Sunday, October 09, 2005
Before I was frum, I had all these beautiful clothes. A handmade dress from Afghanistan, a corduroy patchwork number, loads of tie-dyes and flowing, spinning skirts. Not to mention jewelery! Hemp necklaces, beads, crystals, and bells. Truly, a sight to behold.
When I was first becoming frum, I had a certain role model who was VERY aidel. I would go shopping and try to buy clothes that I thought she would wear. I'd hold up a skirt to a friend and say; "How does this rate on the Shprintza Kreindel scale?" Eventually, I found my own place and my own style, something that is evolving all the time. I think it's safe to say that I dress fairly conservatively now, and - with G-d's help - modestly.
The hippie clothes all got given away. I couldn't save them, they were so beautiful. I had to pass them along. As a part of my own personal growth, I had to let that part of me go.
There's a certain style of frum girl, maybe you've seen her. She's the hippie princess waltzing around Tsfas (and Massachussetts). She wears beautiful Israeli scarves on her head, flowery tiered skirts, eclectic jewelery. She might have a pair of Naots or Birks on her feet (with socks, of course). That is the woman I might have become, if my Journey in Yiddishkeit took me another way. When I see this girl, I ache a little bit. I love her clothes, I love her style, I love her. She makes me mourn the girl I was. I want to reach out to her and say, "Hi, I'm YOU!"
Strangely enough, when I would go to Borough Park, I'd feel the same way about the ladies there. You know who they are. They have their lovely weekday suits on, like they're going to a chasuna every day. I love their modesty, their simplicity, their aidelkeit. I love those classy Armani scarves they wear on their heads (with the foam piece underneath to give them a perfect round shape). I love that beautiful Borough Park woman. I want to reach out to her and say, "I'm YOU, too!"
Is that ironic?
Love, Maven @ 
3 Comments:
At 8:46 AM,
shy_smiley said…
each of us is multifaceted and you are highly sensitive to the many ways you reflect light. I don't think it's ironic that you admire the hippie princess and the Armani princess both, it just shows that you recognize the potential in yourself. You could have chosen any path. The path you're on is the one G-d intended for you and isn't it a fantastic voyage?! You're able to look at these women with a sort of confident nostalgia and say, "I could have been you, but look! I'm me!"
I think that's beautiful.
At 11:15 PM,
Maven said…
You know, it's interesting. I never reached that last conclusion - "I could have been you, but look! I'm ME!"
I just looked wistfully at who I could have been (or could be). I never celebrated MYSELF. I had to be reminded (by a non-Jewish woman!!!) that I am on the exact path G-d wants me to be on.
Now THAT is what's beautiful.
Thank you, shy_smiley.
At 4:57 AM,
Anonymous said…
what modesty? an outfit for a wedding on a weekday?Armani scarves? I am sorry, covering yourself modestly is not enough. A true : Datiah :does not need to spend on herself, I realize that norms vary in each community. but I dont comprehend when there is so much poverty, and so many other needs, that a religious woman needs to be in competion over her outward apperarance
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