As you embark on the journey of rediscovering your ancestral origins, you find yourself pillaging through a mass load of historical accounts, scripture, and other information to help you connect the dots. You find out about your identity, the commandments of life, diet, history, and prophecy. As a result, you begin to align yourself back with the Shemetic lifestyle by minding your tongue, stop eating pork and shellfish, and begin to practice Nation building.
Outside of fringes, headwraps, and no pants, it is rare to uncover just what your ancestors wore—especially for the Daughters of Zion. Well, I am about to change that.
The Importance of Fashion within Hebraic Culture
Fashion holds immense importance in cultural identity and expression, acting as a visual language that communicates a society's traditions, beliefs, and values. It enables individuals to celebrate their heritage, fostering a sense of belonging and pride. Additionally, fashion serves as a social signifier, indicating an individual's status, occupation, or role within a community, providing a visual understanding of social hierarchies. It also serves as a bridge between cultures, encouraging cross-cultural exchange and promoting understanding in our interconnected world.
In Hebraic culture, fashion was more than just vain expression. It also incorporated specific commands to increase spirituality and represent The Most High itself. See the Levitical Priesthood Garments in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers.
If you have been in the Hebraic walk for a while (and even if for a short time) when we hear the command outlined in Deuteronomy 22:5, it is normally referenced to ladies not wearing pants and men not wearing skirts. Although this reference is based on a more modern interpretation, it shows the diligence of our Nation seeking to follow the Most High’s commandments. It is important for us to identify just what the Daughters of Zion wore during these times not only to remain obedient but also to stay connected to our roots.
The woman shall not wear that which pertains unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto Yahuah Elohayka. DEVARIYM (DEUTERONOMY) 22:5 את CEPHER
DISCLAIMER: All fashions stated and dissected will not be absolutely pertained to women. Things such as jewelry, materials, & other articles of clothing will pertain to both men and women. Please use your discretion and engage in further research to understand what you should and should not be wearing. Follow YAHUAH and your spirit. TOOLS! We will be using the Hebrew Interlinear Translation from Scripture4All, as well as the Cepher Bible.
We will break up the categories into: Materials, Adornments, and Clothing Types. Key text is bolded. Materials | What was their fashion made of?
Cepher Bible Verse | Hebrew-Interlinear Translation |
The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto you. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 45:13-14 את CEPHER |  Notice how the Hebrew Interlinear specifies that the raiment was robes. |
You shall not wear a garment of diverse sorts, as of woollen and linen together. DEVARIYM (DEUTERONOMY) 22:11 את CEPHER |  Notice that instead of linen, it is translated as flax which is a textile fiber made from the flaxseed. |
Ye shall guard my statutes. You shall not let your cattle gender with a diverse kind: you shall not sow your field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon you. VAYIQRA (LEVITICUS) 19:19 את CEPHER |  |
And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, And rams' skins dyed red, and antelope skins, and shittiym wood, SHEMOTH (EXODUS) 35:6-7 את CEPHER |  Notice how blue is translated as amethyst, linen as cambric (which is a fine dense cloth aka batiste), antelope skins as skins of ones azure meaning bright blue, and shittym wood for acacia. |
And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and antelope skins, brought them. SHEMOTH (EXODUS) 35:23 את CEPHER |  |
I clothed you also with broidered work, and shod you with antelope skin, and I girded you about with fine linen, and I covered you with silk. YECHEZQ'EL (EZEKIEL) 16:10 את CEPHER |  While gossamer is silk, it is a specific fine, filmy substance made from the cobwebs of spiders. |
She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She makes herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. MISHLEI (PROVERBS) 31:21-22 את CEPHER |  |
Adornments | How did they accessorize?
