Heart prints on clothing for girls, is it a problem?

amother

Floralwhite

Thu, Feb 22 2024, 2:55 am

Slightly off topic, but here goes.

I can't help but feel sad at the thought of depriving our little girls of hearts. There is something about the shape that every little girl I have ever known (including myself) absolutely adores. In fact for all of them, their crowning and most glorious achievement in pre-school was mastering the art of drawing a heart.

amother

Lavender

Thu, Feb 22 2024, 3:08 am

amother Amaranthus wrote:

Google says it represents a woman's buttocks.
I'm choosing not to let that bother me since nobody seems to be aware of that.

That's one theory. It's actually not known where the modern symbol comes from. It's known to have been used in antiquity as a completely different symbol, and the shape exists in nature; for example, there are plants with heart shaped leaves, and fruits that are heart shaped when cut open. A woman's body does have round shapes but not the pointy end.

Bnei Berak 10

Thu, Feb 22 2024, 3:21 am

amother Quince wrote:

Ok I'll bite.

25 years ago as a newlywed I read Rabbi Falk's book Oz vehodor levusha. Please don't bash this book. For those whom it is hashkafically appropriate for, it is very good. If it's not your speed, don't read it, just don't be negative about it please because he was a talmid chochom and was coming from a good place.
this book has been discussed here before at length with lots of lashon hara involved, so let's not get into lashon hara on this thread.
I'm just mentioning it to explain why I voted for 'no , hearts are a problem'

Basically, Rav Falks opinion is that hearts are a symbol of tumah for the outside world. 60+ years ago, or maybe longer ago, as we all know, people in the non-jewish world were less crude, less immodest.
The heart symbol has become a symbol of tumah, he says.

so I know most people don't agree with that, and thats fine . But I agree with what he says and I have that sensitivity. In my house, I quietly avoid buying clothing with hearts on for my girls. especially big hearts. My girls have never commented on it, and have never asked for clothing with hearts on specifically, as I buy them plenty of other nice stuff instead.

there you go, theres an explanation about what your neighbor was talking about, OP

I wanted to post this.
IMHO a huge red heart on a well developed young woman doesn't look eidel. It's not good taste. On the other hand there's are worse things.
Small hearts in other colors on girls could look very very sweet.

DrMom

Thu, Feb 22 2024, 3:32 am

amother Amaranthus wrote:

Google says it represents a woman's buttocks.
I'm choosing not to let that bother me since nobody seems to be aware of that.

Do we not have enough problems that we need to invent new ones?

If it's going to represent anything anatomical, wouldn't it make sense that it represents a... heart? Does anybody really look at a heart and think "buttocks?"

There are all sorts of goofy minority theories. Someone hypothesizes that stands for a giant type of fennel.
https://www.history.com/news/w.....ymbol
Better now?

DrMom

Thu, Feb 22 2024, 3:41 am

amother Quince wrote:

What does the world being less crude 60 years ago have to do with hearts representing tumah? I didn't understand that part of your post at all.

amother

Floralwhite

Thu, Feb 22 2024, 3:41 am

DrMom wrote:

Sarcasm alert!

Oh Dr. Mom,
Don't you know? Lots of people don't eat fennel because of infestation and it is very time consuming to check properly, therefore because of possible kashrus concerns with fennel, a heart design would be most inappropriate. Wink

Bnei Berak 10

Thu, Feb 22 2024, 3:41 am

DrMom wrote:

Well spoken DrMom!

amother

Floralwhite

Thu, Feb 22 2024, 7:19 am

salt wrote:

Why don't boys wear hearts on their clothes?

Well, I just did a quick search and found no shortage of boys' t-shirts etc with heart designs, albeit fewer than for girls.

I would imagine that the answer to your question would be largely due societal conditioning, although in wider circles beyond our communities these things have become much more fluid.

But I've never seen boys get excited over hearts they same way as girls do.

amother

Viola

Thu, Feb 22 2024, 7:23 am

Growing up my father didn't let us wear hearts. In his mind the concept of "love" was assur. Everything had to be mechanical & business like, with as many chumrahs as possible. Obviously growing up like that caused a lot of damage, and some of my siblings struggled a lot in their marriage, with others OTD. Please let us stop being so extreme.

amother

Floralwhite

Thu, Feb 22 2024, 7:29 am

amother Viola wrote:

And while I really look up to people who are machmir and makpid in their devotion to serving HaShem, this right here is the danger in that. When so many mundane things are either forbidden or considered improper, you have many throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

amother

Seashell

Thu, Feb 22 2024, 7:31 am

My girls definitely wear hearts. I’m in Lakewood and I don’t know many people who would have an issue with this , if any.

That being said there are definitely some very right wing people, mostly hasidish , who see it as a nonJewish symbol and will not wear it. This is a small minority. They probably see it similar to wearing a pumpkin , which technically is a vegetable but some may associate with Halloween. I don’t agree with this view but don’t see it as a huge deal if people hold that: we all have our things.

amother

Sapphire

Thu, Feb 22 2024, 10:07 am

DrMom wrote:

Lol, I came here to say this. I’ve seen many real human hearts and honestly the shape is not that off. Think of the top as the two atria and the bottom is the apex of the two ventricles. I can definitely see how it became a stylized symbol of a heart.
https://I.imgur.com/udCoSRE.jpeg

amother

Ivory

Thu, Feb 22 2024, 2:07 pm

My baby wore a shirt with a heart today, I'm sure no one had romantic thoughts about it. We just love her because she is so cute and the heart on her shirt is adorable and if there is any love there, it is just normal parent love of our cute baby. But I have only girls (oldest is 11), I have no problem with them wearing hearts at any age.