Modest Jewish Clothing

Modest and Simple Knit Dress for girls

2012-02-26T20:46:00.000-08:00

I have been having a wonderful experience sewing clothing for my girls, from SureFit Design's Children's Kit. Once I've drafted the master pattern for my receipient, I can be as creative as I can with the patterns that I like.

Here is a very simple and modest dress with a high collar mock neckband, long sleeves, A-line skirt and gathers at the waist. I chose a very fun fabric made of thermal knit from Fabric.com. My daughter loves it very much as it is comfortable and enjoys wearing it for Shabbat.

Sewing gives me so much pleasure and I share my pleasures with my family and you.

Commercial A-line skirts

2012-02-12T13:58:00.000-08:00

A-line skirts are the easiest to make. However, if you are not a sewer, and want to get the standard S-M-L size skirts, you can. When I had little babies, I didn't have time to sew much for myself, so I used to purchase my A-line skirts here. They come in Misses and Womens (Plus size) sizes and different colors. Don't buy the red one, of course, as the color is not modest.

Alternatively, if the length is too long, you can purchase custom-sewn A-line skirts at ModestAnytime.com as well. They are sewn according to modest Jewish standards with ample ease at the hips and between 4"-6" below the knee. If the length is too long, then it will not be modest.

ModestJewishClothing.com

2012-02-12T13:51:00.001-08:00

You can reach this blog, through a shorter URL, via modestJewishClothing.com. Try it.

Raglan-style Yoke Blouse

2012-02-12T12:46:00.000-08:00

Raglan style sleeves

The Raglan style is actually not a simple style to create, as it requires joining the sleeves onto the front and back bodices, and there is not supposed to be a shoulder seam. The sleeves and the triangular part appear to be one smooth piece. It is challenging for me, to say, the least.

Therefore, I kind of faked this style, by creating a triangular yoke from the shoulder to the front bodice, cut them out and then re-attach them. In this style, I do have a shoulder seam and the sleeves are attached at the arm hole as usual.

So, here is my attempt at a "raglan-style" yoke blouse, thanks to SureFit Design's Children's Patterns Kit that enables me to create a master pattern for my child. (I can't thank you enough, Glenda!)

Princess Style Dress for Girls

2012-02-12T12:29:00.000-08:00

I've been using SureFitDesign's Childrens Kit to design clothing for my girls. Now, I don't have to fiddle with commercial patterns and custom-fit them to be modest. I can just design like a professional and create lovely outfits for my daughters.

Princess style from arm hole to hemline

Princess style from shoulder to hem line

Here is one simple dress I created -- a Princess-style dress. Most commercial princess style patterns require a bust dart. But for Jewish modesty, the bust darts, which are meant to emphasize your bust, are out. However, one can still design the princess style without a dart. It requires a firm hand to draw the curves on your pattern and cut them into two pieces and then re-attach them afterwards. There are various options to the Princess style - vertical from the shoulder, or horizontal from the armhole. I chose the former. So, here it is.

Learn about Jewish modesty on YouTube

2012-02-12T10:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a nice video teaching about Jewish modesty guidelines for tops.

Drafting your own Pattern

2012-02-01T20:27:00.000-08:00

After having used commercial patterns for a while, I've decided to look into learning how to draft my own patterns. There are several resources that you can use to learn how to do this. Here are some of the options:

pattern designing books
pattern designing software
pattern designing course

As for the books, the 2 books I've found useful that I've studied so far are

Make Your Own Dress Patterns by Adele Margolis, and Make Your Own Patterns: An Easy Step-by-Step Guide to Making Over 60 Dressmaking Patterns by Rene Bergh. I'm inspired by Ms Margolis' writing on encouraging the novice designer to experiment with designing such as cutting and slashing the master pattern to create the look you've been dreaming of. Ms. Bergh's step-by-step tutorial on drafting your basic bodice is very thorough, as it comes with very well-illustrated diagrams. The very first thing you need to be comfortable doing is to take accurate measurements, and learn about the various measurements needed to draft a basic sloper (bodice) with darts. Transition to dartless patterns is also taught in both books.

