a few years ago the news was peppered with articles about how men are now starting to care about their looks much like women. oh and these men are not gay either. well this shabbos i came across a new phenomenon or at least a new phenomenon to me. apparently yeshivish teenage boys are just as interested in dressing in designer duds as yeshivish teenage girls. this came as a total shock to me. i understand why a charedi girl would be interested in fashion. after all thats one of the few kosher interests she can cultivate. the average bais yaakov graduate can don makeup better than an elite model and is always decked out in the latest tzanuah fashions.then again, they are girls and girls usually are concerned about clothing and dressing fashionably. now the boys want to get into the picture. are sports now being frowned upon by the yeshivas? is it that young yeshivah boys have no other outlet left other than the choice of what brand of white shirt he should be wearing? is the reason they over focus on their wardrobe because the do need to actually get dressed? otherwise they should only be focusing on torah subjects.
im all for yeshivah boys showering and being concerned over their appearances. it just scares me when any male is as gung-ho about fashion as a woman.of all issues for men and women to be equally interested , fashion should not be one of them.. this of course is only my opinion.
2 comments:
I was in yeshiva around 7 years ago now (wow!) and i will tell you one thing, yeshiva boys were into their appearances then too.
first of all, there is no doubt that the influences from society are seeping in and having an effect resulting in the new wave of well groomed yeshiva boys.
secondly, why cant a guy dress well. for example, talking about the blue shirt brigade, i.e. those people that dont neccesssarily just dress in white and black, there is tremendous scope to get some nice clothes together. and even within the white shirt chevra its all about looking for a nice white shirt, and nice trousers and nice shoes, with a nice hairstyle.
its all about taking pride in how you dress. there is no reason to look like a shlub. infact i used to dress like a shlub i didnt care, but yeshiva had an effect on me in that i know take pride in my appearance. and its not just for girls. its for myself. to look into a mirror and seeing yourself wearing a nice suit, shirt, tie etc. makes you feel good about yourself.
and lets be honest in a world where you could be seen as another shirt, surely it is good to see these guys express their individuality in a healthy way.
sure there wil always be sports as an outlet but that is a minority of the time.
but lets not get too involved, i am reminded of guys who would dres strictly in A&F or even zegna and gucci, we are told to dress presentable, take pride in our clothing and appearamce and im talking about hashkafically and within halacha there are guidelines for such things.
but heck dont get caught up in it. and that also applies to the girls too.
because after a point it is vanity. so whilst you understand why a charedi girl gets involved in fashion. they still have to take it easy.
FFL- i do agree with you that the girls should not get too caught up in the fashion thing either. i was just lamenting that the boys are seeming to be descending to the low level the girls have been in for awhile. im all for looking presentable. its the jap ideal that seems to be so rampant that i abhor.
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