin of the yarmulke, or kippah, comes from the Talmud, a book of Jewish civil and ceremonial laws. The kippah is a reminder for its wearers that there is always a supreme being “above” them. Modesty, like in other cultures and religions, plays a large role in Jewish dress. In a second century commentary on Jewish oral law, it is explained that there is a requirement to be “decently dressed and covered during prayer.” From this text, during prayer Jews demonstrate holiness in the clothing they wear. Modest dressing is notable in Jewish women’s fashion throughout history and in modern times. Upon marriage, observant women begin to cover their hair in public with either a wig or hat in public. This acknowledges the holy relationship between man and wife as a woman’s hair is just for her husband to see. Many women choose to only wear dresses and skirts, nothing to resemble men’s clothing like pants. Along with the influence of modesty, other factors pertain such as sumptuary laws, edicts by non-Jewish authorities in countries where Jews lived. For example, Islamic sumptuary laws based upon teachings found in the Quran and Hadith were introduced by Umayyad Caliph Umar II, a Muslim ruler, in the early 8th century. The practice was reissued and reinforced by Caliph Al-Mutawakkil (847–61), subsequently remaining in force for centuries. Christians and Jews were required to wear special emblems on their clothes. In the Christian world, efforts to distinguish Jewish dress date from approximately 1215 CE. In both Christian and Muslim lands, Jews were required to wear a hat with a shape, and color of which would serve to identify them as Jews. Not only were Jews forced by their local culture to have a certain dress code, they were also influenced by it. Although Jews, under Muslim and Christian rule, were influenced and sometimes forced to wear the modern dress and more specific garments, Jewish dress around the world was specific to the country of origin. For example, in the Balkans before World War II, women dressed in the local garb. The salvar, a common long silk shirt, was replaced by the sayo, a sleeveless dress, but was covered by an entari, a close-fitting kaftan with wide sleeves made of striped silk material. In Morocco, Jews expelled from Spain after the Inquisition brought their style with them. The Moroccan bridal and festive dress, known as the “great dress,” descended from the Spanish Jews. This outfit, made of metal threadembroidered velvet, was strikingly different from the local Muslim costumes and became an identity mark. Jews around the world have always been influenced by the places they live. Some traditions like the Jewish prayer are universal, but fashion generally is idiosyncratic. Jewish dress at its core came from Jewish rule in the Torah. As communities formed worldwide through the diaspora, Jewish dress became just like Jews themselves - individualized and culturally diverse. Today, some wear a more traditional dress and some dress according to their local customs. Others, like me, dress in whatever way they please. Fashion isn’t just materialism at its finest, clothing creates an identity in the same way Judaism does; like religions, fashion can be both a self-expression and an affirmation.