There are several very expensive software out there that comes with pre-packaged design patterns which you just need to plug in the body measurements (taken accurately) and print out the pattern on your printer, made up of multiple sheets of paper, which you will then have to assemble. I am not so thrilled with this method because what if the measurements were not correct and I've wasted so many sheets of paper. Personally, I would prefer to get my hands in action and draft the patterns which I can see directly onto tracing vellum. For me, that's more visual, and I can erase my mistakes on the spot without wasting the tracing material. I won't offer the various dress pattern designing software out there which you can simply Google yourself, since I don't recommend this method. It takes away your ability to learn and instead, transfer your dependence on software.

Pattern-designing courses are available online and offline. Some come with ebooks. Some come with kits. PatternsThatFitYou.com offers downloadable PDFs that teach you how to draft anything from blouses to maternity clothing. SureFitDesigns offers kits that come with instruction videos (some of them available on YouTube), master patterns with dot-to-dot drafting based on measurements, designing stylus (special curved and straight ruler with special markings), instruction books and pamphlets and tracing vellum. I have learned tremendously from both options here and would recommend them highly. The nice thing about SureFitDesigns is that it offers a variety of kits -- women's darted blouse, skirt and dress patterns, children's garments, unisex pants and dartless unisex shirts. The darted and undarted patterns come with default design ease, and I find the shirt kit offers the most modest pattern drafting for women. All the kits offer a very generous size option, with the ability to expand beyond what's printed on the master patterns.

By combining these resources (except for the software), I believe you will be able to get a head start in learning to draft a basic pattern that fits you and then go on to making more elaborate patterns for yourself and others.

Simplicity 2689 Girls Tunic Adaptation

2011-12-22T21:59:00.000-08:00

Here is a pattern from Simplicity that I adapted for my girls. It is a pullover tunic with either a square or circle neckline on the front yoke. The adaptation that I made was a higher jewel neckline reinforced with a standup ribbed knit collar, plus an extension to the sleeve length.

The Simplicty 2689 pattern comes in two sizes, one for regular girls and the other for plus-size girls. It also comes with a pattern for a front tie belt, which I ignored. There are two lengths to the tunic, the shorter one goes to the hips and the longer one below the hips, like in the picture.

I also decided to adorn the yoke with lace -- colorful lace on the front, and cotton lace extension on the sleeves. I use three different lace patterns in all. After all, this is a girl's tunic or blouse which is deserving of pretty trims, don't you think?

Are Layering Shells Kosher?

2011-12-05T19:45:00.001-08:00

According to the Gemara (Kesubos 72b), Chazal states that a woman violates Das Yehudis (Das Yehudis refers to laws of modesty based on convention (and enforced with rabbinic rulings)) if she spins in public and reveals her arms to people. The upper arm of a woman has a powerful potential to arouse unwanted attention of the opposite gender. The Midrash states that "Rav Shmuel Bar says that Shechem son of Chamor saw her (Deenah) and was attracted to her by procuring a glimpse of her arms and this aroused his distressing interest in her."

The elbow has the same halachos as the upper arm and must be completely covered since the upper arm occupies a substantial part of the elbow. The upper arms may not be visible through the sleeves and this includes see-through sleeves or tight-fitting sleeves. Rabbi Falk discusses this in "The Tznius Handbook" on pages 32 and 167.

How about layering shells? Layering shells that are so popular among the masses today are made with soft, thin, stretchy material that when worn, are very tight on the body, including the arms. These shells would not be appropriate for a Bas Yisrael. These shells can be worn underneath an opaque blouse that covers over the shell however, this then defeats the purpose of the shell. If the shell is worn underneath a very loose and open cardigan, that would expose the parts of the shell which exposes the shape of the wearer, then it would also not be kosher.

Popular mass-marketed layering shell, comes in different colors and sizes
As you can see, the shell hugs the wearer showing off the curves

When worn under another blouse of the this type also made of stretchy tight material,
reveals the shape of the wearer in a very immodest way

It doesn't matter whether you are skinny or more endowed, the shell makes you immodest!
It's like you're wearing a leotard in public.

Don't throw away your layering shells yet. You can recycle them into modest headcoverings. Snoods, for example, are usually made with stretchy knits. ModestAnytime.com currently is offering custom made-to-order Snoods.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday Sales for Sewing Enthusiasts!

