What is Modest Dress?

Ask ten orthodox Jewish women what “modest dress” means to them, chances are that you will get at least 5 different answers, maybe even ten! The idea of “tznius” or “modesty” in Judaism is certainly nothing new, but as secular fashion gravitates towards showing more and more skin, it becomes a lot harder for the Modern Orthodox woman to define what is acceptable as “modest attire”. 

Why is it so important to dress in a way that covers much of the body? An article on chabad.org attests that a Jewish woman does not hide her body for fear of tempting a man to sin, but rather, views her body as a holy creation of G-d, and therefore sacred. In the same way that we keep the Torah Scroll fully covered except when we are reading from it, our bodies should be completely clothed except when we are revealing ourselves to our spouse. It’s a beautiful concept. The author is careful to point out that men should also dress modestly; they too should keep their bodies covered.

The debate over which parts of the body need to be covered is where the lines gray. Some women are content with covering elbows, thighs and cleavage while some hold that “tznius” means covering arms to the elbow, legs to just below the knee, and the torso up to the collarbone. Yet others believe that sleeves should reach below the elbow, with only a “tefach” (fist sized area) of arm showing, skirts must go well below the knee, with stockings worn to cover the rest of the leg and ankles, and the collarbone must never show. And common sense should dictate that clothing is never worn so tight so as to leave nothing to the imagination. I mean, you can wear a floor length, high necked, long sleeved dress, but if it's skin tight, well, it’s hardly modest, is it?

So, where does the modest Jewish woman shop for clothes? Fashionable clothes that need little to no alterations. Feminine clothes, that leave plenty to the imagination, yet are not old fashioned? A new website, www.kosherfashions.com has just launched, and they are offering a wide range of clothing just for modestly dressed women. Check out the website – it is still in its infancy, but will soon grow. Kosher Fashions welcomes comments and suggestions, which you can send to kosherfashions@gmail.com

 

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