By a bochur
Dear COLlive readers,
I learn in a large Chabad Yeshiva, and am very shocked by the talk amongst the bochurim, and talk on different Whatsapp groups, to make changes to the “Chabad dress code.”
There are many bochurim who are petitioning the hanhalas of various yeshivas, in the US and Israel, to allow bochurim to wear a Russian style kasket rather than a black fedora.
The Chabad dress code: dark pants, white shirt and black fedora, is what makes us stand out as a Chosid, wherever we are. We make a statement wherever we go, without having to say even one word. It tells all those we encounter we are Chabad, we are Chasidim, and we are representatives of the Rebbe.
The fedora has come to represent Chabad in many ways, including pop culture. But it’s more than that. It’s a symbol of our Rebbe and our connection to him.
The Rebbe once said he’d rather wear a hat with a down brim and have 10,000 not yet frum people join Chabad, then wear a streimel and have other chasidim join.
We wear the hat proudly as soldiers in the Rebbe’s army and to change it for convenience or reasons of price is wrong.
Bochurim should be taking pride in the way they dress, and it shows a serious issue with all of us if Chassidishe bochurim are trying to make major changes.
And it’s a slippery slope. If bochurim start doing this, where does it end? Where do we draw the line on Chassidishe Levush?
Why is a kasket any different than a beanie? Or a ski cap? Where does it end?
If we talk convenient, should we wear short kapotes? Or none at all? Suits are cheaper, after all.
And why should bochurim wear white shirts? Should we wear colored shirts? Polo shirts?
How do we educate the younger generation about being different as Lubavitchers and being proud of it?
We’ve been hearing for years that tznius for women is about the spirit of the law, not the letter. Here too, there may be nothing wrong with a kasket according to law, but it’s definitely not in the spirit of Chabad and Chasidishkeit.
Try yeshivishhats.com – home of the $55.00 black hat!
The rebbe said that on shabbos breishes … The gabbai should wear a shtreimel… Otherwise we wear a fedora hat…don’t look at the previous generations ( doir shishi) we are proud with what we wear!
I am relatvely new to Chabad (previously, a ltivak), and one thing that drives me nuts is seeing the number of Chabadniks dress like goyim. I see this especially in suburbia, where I live. During the week I see blue jeans, colored shirts, etc. Why? It would be unthinkable for a Satmar chosid (or any other chosid) to dress this way. I agree with the author. I think it is important to adopt a dress code and stick to it – black suit and white shirt. The hat is far more important than you think, in terms of mivtzoim. People… Read more »
The Rebbe originally would have worn a Spudik had he been able to wear the Rebbe Rayatz’s. When this was denied him, he continued to wear a fedora, as was his custom. Until Yud Shvat he wore other color hats as well (grey, etc). At that time only Rabbonim wore black hats. A bochur walking into Zal with a black hat was ridiculed and asked what rabbinic post he had accepted (I know the elder chossid this happened to), It was years later (I think late ’70s, but may be mistaken) when it was pointed out to the Rebbe that… Read more »
well written great pint! good job! agree 100%
I agree. whats wrong with a grey suit? is the color of someone’s pants really what matters in this world? really?
I remember the good old days, when the Rosh Yeshiva wore blue/yellow shirts (as did the bochurim), the mashpia wore a grey suit, and none were worse off for it. [Morristown late ’70s, early ’80s].
The change later to only white shirts was a pragmatic one – to get rid of the “designer” shirts.
Cahs veshalom! What would happen if people started wearing colored shirts! Oy Vey!
With regard to the subject that has arisen recently about what a Chosid puts on his head as a covering: A fedora is worn today since it is meilevushei Sorei HaMelech. There has been no change in this regard. (Note: Someone who is working “in the field” might dress accordingly, with cargo pants and a casquette, as applicable in various circumstances.) Therefore, those who are training as Sorei HaMelech (Bochurim) should undoubtedly dress accordingly. This includes providing a suited “uniform” for those who are unable to afford it (fedora included), vda”l. This said, there is -as it’s called in America-… Read more »
borsalino’s are expensive, so buy a cheaper brand, or team up with a brand that will agree to affordable prices, this kasket talk is a bunch of nonsense, since yud shvat we saw our Rebbe wear a black hat.
Once the Russians made a ban on kaskets and Lubavitcher Chassidim saw this as an attack on yoddishkeit.mthey felt that the kasket has a very short brim so the could look up too hashem. So what did they do? They wore thier kaskets backwards.