2011-11-23T13:00:00.001-08:00

Many of these sales will activate only on Thanksgiving Day!

Thanksgiving & Black Friday Specials! Janome 3128 Sewing Machine. $79.99 EA. Nov 24th-Nov 25th

Thanksgiving & Black Friday Specials! 30% OFF Entire stock of Interfacing-featuring Pell. Nov 24th-Nov 25th.

Thanksgiving & Black Friday Specials! Kozy Flannel Prints. $1.69 YD. Nov 24th-Nov 25th. 100% cotton flannel prints.

Thanksgiving & Black Friday Specials! 3434-D Serger by Janome. $179.99 ea. Nov 24th-Nov 25th

Thanksgiving & Black Friday Specials! Comfy Fleece. $2.99 YD. Nov 24th-Nov 25th

Kosher Necklines, the Movie, available in 3D

2011-11-21T21:32:00.001-08:00

A collaboration of effort among ModestAnytime.com, ModestJewishClothing.blogspot.com and MoriahDesigns.com, we bring you ...

Kosher Necklines, the 3D Movie

(enable the 3D menu, if you have 3D glasses!)

Faceless Styrofoam Wig Heads

2011-11-15T17:40:00.001-08:00

I just came across a faceless Styrofoam wig head that can be used to support sheitels (wigs). The Torah prohibits Jews from making graven images, and a styrofoam wig head is usually fashioned with a face. Many pious Jews deface the head by removing the nose or ear. With the availability of faceless wig heads, that should make life easier, I hope.

For more information about the prohibition on making and owning graven images, read this PDF file.

Dickey, a Modest Cover-up Alternative

2011-11-14T12:20:00.001-08:00

Dickies are an alternative to cover up exposed neck and chest areas while wearing immodest neck-lined tops. They come in different colors and styles and here are some of my picks.

Layered Look Tops

2011-11-14T11:53:00.001-08:00

My favorite online boutique, Blair, offers layered-look tops that masquerade wearing layers of clothing. Their offerings are all one-piece with different fabrics sewn together to give a "layered" look. I've browsed through their online catalog, and some I have found to be modest enough. Here are my picks for today.

Shopping for Modest Skirts

2011-11-14T10:32:00.001-08:00

If you don't sew, you can purchase modest skirts at a variety of places online. However, I have found that Blair offers some of the most affordable clothing online. Here are my favorite picks today.

The above patterns are quite simple to make. It would probably costs around $10 for two yards of fabric with a sewing machine or serger, thread, elastic and time.

Homemade Ruffles

2011-11-08T18:24:00.000-08:00

One of the nicest things about having a sewing machine or a serger (or both), is the ability to make your own ruffles which you can then add to your garment, pillows, curtains, furniture covers, etc. After having used a serger, I would prefer the ease of making ruffles using a serger over a sewing machine.

Here are some pictures that show what you can do with your machine to make ruffles. Enjoy!

Create ruffled effect with a serger or sewing machine

Tons and tons of ruffles, save you money from buying at the store

Roll up your precious commodity around a cardboard; this one I recycle from purchased fabric

Attach ruffle to garment

Ruffle attached to garment, voila!

Thank you for watching. It might be worth an investment to you to own a serger.

The Neckline Test

2011-10-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

It's fairly easy to test if your garment neckline is kosher or not. We use the "necklace test" as recommended by Rabbi Eliyahu Falk, in his book, "Modesty - An Adorment for Life." If your garment neckline is outside the vertical part of the perimeter (circumference) of the necklace, then the neckline is not kosher. If your neckline shows your collarbone, then it is also not kosher.

Here is a picture I took that demonstrates this effect.

See there are two shirts being worn on the dress form. The white shirt's neckline is beyond the vertical line of the perimeter of the necklace (in silver cord), hence it is not kosher. The taupe shell worn underneath the white garment has a neckline that sits right inside the perimeter of the necklace and is deemed kosher. There is no way to check for the collarbone here as this is only a dress form, but the collarbone normally sits about one inch below the horizontal part of the neck, and it varies from woman to woman.

I hope this article helps someone! Happy sewing!

Simplicity 2852 Blouse Adaptation

2011-10-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

It's hard to find patterns that are Jewishly modest, but I never give up. Here is one which requires only a minor alteration, to the neckline, to make it perfectly modest. It's the Simplicity's 2852 pattern.

