As many should know, clothing has not been the same throughout history. Teenagers were not wearing Uggs and Lululemon back in the time of the Tanakh. So the question stands, what did they wear? And what were the customs in different countries/areas back in those times? Well thanks to the Israel Museum, we can now visualize these outfits.
In an article on the Times of Israel ( http://www.timesofisrael.com/events/dress-codes-revealing-the-jewish-wardrobe-5/ ) the different varieties of clothing options are shown.
One thing that really stood out to me from the article was the theme of "Through The Veil" where dress for Jewish women is explained and how it was influenced by Islamic culture. A woman covering her body was an expression of modesty, which is not unlike today. To me it seems that this culture has been passed down and kept by the Hassidic and Ultra Orthodox around the world. This idea of a woman being modestly dressed as to not distract a man or "tempt" him is one I understand but don't entirely agree with. I believe that a person should have the ability and the right to express themselves through dress, piercings, tattoos (that is only to some extent) and what ever else they choose to express their feelings or personality.
Another thing I found important was the purpose of undergarments. Today we use bras and underwear for support which is similar for back then, but underneath all of the clothes, would draw attention to the parts of the body that this particular dress was meant to cover.
The rest of the article is very interesting and I strongly suggest reading it if you get the chance.
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