The point I wanna bring out of the story is that Chassidim in Russia regarded tha kasket as a very holy thing that identified them as Chassidim. Don’t discredit kaskets too fast
Never happened before gimmel tamuz most bochurim wore colored shirts. Get your facts straight kido.
What’s next?! Facebook?! Chas vasholom! go learn a sicha bochur! stop wasting our time!
the Rebbe did not accept gifts, and surely did not wear borsalinos “because” they gave it to him for free…..
what non-sense can be posted here is mind boggling…
same about the shtuss in article about why the Rebbe didn’t wear shtreimel….
dor shelo yoda es yosef….
You write about taking pride in how bochurim dress, how they “represent the Rebbe” I am sorry, but that is complete rubbish. The average Chabad bochur walks around with shirts untucked, looking like they slept in their clothes for three days straight, rarely presenting themselves as a reflection of the Rebbe, who ALWAyS presented himself as the ultimate mensch. A man who had REGAL manners, and spoke to people accordingly. You will be hard pressed to find any imagery in pictures, or videos of a time the Rebbe ever looked disheveled and not presenting himself in the highest manner, and… Read more »
The Rebbe wore Borsalino because they gave it to him for free. Let them give hats to all the bochurim for free. If you paid for your Borsalino hat, then you didn’t follow the minhog of the Rebbe.
The “Chabad dress code” is a myth. The white shirt (excent on shabbos) was never part of the Chabad culture u till about 15 years ago when a certain rosh yeshiva decided that we need to imitate the so – called “yeshivishe” litvaks and bullied everyone into following his personal preference. The fedora was also stam a which happened to be what everyone wore in the 1950s – never anything with any intrinsic significance we seem to be in a real identity crisis if all wh have are these meaningless dress styles to define us as chassidus and express our… Read more »
Get a fedora but. Not the most expensive barsilino . Don’t change the look or the levush. We are not kasket people but Re fedora people. It is a crime to pay $250 for it. You can get a nice one for $55
Yet another opinion piece dedicated to superficiality. I’m beginning to think that being a Lubavitcher amounts to nothing more than wearing the right costume.
When will this site publish opinion pieces regarding issues of substance, grounded in actual judaism? Where are all of the op eds about the pervasive welfare fraud, tax evasion, gossip, sinas chinam, and child and spousal abuse, just to name a few?
All I see are unprincipled zealots consumed with superficial issues, absent of any historical context.
When did the super wide brim evolve ? I have seen decent fedora type headgear in Macy’s, Burlington & Chinese variety stores near the umbrellas
Here we go. “it’s not the beard that makes the Jew” as our “chassidic singer” hero lipa shmeltzer sang when he took off his beard. “shluchim wear baseball caps too” (so do several members of the chevra kadisha in ch btw. It’s keeping people from dying. They don’t want the bizoyon of being handled by jeans/cap on their long hair wearing chevra kadisha members) “white shirts is a new thing”. It’s very sad that it took a few level headed hanhola members around the world to make an official takonah to enforce a din in shulchan aruch. White shirts is… Read more »
Rev Mendel futarfas, and rev bereke chein and many others used a kasket. Did they not represent the Rebbe and Chabad. Anyone who saw these chassidic knew right way that they were chabadskers.
#42 ??
WHERE AND WHEN DID THE REBBE SAY THIS?
WE NEED TO FORCE DOWN THESE EXTORTIONATE PRICES FOR FEDORAS. $300 FOR A BIT OF RABBIT FUR?
ITS NOT MINK!!!
Never happened.
What’s the point in wearing a fedora hat in bad weather if you have to hold it the whole time to keep the wind from blowing it off?
I’m very surprised how much c.h cares its funny to see how much you care let’s first talk about a buttondown shirt and a Kapppote past the waist leave the hat for after it would be nice if the hat had brim too I’m embarrassed to walk down kingston to see Anash walking like this it would be nice to take priority and to think like a moral persons. And to those who get offended maybe its time to think of changing to actually be a Lubavitcher the way the Rebbe wants like what I see really nicely by the… Read more »
my dear, we call people of your kind a “fanatic”. get real.
There are other fedora’s besides expensive borsalino. I dont understand why the solution is to change to another hat type. I bought a crushable black fedora for $40 and its a great weekday hat.
