Standards of dress (at least for women) aren't nearly as consistent within Orthodoxy as we might wish. Wearing exactly the same halachically-correct clothing I have been under-dressed in some places and over-dressed in others, because I didn't necessarily know how minhag Young Israel is different from minhag Modern Orthodox or minhag Chabad or the others. For any particular community I can take a cue from others -- if in fact other women are present, not always a safe bet -- so I can get it right the second time, but is there some set of clues I can use to get it right the first time? And how do the expectations change for Shabbat services versus Shabbat-afternoon shiur versus weeknight shiur?
If I am going there in response to an invitation of some sort (e.g. a bar mitzvah) then clearly I can ask the people who invited me for guidance. I'm trying to navigate the challenges of wanting to go to an interesting-sounding shiur or to daven at a place I've never been before where I don't necessarily know anybody, without feeling uncomfortable (or making anybody else uncomfortable) the whole time I'm there because I guessed wrong.
Answer
The answer given by @Barry was very good general advice. I'll add some specifics (as ideas for implementation).
Wear a solid or tiny patterned black, navy or dark plum blouse & skirt as a starting point. Then do any or all of the following:
- bring a scarf. Many scarves are solid color on one side, brightly patterned on the other. You can choose which side to wear, and how to wear the scarf, depending on the ambiance. That way you can be less or more festive.
- bring a light weight sweater. It can be buttoned like a jacket if it seems like formality is better. If you want to be more casual, just drape it over your shoulders with the sleeves tied loosely in front.
- There are even ladies hats that are reversible, and can be worn traditionally or stylishly.
Wear dark-colored opaque cotton, silk or woolen hosiery, always.
No comments:
Post a Comment