The first step in understanding the laws of tznius is to appreciate that there are three basic modes of immodest dress – inadequate dress, ostentatious dress and overly casual, undignified dress.
1) Inadequate Dress: Inadequate dress is forbidden because it can cause men to see parts of the female body that must be covered. This in turn is extremely detrimental to kedushas Yisroel, (the sanctity of the Jewish people). Merely shifting the blame to the male by saying, “Who told you to look,” is unfair at best and probably a transgression of “Don’t put a stumbling block in front of a blind person.” A non-Kosher neckline; see-through garment; tight fitting blouse, dress and skirt; a hemline that is too high; sleeves that are too short and the uncovered hair of a married woman all belong to this category.
2) Ostentatious Dress: Ostentatious dress attracts undue attention to the woman or girl. Although, she should have a dignified and attractive appearance, she should not be dressed in a way that is eye-catching and causes men to look at her. For example, Chazal say (Kesubos 72b) that it is immodest for a woman to spin bright red thread in public, because particles of the bright fiber fall on her face and forehead and people will be attracted to look at her brightly colored face. Loud and ostentatious hair styles, very fancy or overly elegant dresses, bright red and similar bright-colored clothes, excessive amounts of gold and studs on clothes, highly conspicuous jewelry, and a lavish application of cosmetics-all fall under this classification.
3) Overly Casual, Undignified Dress: When writing about wearing modest clothing, the Mesilas Yesharim (Path of the Just-Chapter 23) writes: ללבוש ×‘×’×“×™× ×¦× ×•×¢×™× ×“×”×™×™× ×• ×ž×›×•×‘×“×™× ×ך ×œ× ×ž×¤×•××¨×™× – “To wear modest clothing means to wear clothes that are dignified, but not ostentatious.” It is clearly explained that to wear undignified clothing is a lack of tznius. What is the connection between the dignity of a person’s clothes and tznius?
The overall attribute of tznius is based on an awareness of the constant presence of Hashem and man’s need to be respectful of Him. For this reason, refinement in all one’s actions, whether in public or in private, is an intrinsic part of tznius and is expected of both men and women. Overly casual wear worn when more dignified dress would be expected is the antithesis to the awareness of Hashem’s presence.
Furthermore, overly casual dress exhibits a lack of self-esteem and self-respect, whilst tznius entails being aware of the importance of the Jewish woman and ensuring that she is properly protected. In reference to tznius the Jewish woman is called a Bas Melachim – a princess (כל כבודה בת מלך ×¤× ×™×ž×” -Tehillim 45:14). This indicates that tznius is born out of a realization of the Jewish woman’s royal status.
Moreover, overly casual dress projects an undisciplined, wayward attitude to life, whilst modesty entails a style of life in which one is careful to fulfill halacha (Jewish law) and promote a sense of seriousness about life and kedusha (Torah sanctity). A casual, carefree way of life is ill-suited to someone who must at all times be aware. For this reason all that is unrefined such as eating and rejoicing in a lighthearted and frivolous manner is a lack of tznius, as stated by Rashi, Succah 49b. Untidy long hair, garments with exposed unsightly seams, blouse tails that hang out (when it is obvious that this type of tail should not be left to hang out), long baggy sweaters, excessively long skirts, and hosiery that sags down because it is loose on the leg – are all part of this classification.
Modesty-An Adornment for Life: Rabbi Pesach Eliyahu Falk, © Feldheim Publishers.
Take advantage of “Print this Post” or “Email this Post.”
What do you mean by “excessively long skirts?”
Down to the ankles, or lower.
One might think that the longer, the more modest, however, this is not so. There is a psychology that lies behind these ultra-long garments. Excessive covering is done to heighten the attraction to what is being covered. When the fashion designers feel that the provocation generated by exposing the legs is beginning to wane, they create a garment which covers the legs completely. This garment usually has a slit in it, or is a wraparound, which serves to complete what they are trying to achieve. Eventually, they consider it time to return to the fashion of very short garments, and cycle repeats itself over the years. There is, therefore, not much tznius in this garment. The function of these garments are to achieve the exact opposite of tznius.
Dear Rabbi:
Some of us wear pretty long skirts because we are short and alterations are expensive. Usually these skirts are wide with no slits and look pretty demure. Some of us are not so skinny and hide this with baggy sweaters or over blouses that are not tight. Here too, I believe that this is a modest way to dress if one has a “special neeeds” figure. It is usually better to cover up than to be exposed. I do not approve of the “Hippie Look, but see that we are all built differently and have to act accordingly. The issue of short sleeves in summer is important too when one can’t take much intense heat. If a blouse is down to the elbows (that is the sleeve), I think this should be acceptable. Thanks for all the information.
Marilyn
I fully understand Marilyn. We will develop this idea further as we go forward with the email series. Thank you for your wonderful comments.