If you prefer to wear with a shell underneath, then perhaps any of the styles will work, except that your shell must not be too tight fitting in the sleeves for the sleeveless styles, or be too contrasting in color with the garment. I don't like layered clothes because in the summer, it gets too uncomfortable. So I chose Style A, with a minor alteration to the neckline, by adding a mock neckband. Style B (without a shell) has its sleeve too flair at the bottom to be considered modest as it reveals your elbow when you bend your arm.

For style A, without an additional neckband, the neckline would be immodest as it's width would expose the part of your shoulder that's slopes down from the neck. See the inset on the bottom left. Some people might choose to tighten the neckline by making pleats around it, or adjust the neckline height at the pattern level, but my personal preference has always been a mock neckband. Happy sewing!

My Favorite Tracing Paper

2011-10-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

One of the most essential ingredient to sewing commercial patterns is tracing paper. Commercial patterns are usually multi-sized, and if you plan on reusing them, you don't want to cut out the patterns but instead preserve them. So, we end up tracing the patterns according to the size we need on another medium, usually tracing paper. Some commercial patterns, such as Simplicity, print their patterns directly on soft, tissue paper, which in my opinion, are hard to manage because they crinkle easily and too soft to manipulate.

My favorite tracing paper is cloth-like, made of a polyester blend (80% Poly and 20% Cellulose), Pattern Ease Tracing Material

To get a better view, here are some pictures of how I use them.

They are lasting, not wrinkly or crinkly, and fold well. They can be cut using fabric scissors. It's recommended to reserve fabric scissors only for fabric use so as not to wear them out. They are sold by the yard, around $2.00.

Get one for yourself today!

Rosh Hashana Dress for your Princess

2011-09-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

For Rosh Hashana this year, I sewed a dress for my daughter, using a Simplicity 8488 pattern. The pattern is actually for nightgowns, but like the women's nightgown pattern which I adapted as a blouse, I decided to adapt this one for a child.

This pattern has a straight yoke and gathered front piece. The dress I made has long sleeves much like in view D (see the girl with the teddy bear), except that it is longer to be a dress, and it also has a gathered waist section, using elastic thread.

The neckline, of course, has to be modest, and I chose to add a mock neckband to it. The sleeves are gathered 2 inches above the hem.

Since the dress is for Rosh Hashana, it has to have a compatible theme. The fabric is printed cotton knit with apples, apples and apples! What I love about this dress, besides the apple print, is the high quality interlock cotton knit that I purchased from Chez Ami, in addition to elastic thread and the lettuce-edge hem at the sleeves and dress. I just love my Brother Serger for the ability to do the lettuce-edge narrow hem. Visit my Sewing Library for hand-selected items that will help you love sewing!

Butterick 5356 Pattern Adaptation

2011-09-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

I love blouses with yoke. I think they are so modest and elegant. Here is one pattern from Butterick 5356 which I've adapted to fit Jewish modesty standards. In this pattern, the yoke is together with the sleeve as one piece. The front piece below the yoke is gathered at the center and assembled together with the yoke. The back blouse is not gathered below the yoke.

You have a choice of sleeve styles. The sleeve in the "pink" blouse is a tad too short for me, and quite wide, so I have a choice of narrowing the sleeves by gathering the hem and then attaching a cuff to it. The neckline is obviously too wide as you can see the collar bone and the shoulder. To be Jewishly modest according to Halacha, I chose to add a neckband to it.

In addition, the pattern does not call for elasticized hem at the blouse. I decided to do that to make it different. I also decided to add a lace trim between the yoke and the blouse piece for the front and back.

So, as you can see in the right picture, my yoke blouse looks a bit un-recognizable from the Butterick pattern. But thanks to it, I was able to flair it up to meet modest Jewish standards and hope to enjoy it for Rosh Hashana!

Wishing my readers a Kesiva v'Chasima Tovah!

Simplicity Modest Yoke Blouse Adaptation

2011-09-07T19:04:00.000-07:00

You can pretty much make adaptations of blouses from ready-to-buy patterns and turn them into graceful modest blouses befitting a Bas Yisrael. Here is a pattern I use from Simplicity 9012 for nightgowns and pajamas. I adapted the pattern, using a high-collar yoke on a pull-on pajama top. See the middle model wearing purple button-downed nightgown. The other yokes are not so tznius as they reveal the torso beyond the collarbone, as well as expose the torso beyond the neck.

