Borsalino Religious Collection?

[Viola]

Actually, the hats are favored specifically by Haredi Jews, which are a sect of Orthodox Judaism. They are the most "hard line" of Jewish movements, adhering to an especially strict and literal interpretation of the Tanakh. Other Orthodox Jews, while more fundamental in nature than other Jewish sects, are much less restrictive and isolationist than the Haredi. For example, Haredi Judaism emphasizes a strict policy of having as little interaction with the secular/Non-Jewish world as possible, whereas "regular" Orthodox Jews tend to integrate themselves as productive members of society. The most hard-line of the Haredi, and the most fond of wide-brimmed Borsalinos, as the Hassids, who are the stereotypical "long beard/frock coat/big hat" Jews. Their style of dress, hats included, come from post-Renaissance era Poland, where the Hassidic movement flourished. At the time, frock coats and large woolen hats-- resembling giant ushankas-- constituted "everyday wear" amongst Jews. The movement itself emphasizes a kind of "stuck in time" approach to the world, keeping the values-- and even dress-- of the time when the movement began, and which its followers believe was a more spiritually pure time. The fedora became popular because the open crown allowed different sub-sects within the movement to bash it in different ways to demonstrate their affiliation; someone well versed in the different Hassidic sub-sects can quickly determine who they are dealing with based on the crown of the hat.

Leave it to a Jew to answer a Jewish question

Leave it to another Jew to argue with him! lol

Borsolino fedoras are not "historic" or the same as the striemels and spodiks of Poland. They're just modest black hats.

The "stuck in time" aspect doesn't apply to fedoras and a lot of fedora-wearing Orthodox Jews are Modern Orthodox and not Haredi at all. Besides which, the whole "productive members of society" thing was pretty outta nowhere. Ultra-orthodox is itself a big group and like every other group its got its productive and un-productive people.

Just my .02 cents.

 

[carldelo]

Local angle

Speaking locally, Bencraft has a couple of locations, one on the border of the Orthodox Jewish part of Williamsburg Brooklyn. They do a large business in supplying their hats - when I was there trying on fedoras last winter, every person who came in the store was Orthodox of some stripe. I recall reading on another thread here that Borsos are quite popular as a status symbol with younger buyers.

 

[KatintheHat]

This is so very interesting Potolan, I couldn't help myself from posting it again.

Here I am in my Mennonite made Mexican white sombrero. Mennonites in Chihuahua account for more than 50% of all agricultural production in the largest agricultural state in Mexico.

Just a note of clarification. Neither Amish nor Mennonites are sects of each other. Jacob Amman, the founder of the Amish split from the Mennonites in or around 1693. The European Amish eventually reintegrated into the Mennonite church, but the Amish who emigrated to North America remained separate and are a totally different group to this day. Theologically, the Mennonites are all over the map. In fact, in the world today, there are more non-Caucasian Mennonites than there are Caucasian. The African and Latino Mennonite churches are booming. The Amish in the U.S. and Canada are fairly monolithic in their outlook and theology. The Amish are universally old order; while the Mennonites are all over the barn (pun intended). The Mexican Mennonite women wear big hats with brightly colored ribbons....quite beautiful. The Mexican Mennonite men wear white Tejanas with overalls......except for me.....I wear jeans, plaid shirts and Mike Moore westerns! I hope I don't get excommunicated!

 

[KatintheHat]

And btw Caity Lynn... you are a "Babe."

 

[MisterGrey]

Leave it to another Jew to argue with him! lol

Borsolino fedoras are not "historic" or the same as the striemels and spodiks of Poland. They're just modest black hats.

The "stuck in time" aspect doesn't apply to fedoras and a lot of fedora-wearing Orthodox Jews are Modern Orthodox and not Haredi at all. Besides which, the whole "productive members of society" thing was pretty outta nowhere. Ultra-orthodox is itself a big group and like every other group its got its productive and un-productive people.

Just my .02 cents.

I hadn't meant to imply that Borsolinos are authentically historic; reading back, I guess I might've inadvertantly indicated that. Viola is correct that Borsalinos/fedoras were not worn back in the "Old Country" but came to prominence within the past 120 years or so. I stuck the "productive members of society" in there to differentiate most Orthodox Jews, who "integrate," and the non-integrative Hassidim.