By: Nicole Kirichanskaya
Today, younger Orthodox Jewish women are taking more “fashions risks” with their wardrobe, such as incorporating modern, more revealing trends, like crop tops or bustiers, into their wardrobe without breaking the laws of Tzniut, which is a major concept in Judaism that centers around the importance of modesty, both in character and in wardrobe, of men and women alike.
Many young Orthodox Jewish women do not feel that their preference for modest clothing makes it difficult to dress fashionably in the slightest. Many stores today, both those targeted towards the Orthodox and mainstream customer, carry a wide variety of clothing pieces that make it easier to unite certain, sexier clothing trends, such as crop-tops or slip-dresses, with a more traditional, modest sensibility of fashion.
When you hear the words “modest fashion”, words like “frumpy” or “confining” might come to mind, particularly when it comes to women who dress according to religious guidelines; such as Jewish Orthodox women. In an era of fashion, where wearing revealing clothing has become the norm for many women, more modest fashion choices, such as skirts that cover below the knees or long-sleeve tops that cover the collarbone (a few of the rules that guide Orthodox Jewish women’s fashion) can seem repressing or unfashionable. However, as many individuals in the both the Orthodox Jewish community and the mainstream fashion world pointed out, it is the exact opposite.
In an e-mail correspondence I had with two Jewish Orthodox fashion designers, Simi Polonsky and Chaya Chanin, the designers jointly stated:
“Most people stereotype modest fashion to be old- fashioned and dowdy…The misconception that long skirts represent women’s anti liberation, and acres of material impede progress, is getting bulldozed by the new wave of feminism where women dress for themselves, whether that is covered up or not, and not for the male gaze- that is female empowerment.”
A recent exchange I had with Rabbi Dovi Begun echoed this statement:
“It’s not like how it was two hundred years ago that the women were second place, we are past that, women today, after all those movements that we were fighting for women’s rights, the woman is working, the woman is out there and that’s great. But after we achieve that, I think now it can be time that the woman realizes that she could be out there, she could be outside the big world and working, but still it doesn’t mean that she needs to compromise on how the way she dresses or try to dress in a way to be more attractive or so on. There’s no need for that because, when she dresses according to who she is, in her essence, naturally it will be in a modest way.”
Dressing modestly is not only a way to stay true to one’s religious beliefs, but to one’s sense of confidence as well. In dressing according to the laws of Orthodox Judaism, Accounting major at Baruch College Michal Brander feels a sense of confidence that she would not otherwise have felt dressing according to the “rules” of mainstream fashion.
“People might think that in order to feel pretty or confident you need to wear revealing clothing, but I can tell you that that’s not true. Looking and feeling great comes from self-esteem, not just clothes. I’ve learned that I don’t need to show my body to get attention; in fact, I find the opposite to be true. When people talk to me, they look at my face, at me, because there’s not really much else to get a glimpse of.”
Modest fashion, both inside the religious Orthodox Jewish community and in our more secular, mainstream world, is being viewed in a much different light today.
The secular or mainstream fashion industry has been incorporating more modest fashion pieces, such as long-sleeved blouses and dresses or looser fitting pants and dresses into fashion lines recently, creating fashion pieces that appeal to a wider range of customers, from more religious communities, such to Muslim or Jewish groups, secular ones as well.
In incorporating modern trends into her wardrobe, while still dressing modestly,Maddie Birgenheir, a young Orthodox Jewish woman and Mathematics major at Baruch College noted:
“In a lot of places, the “staples” of a modest wardrobe (i.e. midi skirts, high necked blouses, etc.) are becoming more trendy. Because of this, it’s becoming easier to shop ‘from the rack,’ meaning that a lot of clothes now can be worn alone, albeit sometimes with a shell, rather than requiring tailoring or alteration. Modest clothing stores are also on the rise, and they tend to incorporate trends in more covered styles making staying on trend and modest much easier.”
On her opinion of modest fashion, Christine Philip, the Editor-in-Chief of Global Glam magazine commented:
“I think most of the designer houses have always incorporated a modest aesthetic into their collections and you kind of see that with the Onassis time, she wore a lot of high-necks, very classy looks, lots of sheath dresses. So I think modest fashion has always been around and it will always be around.”
Fashion is a way to express your beliefs to the world, be it in a mini-dress or in a below-the-knee length skirt. Before you judge anyone’s style, perhaps take a second to reconsider Alexander McQueen’s iconic words and think about what fashion means for you as a form of escapism.