Then I sewed a mock neckband, thanks to ModestAnytime.com for its ideas! Walla! A rather modest blouse for regular wear that is b'chein! You can wear the blouse loose, or you can add a belt or a bow around the waist for a pretty effect.

Fabric used are print jersey knit and stable cotton-lycra ribbing for the neckband, elastic for the gathered cuffs and bias tape as elastic casing. Rolled hem on the sleeves and blouse produces a lettuce edging. Simply beautiful, thanks to my serger. Happy sewing, my sisters!

Jewish Halachic Guidelines for Slips

2011-08-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

When the dress or skirt is translucent (see through), here are a few solutions to make it opaque:

Line the dress or skirt with a material that makes it opaque
Wear a suitable slip (full length for dress, and half length for skirt)

The length of the slip should be a couple of inches shorter than the garment, and not shorter, otherwise a sudden movement that lifts up the garment will expose the knees, either indirectly via sunlight through the outer garment, or directly.

The slip should not be exposed from the outer garment, therefore wrap skirts or skirts with slits are not kosher to wear.

Source: Modesty, An Adornment for Life

Modest Swim Dress for Girls and Women

2011-08-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

Baruch Hashem, I finally hand made my swim dresses for my girls. The pattern I use is a combination of a loose-fit top and an addition of a gathered skirt piece. I customize the top with a mock neck band. The gathered skirt piece is just a rectangle whose width is twice the width of the bottom opening of the top (since my Serger gathers at 2:1) and whose length varies according to the height of my girls.

The entire dress is lined except for the neckband. I purchased my fabrics from Fabric.com. Search for the keyword phrase "nylon lycra swimwear" and you'll find a selection of swimwear fabrics. For the lining, search for "nylon lycra tricot lining." The pattern for the girls' top that I used is Kwik Sew 3476. You can search for the keywords "Kwik Sew 3476" as well. The length of the top goes down to the hips and you can adjust its length to suit your fancy if you want it shorter. For women's sizes, you can choose "Kwik Sew 2900" or "Kwik Sew 3463."

Kwik Sew 3476

Kwik Sew 2900

Kwik Sew 3463

So, here are my final products -- they are extremely modest, skirt piece does not float in the water, they dry quickly and they are worn with Yisras Shamayim.

Swim Dress/Skirt, short or long?

2011-08-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

In the process of making of modest swim dresses, I had to do an experiment. I needed to know which lengths of swim skirts will be modest -- short or long? In the experiment I conducted with plastic dolls, dressed with swim fabric in different length skirts, I have found that the longer the skirt, the less it will float up, and so, it will be more modest.

Two little buddies in pool, one with short skirt, one with longer

Oops, the shorter the skirt, the more it "floats" up in the water

Beware of short swim skirts

The longer skirt is more modest and does not float up in water

Be modest, even under water.

Jewish Halachic Guidelines for Modest Skirts

2011-08-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

The following are guidelines according to Halacha based on the book "Modesty, An Adornment for Life." I personally find them wonderful in order to create modest clothing for Jewish women.

Halacha

All Jewish women and girls, married or unmarried, must cover all parts of their main body (torso) plus parts of their arms and legs when in public or in the presence of individuals outside their immediate family.
Skirts must cover the knees completely.
The upper sections of the legs must be covered in such a way that the limbs are totally disguised and the shape of the thigh and upper sections of the legs cannot be seen.

ב מַה-יָּפוּ פְעָמַיִךְ בַּנְּעָלִים בַּת-נָדִיב חַמּוּקֵי יְרֵכַיִךְ

How beautiful are your shoe-clad footsteps O daughter of (Avraham Avinu) the nobleman; (how refined is your dress in that) your thigh is hidden and obscured. -- Shir Hashirim 7:2

Length

Skirts must guarantee cover of knees at all times. Length of skirt should extend at least 4 inches below the knees.

