Hyper-Tzniut Fashions for Young Girls
Hyper-Tzniut at the Jerusalem Zoo
While the face-covering phenomenon seems to have died down, shalim, capes or cloaks worn over the shoulders to disguise the contour of the body, are still popular. I saw many women in shalim during our visit to the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem, along with the two girls pictured above who looked about 7 and 10 years old.
In my next post I’ll share thoughts about a shal-wearing mother nursing her baby on a park bench.
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Risa Said,
August 21, 2009 @ 11:53 AM
I don’t get it, what contours does she have to hide?
Raizy Said,
August 21, 2009 @ 1:50 PM
I can’t imagine having to wear a cloak over clothing in the heat of an Israeli summer.
tesyaa Said,
August 21, 2009 @ 2:46 PM
They look like ponchos.
Z - Ima Undercover Said,
August 21, 2009 @ 3:41 PM
I think that is taking the whole tzniut thing a bit too far and dangerously close to the burqa.
triLcat Said,
August 21, 2009 @ 4:16 PM
sick – g-d forbid someone should discover it’s a human under there!
Lori Said,
August 21, 2009 @ 5:04 PM
That makes me so very angry- and sad. Lately the parks have been crowded with haredim because the yeshivas have been on vacation- and every girl, no matter how little, was wearing socks or tights with her sandals. Could someone please explain to me how toddler feet can be considered sexy?
mominisrael Said,
August 21, 2009 @ 5:15 PM
Lori, in one of the articles about hyper-tzniut, “mainstream” charedi women worried about the modesty standards being upped. She gave the example of girls’ tights as a relatively recent phenomenon.
mominisrael Said,
August 21, 2009 @ 5:40 PM
Tesyaa–you’re right!
Shoshana Said,
August 21, 2009 @ 5:48 PM
Looks my Baal-Teshuva Breslev neighbors! Just a fashion statement, since when have Ponchos been out-of-date
jewnet Said,
August 21, 2009 @ 6:01 PM
My girls (4 of them) have worn tights all year round since the age of three. If you start at this age, they get used to it, and you don’t have to battle with them at age 10+ to cover their legs.
Leah Said,
August 22, 2009 @ 11:05 PM
What sickens me is that I am afraid than in 20 years from now this may become mainstream and anyone not wearing one of those ponchos will be considered immodest.
A few months ago, my mom brought me a poncho from a super-trendy store in NY (completely innocently), but my husband said no-way (it reminded him of these shawls).
tesyaa Said,
August 23, 2009 @ 6:32 AM
Another way to avoid a battle over older girls covering their legs is not to require them to do so.
Tamar Said,
August 23, 2009 @ 3:04 PM
And MY girls (4 of them) have been dressed modestly, as halacha requires, and feel free and comfortable with sandals and bare legs. Hopefully they’ll continue to abide by halacha when they make their own wardrobe choices as they get older; I’ll be teaching them that the decision to cover legs below the knee with stockings or socks is a chumra (and an uncomfortable one at that!)
The girls in this picture look Amish. They’re just missing the bonnets.
Akiva Said,
August 23, 2009 @ 10:15 PM
Living in a charedi community next to an extreme charedi community in Israel – I can say that I’ve never seen this on girls and it’s currently fashion on about 5% of the women.
My wife has spotted stores in that neighborhood with signs saying “entry to women only with shawls”, but it does not seem to be being enforced or seriously catching on.
However, the ever popular style of walking around in models coats of full-neck to floor length – highly popular.
Deborah Said,
February 15, 2010 @ 5:49 PM
Stockings are not a chumra at all Tamar. No respectable Haredi Rabbi will not and cannot give a label of hechsher of legs without stockings.