Mostly a good article with good hergeishim. Only one line is wrong: “The Rebbe once said he’d rather wear a hat with a down brim and have 10,000 not yet frum people join Chabad, then wear a streimel and have other chasidim join.” The Rebbe was indeed praised by many outsiders for dressing frum, chasidish without compromising one iota, and doing so in a way that would mekarev people (the equivalent of this would be for a shliach to add a nice tie to his proper chasidisher clothing. But the Rebbe never did not want to mekarev other chassidim and… Read more »
lets be practicle, if you can afford it get it. If not, get a portafino or some other cheaper fadora. And people shouldnt complain about the price of hats when they spend 100s of dollars on smartphones.
What on the outside if that’s the whole dumbos ion it’s the inside
the chasidim always wore the kasket, so it’s a pretty silly argument, it therfore cannot lead to anything negetive!! as well as you mention something about white shirts being part of the chabad dress code when that was only adopted by some yeshivos some 17 years ago. TO SUM IT UP LEARN YOUR HISTORY BEFORE POSTING A RATHER SILLY ARTICLE!!!
Borselino is only one company that makes Fedora style hats.
Just buy a cheaper company, trust me is Lubavich stops buying Borselino the company will feel it. Primo is the biggest seller of Borsolino
Only comment that seems to make any sense.
Was started in nun zayin by yeshivas. Why is it lubavitch dress code?
Stupidity has no end. Keep the Borsalino for Shabbos and Yom Tov , it will last years and use the Kasket during the week.
I ware a kasket in bad weather and because it is an historical alternative and the Rebbe wore one. The uniform like the beard doesn’t make the Jew; the Jew makes the beard and choice of apparel meaningful. Let the young return to the tradition of wearing kaskets and when they get to their late teens, the fedora.
“Hatorah Chas Al Mamonam Shel Yisroel”. Surely we shouldn’t change our manner of dress because one (albeit must have) manufacturer is sticking it to us Chassidim. I would suggest enacting a ban against the Borsalino hats, for all Bocuhrim in Yeshiva. Neither a Bochur (who is charged with the sole duty of learning Torah), nor his parents should be saddled with this unnecessary expense. The most inexpensive and serviceable black hat should be worn by all Bocuhrim. The Rebbe spoke many times against “keeping up with the Joneses” Specifically he spoke out against “Hollywood Kitchens”, “Wall to Wall” carpeting and… Read more »
Hasidic hat look normal cascet make you look nerdy not good for shiduch
The kaskett, also called a “Greek fisherman cap” is reasonable priced ($15-$20) and comes in lightweight and woolen styles. They were considered a working man’s cap.
if Kaskets r chasidish cuz they were in Russia the colored shirts r also they were worn in front of the rebbe in the early years……
I haven’t bought a new hat for about 5 years now because I don’t believe in paying so much for a hat that will last for 3-4 years.
sorry but this whole post is extremly stupid from begining to end. how on earth does the down hat potray lubavitch?
You mean, he didn’t look like a chossid??
every one copies Chabad for one reason…
A chosid only does what the Rebbe does. Black hat is what the Rebbe wore, it is part of dor hasvi. Its a free country and people can do whatever they want, ober tzum rebben kumt ed nisht. Wear a kasket gezunterheit but dont claim to be from dor hasvi, you belong as a footnote of history. (Disclaimer : i am not related to bancroft. I think thir prices are redicules and should be lowered. I think a kasket is more comfortable. I think we need mesiras nefesh for dor hasvi. Finally, and most important, i dont think a hat… Read more »
You do know there are more then 1 companies of fedora hats right? at many different prices you guys really DONT need the all expensive borsalino (that anyway started as just the shabbos hat) buy the cheaper versions from other companies instead of going kasket (and why do you need permission for the kasket its been a chabad option always and many bochurim have been using it for a long time)
I would like to know, how many who complain about the cost of a fedora are happy to byu the latest i-phone or other device that costs double the price of a good hat?
Hey, McDonald’s sells burgers for a dollar. So it’s cheaper, but I won’t buy it, and I sure hope you wont either!
What’s next? Machine matza instead of round hand made? Welsh’s for kiddush? $25 Utica Ave wigs for your kallah? Entemann’s for your l’chayim?
We already have pink or orange-lined mini-kapotes.
Where will you draw the line.
You 1000% correct. Why waste money on internet and/ or s art phones.
Idea an Obama phone and save $300+ per year.
