Out of the darkness, into the light

During the period of the nine days (from Rosh Chodesh Av until the fast of Tisha b'Av) it is the custom not to purchase new clothing, nor to wear new clothing that has not previously been worn. Many also have the custom not to launder clothes, or to wear laundered clothes. As we go through this introspective time, we should let go of what does not serve us well, and create space for new, wonderful amd useful things to come our way. We evaluate our behavior towards our fellow man, and also our relationship with Hashem and our midot. It's a great time for taking on another chumrah (stringency), something to strengthen your faith. For some, that may be dressing in a more appropriate manner. Taking pains perhaps, to only wear shirts with elbow length sleeves, or to always cover one's knees. This is a good time for us to go through our closets, and remove those items of clothing that no longer belong.

Let's face it, certain aspects of the 80s just shouldn't make a comeback...
Image courtesy of  http://80soutfit.com/

It is never easy to physically get rid of things. Whether it is the junk in the garage that might be useful again one day, or the clothes in our closet that haven't been worn in a long time, it's a process, and it requires determination and commitment. But the end result is similar to that feeling after the fast - you feel cleansed, detoxed and ready to start again (alright, maybe not immediately after the fast, but once you've had something to eat and drink). So use this time of year to cleanse your closet, ready to start fresh after Tisha b'Av.

Let's walk through the process together and keep it simple. Start by choosing one section of your closet. Shirts. Remove all your shirts and put them on your bed. If you haven't worn a shirt for a year or more, give it away.
If it has a stain that will not budge, give it away. If it's a shirt you purchased on impulse, but have nothing to wear it with, put it in a secondary pile - to be decided later. Once you have your piles of "keep", "giveaway", and "tbd", return the "keep" items to your closet, and move on to the next section - skirts. Work the same way, removing those that have not been worn for a long time, or that no longer fit, are ripped, are stained etc. Add to your existing piles. Perhaps you'll find a skirt you forgot about it that matches that impulse-buy shirt! Perhaps not... Are there skirts that are too short? Skirts that sit too low on the hips, revealing your belly button and you have no matching top that hangs long enough? Give it away!
On and on you go, and soon, your closet will not only be neat and organized, but it will contain only the clothing that you actually wear. Don't forget to go through socks and underwear while you're at it. And shoes! (Don't worry, now you'll have an excuse to buy more shoes!)

Now look at the clothes that remain. They should all fit with your style, they should make you feel good, they should make you feel dressed appropriately. So now you have all this extra space in the closet, it's time to go shopping baby! And come on, we all need a little retain therapy once in a while, especially after the nine days when we are forbidden from buying new clothes...

Available at Kosher Fashions website

Kosher Fashions is pleased to inform you that we have a post-Tisha b'Av sale beginning on July 17. Stay tuned, and bookmark the Kosher Fashions webstore. Everything must go!

Fun In The Sun: Modest Swimwear

Once upon a time, in the early days of the 20th century, the beach was a wholesome “family water park”.  It was not only free, but also a great vacation spot for those who didn't head up to the mountains for the summer.  It was a respectable place where families enjoyed the sun, sand and surf.  Of course women wore more substantial bathing suits then which resulted in fewer awkward moments; like when bikinis magically disappear into a large wave. Sunburn just didn't happen on one's behind. Women dressed more modestly back then, and bathing suit fashion took on a whole new dimension. Swimwear was more substantial, and required more design and fabric than most bathing suits today. Alas, our vintage photos are in black & white so we don’t see the wonderful colors they wore.

Image from http://weheartvintage.co/ 1920s swimwear

A century later, in many places it has become acceptable to swim, sun, and just hang out at the beach or pool practically naked! Depending on where you are, your birthday suit may be just fine.  Is it really “fine” for us, for our daughters, our granddaughters?  Do we teach them one way and then allow them to dress another way for the water?

Girls' sizes also available!

For women who hold the midah of tzniut, (virtue of modesty) dear, shopping for a bathing suit can be a real challenge.  It needs to be modest, trendy, slimming, made of quality buoyant fabric with SPF protection for water and sun safety.  No easy trick you say?   Using modern machines, newer fabrics, and updated designs you can experience the water fun of summer with a modest twist.  Enjoy it all in comfortable coverage!

Kosher Fashions is excited to announce that we now carry a large selection of modest women’s and girl’s bathing suits and active wear which is available for purchase in our online store. The Aqua Modesta brand bathing suits are made for the fashion conscious, modest woman, who does not compromise comfort and style in order to remain covered up. The bathing suits are made of high quality material, with built-in UV protection, and are chlorine /salt water resistant. They continue to look great and hold their shape even after many hours in the ocean or water park. The fabric is quick drying, and run very true to size. They are available in a large range of sizes for women, girls and even maternity.

This, and others, available from Kosher Fashions

When your girls leave yeshiva day school for the summer, make sure they take the values they learned with them.  Encourage them to be consistent during vacation time by dressing in modest swim wear, and maintaining a high level of tzniut, even while having fun in the sun.  Let them be the shining light that shows others and proves to themselves, that looking good, true attractiveness, is not ever related to public displays of skin overexposure.

Today we know that too much sun exposure can be dangerous, we slather ourselves and our children with SPF50+  until we look like an iced birthday cake, and we wear hats to keep our scalps from burning.  Oh, we ladies have bikinis, tankinis and monokinis, all of which expose more of our “womanhood” than most women are comfortable with. And let's not even begin to discuss the ongoing saga of hair removal necessary for Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikinis.

Available here in 3 colors

By wearing swim wear that covers the parts of one's body that are normally covered, we are protecting our bodies from unnecessary sun exposure, and we are maintaining a level of modesty that often gets forgotten during the summer months.

Think of all the money you will save on sunscreen!

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