If wigs become accepted by the world at large, have they lost their religious exclusivity?
It seems that the convenience of a wig, donning a perfect hairstyle every day after paying a hairdresser only once, is a perk that we Ashkenazi frummies cannot hoard to ourselves, so sayeth the NY Times.
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| Christine Young, not a frummie, but who likes her wigs. |
Even women with perfectly functional natural hair are choosing to wear wigs since they are such time-savers, and offer many looks.
Frummie reliance on the wig has provided employment for those who never even knew what an observant Jew was, as in the case of Atsuko Tanaka, Japanese sheitelmacher galore.
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| Yes, that's a frum client in the chair. |
Hadiiya Barbel has actually renamed wigs as "crowns." She's got a lot of frum clients too, amongst her celebrity clientele.
6 comments:
I wasn't inclined to wear a wig in the first place, but this makes it even less appealing, somehow. I don't want to blend in. On the other hand, for people who have to- maybe this is the great blessing of the decade. There's something difficult about seeing Jewish distinctiveness blend in- except that sometimes, the point of wigs is to blend in. Or maybe it isn't- maybe it's to say "I'm giving in this far, but no farther".
In other words, I'm very ambivalent.
I just sat in an orientation for work filled with African American women who complimented me on "how natural" my wig looked.Hmmmm shouldn't they have just said "you have pretty hair" if it was that "natural?" but- hey, they're probably as good at spotting a wig as we are. On a completely different note- and since I don't know where else to ask this question- Princess Leia- she of the great height- please help me with my dilemma- i have shell troubles. I can't find a shell that is long enough to cover my torso. it is constantly coming untucked. Some friends recommended bodysuits- but where i live- in the summer- that is NOT an option. Bodysuits only come in lycra which is not breathable- and they snap at the bottom! I don't need more layers. So, in simple terms- do you know where i can buy cotton 3/4 sleeve shells that are at least 25 inches long? (the standard is 23 inches and after a good washing, it's positively midriff baring on me!)
Thanks
Gap and Old Navy online have "tall" departments, but their long-sleeve t-shirts, while fitted, don't have that "kikiriki" look. Worth a try.
Maya: I'm not sure if the motivation is to blend in. It's to feel confident in a really good hairdo. Amongst ourselves, we can tell who is wearing a wig and who not, but does that mean it has to be obvious to the rest of the world? It's not like gentiles know that only married women wear kerchiefs.
Many Sephardim do not accept the wig as a form of head covering, so it's not generally welcome.
Ah, there's never going to be a consensus.
POAA: Yes, they would know about "natural" hair! :)
As Tesyaa suggested, I have noticed that Gap and Old Navy tops are super-long. I use those for layering.
Goodness no, no bodysuits! Those beings are instruments of the devil. El diablo!
LOL agreed- bodysuits are BAD NEWS- ya gap and old navy are super long- i think i need to look for summer shells in the fall- cause the ones on sale now are all low neck/short sleeves (defeats the purpose of shells!) thx though!
POAA: Isn't that how all frummies shop? The only long skirts are the winter versions.
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