Hurry to The Israel Museum Before Israeli Fashion Exhibit Closes

I've been through the Fashion Statements: Decoding Israeli Dress Exhibit in the Israel Museum a number of times, and each time I notice more and enjoy it more. It's closing on  April 6, 2019.

Here are some pictures I took there the other evening:. Which is your favorite and why?

A Visit to The Israel Museum

Tuesday evening I spent some time in the Israel Museum. I hadn't been there for months. There was one exhibit I really wanted to see, and it didn't disappoint. That's the one about Israeli Fashion. It was amazing, and if I get there again, while it's on display, I'll spend more time there.

There was another exhibit I liked and highly recommend. Apparently, it had been commissioned by the museum. To Go - New Designs for Jewish Ritual Objects is stunning, practical and innovative.

Designers and artists from around the world were presented with a challenge: to create a collection of objects together with a case — essentially a travel set to accompany a Jewish holiday or lifecycle event..

If you don't have time for a long visit at the Israel Museum, just go to those two exhibits, and you've gotten your admission money's worth for sure.

What's your favorite department of the Israel Museum?

Tying Two Scarves, Dressing for a Granddaugter's Bat Mitzvah

I've been married and covering my hair for close to forty-seven 47 EEKS! years already, and for a good portion of that time I've worn scarves of various styles, shapes, etc. but always one at a time. Last night for my granddaughter's Bat Mitzvah I decided that I needed to tie two up. Many young women wear a whole closetful on their heads all systemically and artistically wound up together. It looks much too complicated and uncomfortable to me.

After I bought my dress, I realized that the unusual wooden necklace I had gotten from my parents years ago would be perfect with the dress, which it was. (A Hila dress, but not their usual form-fitting style.) And I planned on wearing it with my long gold scarf. That would be a very simple way to accessorize the dress which is classic black A-Line with large pieces of dark red and dark green fabrics sewn in. It's very subtle. Actually it reminds me a bit of the 1960s Mary Quant and Courreges shapes and style.

And then we had Silk Painting in the Senior Citizens Crafts activities I have been attending religiously ever since I left Yafiz. I suddenly saw colors that would be perfect with the dress and necklace, and I painted and created like some sort of nutty arty demon.
Since the dress is very dark, I loved the idea that the scarf would brighten the outfit. And of course it is always nice to wear one's own artistic creations.

The long piece of silk seemed the perfect size for my head when I was working on it, but afterwards, especially after the hemming done by a neighbor, I realized that the effect would be awfully flat and boring if I wore the silk scarf on its own.

There was only one solution to the problem. I had to tie them both on my head together, and after a bit of experimenting, this is what I managed to produce. Being that one is silk and about half the length of the other, I found it easier to work with than I had expected once I realized that I had to combine them before putting on my head, wrapping and tying.

I took this picture, yes a "selfie," after I got home so the scarf isn't all that neat, but you get the idea.

The moral is that we're never too old to try new things.

Keeping "Up to Date"

Here are the ladies dressed for Shavuot (in white)
and Jerusalem Day (in blue and white.)

I've mentioned a few times that at work in Yafiz--Clothing for the Entire Family, Sha'ar Binyamin, I've unofficially taken over as "window-dresser." Since we don't have windows, I dress the manikins instead.

Recent changes in administration have been very supportive of my "hobby," and a couple of weeks ago, one of the "big bosses," remember that we are part of a chain,  met with all of us at a big staff meeting and said how unimpressed he is when passing stores that haven't bothered keeping their signs and decorations up-to-date. Last week, when walking from Jerusalem's "Center" to the Menachem Begin Heritage Center to hear the "debate" between Caroline Glick and Rabbi Riskin, I walked through the very high class Mamilla Mall, and davka there, I saw an out of date sign:

The sign, decorated with leaves reminiscent of a North American autumn, says "Winter Menu," Tafrit Choref." The weather was over 30 degrees Centigrade, close to 100 Fahrenheit. 

Please remember that we are already in early summer here in Israel.

If Only....

If only I was thinner and younger, I'd get these...

At least I have fun dressing the manikins at work.

After A Year's Mourning, Finally Some New Clothes

During the year of mourning for my mother I was pretty strict about not wearing any new clothes. That is the halacha, Jewish Law. There were very few exceptions these past twelve months, and when I did end up wearing something new, it wasn't new technically, since it had been worn by another. Even my work uniform shirts and a couple of scarves were worn for me by fellow employees.

The hat I wore to my son's wedding was worn first by my daughter, she also wore and then gave me a couple of sweaters I had gotten for her when I had been in the states to see my elderly father last winter. I even have some new clothes sitting unworn in my closets that I had bought before my mother passed away.

Just before the twelve months were over I bought a couple of things I needed, including this scarf. Considering our finances not buying new clothes wasn't much of a sacrifice. Even though I work in Yafiz, which is a clothing store, I'm pretty frugal. I do like to buy new scarves to update old outfits. I've gotten compliments on this glittery blue one, so it was worth it. It matches quite a few things.

But to be honest, I must say that did miss getting myself something new, especially when I finally found those sweaters after years of searching. I do try to rework old clothes to make myself new outfits, and I have many things which are quite old. Some things, like a lot of my skirts were given to me second hand. The big miracle is that they fit as if made for me, and a couple that didn't fit me last year now do, thank G-d. Actually I've been wearing them for years. My other daughter recently gave me a few tops she never wears, and they fit.

It'll be nice to finally wear those new things that have been waiting for me. And I should also look for the radio/CD player since I can now have music on in the house....

Dressing Dolls, Like Grandmother, Like Granddaughters

One of the things I do at work is to keep the mannequins well dressed in the latest fashions. It's an unofficial special responsibility I've taken on in Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin. I started dressing the dolls, because I really didn't like how they looked and I thought they needed clothing/fashion changes a lot more frequently then they had been getting.

I really get a thrill out of hearing customers come in wanting "just like the mannequin is wearing." And when I have to strip the poor doll of her clothes for a customer I thank the customer for telling me what a good job I did in putting together the outfit. It really does make me feel good when one of the outfits I had put together has attracted a customer into the store.

Another of my small touches to the way the store is set up is when I change the order of outfits hanging together so that the one I consider most attractive or has the best color is in front. Playing around with style, being an unofficial "stylist" makes the job lots more fun for me.

During one of my babysitting times for the grandkids I saw that the granddaughters also like to dress and accessorize dolls. I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised. they are my granddaughters...

A New Look

Late last summer I popped into a favorite store of mine.  The Designer Outlet store in Talpiyot, Jerusalem frequently has some great buys. I was hoping to find something -a super bargain- for winter.  I picked up a simple faux denim dress which I figured I could wear over a simple top.  It did seem to fit ok.  Actually, it does fit; it's just a bit short, especially when I have my pouches strapped onto my waist.  So underneath I'd wear blue or grey "tights" as we called them in my day.  Now they are colored pantyhose.  But the dress was still short.

In Yafiz, where I work, I saw something that is like a cross between a slip and loose pants.  I kept looking at them, very tempted.  Finally I decided that if they are still in the sotre the next time I work, I'll try them on.  If they fit, I'll buy them.  So, I did buy them.  They sat around awhile until I felt the time and occasion warranted my wearing them.  I finally did yesterday.

PS we now have more in the store to sell and in different colors.  We even have some fancy ones.