The Jews added to their clothes some elements

which let them distinguish from other people and stress their national belonging. The Jews completed their local

clothes with some Jewish accessories.

Daily apparel of the Jews was not too rich, which

was connected with both religious principles and with everyday activities.

Men used to wear clothes in western European style and women used to wear

dresses patterned after the ones worn by middle- class or gentry or just as men they accepted western

European fashion.

The Jews used to wear black color in order to distinguish themselves

from other people. They thought that their

main aim of life is to reproduce.

Jewish also wore

sidelocks and beard.

Clothes of Jewish women did not differ much from clothes of typical middle- class woman. It consisted of a skirt, apron, blouse,

corset or dress and in case of a married woman – of a bonnet. The Jewish

women were distinguished only by a

bib or a special kind of a headgear- a kind of a decorative band worn

only by unmarried women.

After wedding women had their

hair cut and their heads were

covered.

They used different headgear. The most

popular and decorative one was a bonnet which

became a symbol of a married woman and according to Jewish

custom it covered the whole head. Bonnet was worn all the time- for a typical day it was very

modest and during holidays they put one more decorative one. Different bonnet was used at night

for sleeping.

An important element of Jewish women’s clothes was an apron

which was put on the skirt.

Poorer Jewish women put on

plain skirts and printed aprons.

Richer Jewish women wore aprons made of

silk or cambric.

In the 18th century the Jews were often dressed

in żupan (a very long dress with sleeves and a row of

small buttons, made of rich textiles), delia

(a kind of coat worn on żupan), kiereja ( a kind of loose coat with fur

underside) or szuba (a kind of huge overcoat with fur underside and

with a fur collar)

They were also willing to wear

typical Polish clothes because of their

length and foldings.

Jews usually wore black jerkins or

overalls and wide round black hats.

Jerkins and overalls were tied with belts.

In 19 th century they wore long trousers.

Legs had to be fully covered so people put on long socks or

stockings. The Jews wore leather boots, flat shoes and shoes called

gaiters.

During Sabbath and other holidays men

wore more decorative apparels such as long black, silk coats called

bekiesz, and as a headgear they had

small round velvet hat hemmed with fur.

Youngest men often wore a cap called

kaszkiet.

Hassidic Jews- married men who wore ‘shtreimels’

(hats made of genuine fur from a sable or a fox) on

Shabbat.

Orthodox Jews wore yarmulkah all the time- at home, on

the street, in synagogue, no

matter if other caps were also worn at

the same time.

yarmulkah

During the prayers in synagogue men put

'tałes’ on their heads, wchich was a

rectangular white scarf with symbolic black or

navy-blue stripes. Tałes was sewn from one kind of material- wool or silk.

It was also decorated with ‘atara’- a

decorative strip with silver embroidery.