B.T.W.
A labors cost less then a suit…
Wake up borsalino is taking advantage of us but if we boycott them 4 one year , like buying a porto fino brand fedora (not cascket) they will be forced 2 drop the price
We are Chabad and just as people who see us in the street can recognize that we are yidden and we are proud of it, so should we wear our hats whether Borsolino, Huckel, Stetson and the like to let people know, without asking that we are Chasidei Lubavitch. The clothes do make the man and dressed like a Lubavitcher chossid tells everyone who you are. Remember that Litvishe bochurim also wear hats, and yet we still stand our as Lubavitcher Chassidim. Lastly, I would like to see where you get the statement about the Rebbe and a Shtreimel. Do… Read more »
I hope you don’t stand out because of your levush. I hope that its a unique sincerity or something more inward that sets you apart from the rest of the from world.
In fact this was the point the Rebbe was making when (as you point out)” The Rebbe once said he’d rather wear a hat with a down brim and have 10,000 not yet frum people join Chabad, then wear a streimel and have other chasidim join.”
I was gona say the same thing. To Mr writer: if we wear black hats because of what you quoted from the rebbe, then for that reason we should now NOT wear hats cus its not the norm of the general public as was then. And about this white shirt, this whole concept was taken lately to very extreme, that even when a bochur wears a non white shirt in camp, some look at him negatively. I’m not saying that you canbwear whatever you want cus ‘where do you draw the line’ but you Mr writer are totally naïve and… Read more »
Seriously u won’t stand out because it might annoy the snags? That’s really funny. Especially since the snags will be annoyed at chabad anyway…
Having been out of the yeshiva system for over 10(!) Years, I’m not familiar with the idea to get rid of hats, and don’t really understand the attraction. Generally, there are cheaper hats for times when the label on the hat is not the important factor. What is the idea here, saving money?
I have to say that I agree with the feeling that we should wear the hat that our Rebbe wore, and all who came before the Rebbe wore.
Maybe we could save money by stopping to need phones, internet devices, etc, and spend more time learning.
Nothing to do with this article, but the reason the Rebbe did not wear a shterimel (actually it was a spodek) had nothing to do with money, vda’l.
The author writes:
The Rebbe once said he’d rather wear a hat with a down brim and have 10,000 not yet frum people join Chabad, then wear a streimel and have other chasidim join.
Could the author kindly inform us: to whom did the Rebbe say this, when did he say it, and where is this documented?
Totally agree! Why be ashamed of who we are? We should be proud to be Chabad Chasidim, and proudly look the part!
What u think its camp? Why do we have to “stand out” we care Chabad when you do the cabad minhogim you will be recognized as Chabad. Further .. Why do u feel that u have to stand out as different?? What mivtza was that? Ppl like u really annoy the snags
+1000
This entire article is based on a false premise. The Rebbe didnt wear a streimel – why? For that same reason people want to not buy fedora hats now.
What about the trend among Shluchim to wear a kasket? Not sure if its about praciticality(winter) or not standing out…
You write “The Chabad dress code: dark pants, white shirt and black fedora”, but you are probably too young to know that the white shirt rule at yeshivos was only introduced in the mid to late 1990’s. I suppose you might also be uncomfortable with grey hats with short brims despite this being the norm for chassidim (and the Rebbe) in the middle of last century. In short, the dress code has been evolving over time and is therefore not as holy or symbolic as you think it is. On the other hand, we have the exorbitant cost of these… Read more »
very well said!
Woow! Well said! Short and to the point.. Yasher koach!
The Borsalino has been worn by many in Chabad for dEcades, that is true; however to say it is a sign of a Lubavitcher is an exaggeration, many others wear this Italian brand.
I know many Chassidim who wore other brands such as Huckel, Stetson etc.
The Rebbe wore other brands of hats in Europe and not only black felt, sometimes grey and dark brown. In Paris he wore a French style beret.
A kaset was a widely accepted form of head covering among Russian Chassidim for generations.
Rubbish. The fedoras are a new innovation, beginning in America. In Russia all the chassidim wore Kasketn.
There is a Lubavitch yeshiva ketana in Russia today where the bochurim all wear Kasketn during the week and fedoras on Shabbos.
the objective is to get hats at a lower price point.
The world works on supply and demand to automatically prices will drop. You obviously never had to pay for it on your own once you do I am sure you will have a different perspective…….