Are Shabbos robes "shabbosdik"? Spin off

newmom1987

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 1:35 pm

I'm glad a few people mentioned hostess gowns. These were worn by sophisticated women while hosting parties, mainly in the 60s and 70s afaik. A shabbos robe is NOT a robe: it is a type of gown that went out of style with gentiles. iirc, some of today's "Shabbos robe" manufacturers used to sell to the mainstream. After the age of the hostess gown had passed, these companies stayed around, now catering to a much smaller market. Kind of like Borsalinos (or beaver hats for that matter.)
They are "not done" in my community, but the people I know who wear them look very elegant. Of course some are ugly, just like anything else.

Fox

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 2:05 pm

newmom1987 wrote:

This, with nods to Questioner and Zohar.

My parents were university professors, and during the 60s and 70s, cocktail parties were all the rage. Both hosting and attendance were considered part of the job.

These were elegant, sophisticated affairs -- or at least as elegant and sophisticated as Midwest college towns could manage. People dressed up! Even impoverished graduate students were expected to make an effort.

My mother had several hostess gowns, as did most women in their circles. By the 1980s, the "Mad Men" era was well and truly over, even in the hinterlands. People no longer got dressed up to socialize and even futile stabs at elegance had been replaced by trips to chain restaurants.

I'm pareve on Shabbos robes. I own several and wear them, though not every week, but I'm not passionate about them. Anyway, they tend to make me look a bit like a manatee.

I mostly feel sorry for non-Jews whose lives no longer include the kinds of occasions where hostess gowns are appropriate.

farm

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 2:23 pm

Although I am a non robe wearer, I take issue at the "not bekovodik" argument as was posted from a Sefer. There are a million things that don't look bekovodik but we do them because that's our tradition. Some have a minhag to light candles with a white kerchief on their heads even though they would never go to the grocery without a sheitel. Some wear a white skirt and blouse to shul on yom kipper even though they would never be so underdressed in shul otherwise. There is a very strong tradition in many neighborhoods to wear a special type of long dress in honor of shabbos. That sounds very b'kovodik and shabbosdik to me.

Maya

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 2:53 pm

farm wrote:

The white kerchief is worn over the sheitel, not instead of.

dancingqueen

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 3:15 pm

I'm certainly from a non shabbos robe wearing community, but this thread is helping me understand how stricter tznius standards actually come from other women. Ladies, if a woman feels elegant and comfortable in her shabbos robe that's great! Why insist that she dress up more in her own home, while serving and preparing 4-5 course meals! Isn't oneg shabbos for women too?

So op If you don't like em don't wear em but don't put others down since feel good in them. You'd be truly horrified by how cas my family gets on Friday night :-o,
but for us that is kavod shabbos. Being comfortable makes us happy Smile

.

Also, I think it's nice to have traditional foods, but those who stick to a strict menu, don't you get bored of it?

Fox don't feel bad for non Jews. The ones I know still have parties, they just wear cocktail dresses instead of robes.

pause

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 3:51 pm

dancingqueen wrote:

No. In fact, it wouldn't feel like Shabbas if I didn't have the traditional foods.

Yuntif, when I do make a more diverse menu, I sometimes have complaints like "where is the chicken soup?" or "I'd rather eat gefilte fish than this." (and "this" is a gourmet fish recipe)

youngishbear

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 4:01 pm

pause wrote:

This.

What's shabbos, yontiv or any yoma depagra without potato kugel? Wink

greenfire

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 4:05 pm

youngishbear wrote:

This.

What's shabbos, yontiv or any yoma depagra without potato kugel? Wink

hey I love a good potatoe kugel - as a matter of fact I never met a potatoe kugel I didn't like ... even so I surely wouldn't enjoy it as much if I ate it all the time - so when we do have it we appreciate it Tongue Out

Shabbossong

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 4:50 pm

farm wrote:

Am I the only one here who thinks that when he (sorry didn't turn back to get the Rav's name) writes that it's better not to light in a robe, he was continuing from describing a woman who is rushing into shabbos- and hence wearing her weekday/post shower robe still...?? I am highly confident that if he'd be asked if he meant a long dress special for (honoring) Shabbos, he'd say that's not what he was picturing...

Men are known to NOT know the accurate translation of pieces of women's clothing sometimes... (For eg: calls a skirt a dress)

amother

Sat, Mar 21 2015, 11:17 pm

greenfire wrote:

Lol I'm a big kugel fan but I've met potato kugels I didn't like Crying

amother

Sat, Mar 21 2015, 11:45 pm

I bought shabbos robes for my dd and myself to wear to my nephew's wedding. I had a dressmaker remove or change the details that made them robe-like: take off the silly and unflattering back-ties, remove the bulky in-seam pockets, and change the elasticized cuffs to real cuffs with pearl buttons. We both looked elegant and gorgeous. Afterwards I had the dresses shortened to wear to shul.

Rivky

Mon, Mar 23 2015, 12:06 pm

Maya wrote:

It's a matter of hypocrisy, not opinion.

In Williamsburg, I was constantly criticized for going to the grocery across the street in a long black skirt, but it's perfectly acceptable to walk across town on Shabbos in robes sweeping the floors. It makes no sense whatsoever, so don't try to justify it. Why are you allowed to "feel" it's okay to wear a long robe out but I'm not allowed to "feel" it's okay to wear it to the grocery? Rolling Eyes

I believe walking with long Shabbos robes in Williamsburgh is frowned upon too.