Shein;
Let me be very clear. Firstly, I was referring to single girls
“looking for a shidduch”, who do not dress up to date, (rather quite nebby) to dress up to date in order make themselves more appealing to the other side, or at least not to detract them by dressing shlumpy.
I am not talking about married women, who if their husband
preferred it IMHO should ALSO dress up to date.
If their husband does not care, (he is into higher things)
it is their choice to dress as nebby as they want if
it isn’t considered unattractive to their spouse.
If your cannot decipher answers to both your questions from these
statements… I’ll clarify myself.
A Rebbe or Rosh Yeshiva, older respectable ones that is,
(not talking about a young person) Should be on a higher spiritual level and not feel meshubad to any style or mode. Their wifes in turn being their spiritual partner shouldn’t either be tied down
to fashion or the need to wear the latest designer labels.
That still doesn’t mean they should dress nebby. They should look classy and regal in a way that makes them stand out as more respectable. If they followed the latest fashion and wore the latest labels, it would detract from their respectability and
in turn the Kavod of their husbands, and other women would view them as peers just as materialistic as themselves.
Although all of klal Yisroel are considered royalty,
our leaders are the cream of the crop, and just like Lehavdil, a king or president wouldn’t address the nation at the podium in Crocs, (aside from Obama) So too do we expect our leaders to not just be different in their behavior but their dress as well.
Just imagine a Choshuve Rosh Yeshiva that his wife was know to be obsessed by fashion and always wearing the latest. It certainly would detract from her and her husbands Kavod.
Not because it is halachacally wrong, it just doesn’t Pass for
her title to be so into materialism.
Again, the general nation has always been below the level of our leaders. The problem with this Chatzuf generation is that everyone feels themselves a Gadol Hador, or a Rosh Yeshiva, or at least a Talmud Chacham. When this attitude allows them to disrespect those who are worthy, that is a problem.
Oh, I almost forgot, if a so called R”Y or Rebbe needs his wife to wear the latest designers and be in the height of fashion,
I, would not consider him a Rosh Yeshiva or Rebbe, and I doubt most ehrliche yidden would, either.