Dressing religiously

Do you feel like the world treats you differently when you’re dressed religiously?

Yesterday I was super tznius in a highly Jewish area. I went to the grocery store and felt like I looked differently. I saw this regular guy with Jewish foods in his cart sort of looking at me. He wasn’t wearing a kippa but I got a Jewish vibe.

I thought it was weird. Later I remembered that I looked religious! Not only that, and I may be totally projecting, but I remembered that when I go to the grocery store in my secular style clothing, I stare at Jews with kippas and tzniusly Jewish women with covered hair.

I stare and probably look at them with eyes crying out, “I’m Jewish too!”

Anyway… the whole tznius book Outside/Inside was talking about sociology stuff and how you look is reflected by other people who surround you. That in turn affects how you see yourself.

There are advantages in dressing religiously. I liked having boundaries between myself [my skin] and outer space. Plus I felt like I had permission to go anywhere. I didn’t have to change my clothes to be around more observant company because I was already dressed the part.