Friday, November 13, 2020
Understanding the dress codes of Orthodox Jewish women and their diverse interpretations
Based on a mostly fabricated story of Deborah Feldman, a Jewish woman who left the Satmar community in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in search of a new life, the hit Netflix series "Unorthodox" has brought Hasidic culture — and its female dress codes — into mainstream focus.
One of the most talked about aspects of the show is the clothing, which shapes lead character Esty's (played by Shira Haas) story from beginning to end.
The show's costume designer Justine Seymour spent hours on meticulous research, including a week-long stint within the Satmar community in New York.
"I consider one of the biggest gifts of my job to be that it is very creative, but also very educational," she said during a phone interview.
"You do have to be sensitive, respectful, and informed when you are observing a very closed community," said Seymour, who is not Jewish. She said she discovered that the women she met during her research embraced designer brands for shoes, headscarves and handbags.
"Kate Spade, Chanel, Ferragamo and Hermes were the stand-out designers," she said, that "add a bit of glamour to the conservative dress code.
"Whether scouring second-hand stores for silk scarves (she said she purchased over 100 for the show) or building faux-fur shtreimels (hats worn by married Hasidic men usually made from mink) from scratch, Seymour said she worked hard to ensure that each costume would adhere to Orthodox Jewish laws, but also celebrate the nuances of individual style.
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