Cepher Bible Verse | Hebrew-Interlinear Transition |
You shall make fringes upon the four quarters of your vesture, wherewith you cover yourself. DEVARIYM (DEUTERONOMY) 22:12 את CEPHER |  It's interesting that the fringes are referred to as cones. I look forward to digging deeper into that. |
I will greatly rejoice in Yahuah, my soul shall be joyful in my Elohiym; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. YESHA'YAHU (ISAIAH) 61:10 את CEPHER |  |
And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto Yahuah. SHEMOTH (EXODUS) 35:22 את CEPHER |  |
And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a sheqel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten sheqels weight of gold; BERE'SHIYTH (GENESIS) 24:22 את CEPHER |  Pendants are normally pieces of jewelry that hang on a chain from the neck. So, it may be that instead of earrings, Rivqah (Rebbeca) received a necklace charm. |
And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rivqah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things. BERE'SHIYTH (GENESIS) 24:53 את CEPHER |  |
Then washed I you with water; yea, I throughly washed away your blood from you, and I anointed you with oil. YECHEZQ'EL (EZEKIEL) 16:9 את CEPHER |  |
I decked you also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon your hands, and a chain on your neck. And I put a jewel on your forehead, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head. YECHEZQ'EL (EZEKIEL) 16:11-12 את CEPHER |  Here we can see the specifics of the type of "chain" or neck adornment that the Most High adorned with IsraEl. It is a "knitted collar". We also see in that he provided jewels for the nose and a crown for the head. |
In that day Adonai will take away את the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round turbans like the crescent moon, The chains, and the bracelets, and the long veils, The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, The rings, and nose jewels, YESHA'YAHU (ISAIAH) 3:18-21 את CEPHER |  It's interesting that here we see mention of naval ornaments which would be considered belly button piercing or jewelry, spangles which are glittering materials or sequins, tiaras, stepping chains (which I have no idea what that means), ribbons, vials of refreshment (which is probably perfumes), and charm whistles (which you can see pictures of below). |
Clothing | What did they wear?
Cepher Bible Verses | Hebrew-Interlinear Translation |
For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walks in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my adoniy: therefore she took a veil, and covered herself. BERE'SHIYTH (GENESIS) 24:65 את CEPHER |  We see veils mentioned a lot. Veils can be interpreted as its wearer be humble and showing signs of purity. However, this ideal can be challenged through the story of Tamar disguising herself in the road as a harlot using a veil. See Genesis 38 for more. |
The changeable suits of apparel, and the cloaks, and the veils, and the bags, YESHA'YAHU (ISAIAH) 3:22 את CEPHER |  The Hebrew-Interlinear translations goes more into depth for this verse by depicting lounging robes, shawls, and wallets. |
The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the veils. And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a belt a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty. YESHA'YAHU (ISAIAH) 3:23-24 את CEPHER |  Here we see shirts, rolls, turbans which are similar to hats/headwraps, draperies such as flowing fabric, girdles were decked out waist cloth or pieces of fabrics and jewels worn by men and women (known to be the innermost piece of clothing), and coiffure represents well set hair. |
And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timna; for she saw that Shelach was grown, and she was not given unto him to be his woman. BERE'SHIYTH (GENESIS) 38:14 את CEPHER |  This scripture doesn't give specifics of Widow's garments, but it seems from the text that is was a humble way of looking versus the chic regular style of the Daughters of Zion. |
From what scripture has told us, you can see that the Daughters of Zion were the epitome of high fashion: drapery, ornaments, bags, fine linen! Chanel and Prada ain’t got nothing on them!
However, in Isaiah 3 & Ezekiel 16, we see the idea that the Daughter of Zion was beautiful, rich, and royal but because of her haughty, vain, and wanton ways, the Most High had to strip her (and IsraEL) of their adornments to place them into a state of humility. It is important to remember that while we are a people of lavish heritage , we must remain faithful and humble to the One who granted it. It is not okay to receive the blessing and then turn on the Blesser.
This is why the scripture talks about modesty. Modesty is not just related to your outward appearance, but also to your internal posture.
Remember that “Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that fears Yahuah, she shall be praised” MISHLEI (PROVERBS) 31:30 את CEPHER. So don’t get too caught up into vanity, but do represent where you come from!