If the girl is tall and has long lengs, it is only obvious that the length of skirts for tall girls should be longer than 4 inches below the knee. The skirt should cover a girl's legs when sitting down, getting onto a bus, running, sitting on a swing, etc. Standard skirt lengths based on standard sizes do not apply to all girls and women. It is best to customize a skirt based on individual measurements.

Money Saving Tips:

When you make a skirt for a growing girl, it is best to make it with a deep hem at the bottom, so that you can let the hem down gradually as she grows

Styles

The upper sections of the legs must be covered in such a way that the limbs are totally disguised and the shape of the thigh and upper sections of the legs cannot be seen. The garment should have at least 3-4 inches more material on the widest part of the thigh area (approximately 7 inches down from the waist) than the measurement of the body itself.

Kosher styles - fully pleated skirts, flared skirts (that have plenty of cloth and hang graciously and loosely), straight skirts if they are loose fitting, A-line skirts (which broaden gradually as they descend)

Non Kosher styles - tight-fitting skirts, close-fitting skirts, straight narrow skirts (pencil skirts), V-line skirts (which gradually become narrower as they descend, also known as tapered skirts), wrap around skirts

Fabric

Clingy Fabric

Fabric should not cling to the body as it rubs against a nylon slip or the body, because when this happens, the shape of the leg is evident. This "static electricity" problem occurs when synthethic fabrics rub against other synthetics or skin. Skirts made from wool, linen, cotton and viscose do not pose a problem. There are 3 solutions to remedy this problem.

Add fabric conditioner to the final rinse of the garment
Spray the garment with an "anti-static" spray
Wear a cotton slip underneath skirt

Translucent Fabric

Fabric should not be translucent such as crepe, chiffon, or other lightweight fabrics. I have personally noticed that many lightweight fabric sold in stores today are semi-sheer. So, be careful, especially when you purchase fabric online when you can't see and feel the fabric. Because of the softness of some fabric, a strong wind will force the fabric against the body thus revealing the wearer's shape. Solutions to remedy this problem include:

Wear a cotton slip underneath skirt
Gather or pleat your skirt to add extra weight to it
Wear a overcoat outdoors
Add a deep hem to the skirt for extra weight

Stretchy Fabric

Stretch fabric is popular among knit fabric and has its place when using it to make neckbands, headbands, waistbands, elastic bands etc. However, they are not suitable for making clothing out of them if the final garment will cling to the body, showing its silhouette. Stretch fabrics when worn on expectant mothers are not modest. However, there are solutions to remedy this when using stretch fabrics. Here are some of mine, based on my experience.

Use a low stretch fabric (less than 20%) instead of a high stretch fabric.
Make the skirt loose hanging with gathers.
For blouses and tops, use a straight pattern instead of one with curves along the bodice and add lots of ease (extra fabric).
Wear a cotton slip underneath skirt.

Decorations

Absolutely no slits in skirt whatsoever, even if you are wearing a slip underneath skirt
Skirts with laces on the bottom -- depends on the community and impression it makes. If the lace appears to the onlookers like the inner slip is showing, then it is assur (forbidden), but if the lace does not appear as thought the inner slip is showing, then it's perfectly fine!
A skirt may be decorated with embroidery, however, it is unrefined to place the decoration (embroidery, buttons, appliques, ribbons, stitches, etc.) in the center of the upper front of the skirt, because this draws attention to the part of the person that is private.

Belts and Waistband

Refined, decorative belts may be worn if they are neither highly ornamental nor eye-catching. Eye-catching belts include those with

accessories hanging from them
bright beads and stones embedded in them
heavy individual pieces of gold attached around them giving luster to the belt
names of manufacturers in large imprinted or embedded on the belt
very heavy gold chain with golden hearts dangling from the chain at intervals

Chazal brings a verse in Yeshaya 3:24 warning sinners

"Where the highly decorative belts, called צלצול, were worn, the flesh shall become cancerous and develop holes!"

The Maharsha quotes the Gemara in Sotah 8b where a zonah (prostitute) would gird herslef with a belt called a צלצול to attract the attention of man to herself.

