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Crosspost--Sephardic Jewish garb

topic posted Mon, April 28, 2008 - 10:08 AM by  Edda
My household sister is exploring a new persona that celebrates her Sephardic Jewish heritage. She is quite taken by some of the textiles used by Yemeni Jewish women, and would like to incoporate some of that. Right now, the persona idea is that she is from a family that originally lived in Yemen but moved to the Ottoman Empire has its Jewish communities flourished after the 1492 Dispora.

I know that Sephardic Jews usually wore what other people in the area wore, but I have no idea what that is! Does anyone know of resources for info on clothing from the Ottoman Empire and Yemen from the 16th Century? I'm afraid we haven't got the timeframe narrowed down any further than that right now.

Thanks.
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Edda
offline Edda
Chicago
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  • April
    April
    offline 35

    Re: Crosspost--Sephardic Jewish garb

    Tue, April 29, 2008 - 9:11 AM
    She can start with Veccleo's (sp??) Costume Book from the renaissance period.... there's a Dover reprint of the plates. There is a fair amount of Ottoman stuff. No guarantees as to accuracy.... the author never left Italy & some of his stuff was just fantastical... but it's a start and you know for certain that it's what an European would expect. If your friend is looking to wear belly stuff she'll be disappointed.... my memory says that it's Burkas for Betty.

    How about being a new world Sephardic Jew, pretending to be a catholic in the northernmost territories of the Spanish colonies? Lots of opportunity for education if your group does public stuff. There are a lot of books coming out about the ones in NM, so there are resources. She also gets to stay within the sphere of European influence.
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  • Ian
    Ian
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    Re: Crosspost--Sephardic Jewish garb

    Tue, April 29, 2008 - 8:44 PM
    The few contemporary (1500s) writings that I have seen by European travelers who actually report on visits to Jewish communities seem to agree that a.) Jewish women are exotic beauties unparalleled by their Christian counterparts; and b.) That they are almost always elaborately dressed.

    The only illustration I seem to have is from a 1585 volume by Nicolas de Nicolay entitled "The Navigations, Peregrinations, and Voyages Made into Turkey" The "Maiden Jew Elaborately Dressed" wears a long dress with a high neckline, a turban with some hair hanging loosely, and a veil hanging in the back. The fabric is highly patterned.
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    • Edda
      Edda
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      Re: Crosspost--Sephardic Jewish garb

      Wed, April 30, 2008 - 9:26 AM
      "Exotic beauties"? Well, we do try ;).

      No belly outfits. She is interested in what a nice, married Jewish girl would have been wearing. A for her, being elaborately dressed is just a side benefit.
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      • Ian
        Ian
        offline 57

        Re: Crosspost--Sephardic Jewish garb

        Wed, April 30, 2008 - 1:59 PM
        > "Exotic beauties"?

        The well-traveled Christians of the era seemed to have a fetish for Jewish women-- perhaps because they were so inaccessible. The pictures I have seen indicate a great deal of modesty as far as amount of skin revealed but it seems like no expense was spared in the materials and tailoring.
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        • Edda
          Edda
          offline 1

          Re: Crosspost--Sephardic Jewish garb

          Thu, May 1, 2008 - 7:17 AM
          When I told my friend about the "exotic beauties" historical reference, she said:

          "Well, of course. They were probably the first women they had ever seen who bathed regularly."

          Which is a good point--an observant Jewish woman of the period would have bathed at least once a month, through mikvah immersion. Many also bathed weekly.
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