Excessively wide belts are not recommended if won like a sash and binds the dress or skirt much lower down than usual and has the effect of pronouncing the thigh area, or binds the dress or blouse above the waistline to pronounce the chest area.

wide sash belt accentuate
the body on an already
tight-fitting (swim) dress

Sewing -- a Great Investment for Jewish families

2011-08-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

I am not sure if sewing is offered as a subject in the Jewish curriculum of a Hebrew day school, but it sure is an important skill to acquire, especially among Jewish families. Hashem has blessed me with daughters, and I used to sew matching Mommy and daughter skirts when they were younger. I didn’t live in a community where affordable, modest Jewish clothing for girls could be easily found. So, my solution was to sew for my girls. It’s much easier to shop for modest skirts for women than for girls.

With the popularity of e-commerce in the past ten years, it has been much easier to shop for modest wardrobe for women and girls online, but the prices for these clothing have been horrific for my family budget. So, sewing remains an important resource to my family. Depending on the whims of the ongoing fashion trends, I was able to get modest long-sleeved shirts with fairly high necklines in the fall for me and my daughters. But as fashions change, so does the availability of modest apparel in the secular market. It’s good to know how to sew modest clothing. PERIOD.

I never knew there was easy accessibility to a set of clear, halachic standards for modest clothing until I stumbled upon a PDF booklet that one can download. This booklet, “Dress In Accordance to Halachah”, is well-written and illustrated, in my humble opinion, and easy to follow. I am so grateful that I am able to find the reasons for why Jewish women need to cover up only certain areas of the body. For more details about the halachos, continue reading my subsequent posts.

Neck above the collarbone
needs to be covered

Neck above uppermost spine bone
needs to be covered

Our Sages have defined where the halachic neck ends and where the torso begins. Besides the collar bone on the front, the bone on the top vertebrae on the spine also needs to be covered, which explains to me, why most charedim choose shirts with collars over jewel (round) necklines. I suppose a tight mock neck will also satisfy the requirement.

Other considerations include choosing loose-fitting tops and skirts over tight-fitting ones that reveal the silhouette of your body. Hence, shirts, both woven and knit, with bust darts, pencil skirts and other long tight-skirts are out, even if they are without slits.

One of the advantages of being able to sew your own clothing is you can meet these halachic requirements based on an individual’s measurements. Most store-bought clothing, no matter, how modest, meet standard-sized clothing measurements. After surveying many modest clothings in Israel and USA, I have found that one has to be particularly careful about the details of the clothing. Jewel necklines on stretchy knits are a problem as they stretch after multiple wearing and laundering. If you have a sewing machine, you can add a mock neckband to it. If you don’t sew, you can purchase alterations from ModestAnytime.com for a moderate fee. You can save money by adding extra length to your daughter’s skirts and tops instead of buying a new wardrobe. If you have large shirts from parents and grandparents that are headed towards recycling, you can reuse the fabric to make smaller shirts for your babies, toddlers and older children.

Tight fitting at skirt

Loose Fitting Skirt

Besides sewing regular clothing for your family, you can save a lot by making modest swimwear for your girls. Material for swimwear is easily available and can be bought online. You can customize the fit to individual measurements. A swim dress pretty much looks like a dress, except that it is made with swimsuit material. Swimsuit material tends to be very stretchy, so if you are using it to make a dress, you will have to make sure it meets the halachic standards. I have seen Jewish swim dresses that look tight on the model (see left image). I have also seen swim dresses that can be made looser fitting like the image on the right. After Tisha B'Av, iy"H, if Moshiach hasn't come yet, I hope to make a modest swim dress that meets Halachic standards and post my project here.

Knowing the basics of mending clothing is important as well, such as adding buttons, replacing zippers, and mending seams. However, sewing is not a trade relegated to the uneducated. First of all, you need to be able to read well, follow instructions, and understand many, many sewing concepts and terminology. You definitely need to have adequate mathematics skills in order to draft a pattern, amend standard patterns, purchase and cut the right amount of fabric, run a sewing business, etc. If you are talented at drawing, you can design clothing. You need to have some technical skills in order to operate and troubleshoot your sewing machine or serger. You need to acquire good research skills in order to find help online. There are tons of free tips and tricks offered by amateur sewers through blogs and videos. There are sewing classes offered at your local fabric and craft stores as well as online. There are also local and national sewing organizations that you can join. Women of all types form sewing communities online who support one another beautifully.

Sewing is a good skill to acquire in a Jewish family and a great investment!