Hi Reva, however you found an almost-20 year old post but I’m glad you did. There are a lot of cultures that have adopted plain dress independently. I like your description of a plain style that also maintains some individuality. That seems like a good balance!

I don’t know how I ended up on this page, but became interested in your column and the replies because being from a Chasidic Jewish family, we have always dressed modestly and simply (though we women do dress up for weddings). We consider vanity as something that reduces the attention we can give to G‑d. Clothes are not for attracting and should not embarrass others by showing-off our own wealth or fashion knowledge— but should be clean and neat, and modest. Some men do adopt the same dress as their Rabbi as a show of respect but most just wear black and white. Women can wear colors but should still focus on modesty not style. But we never consider uniform dress which would simply stress our differences: who afforded better fabric or tailoring, who had a difficulty with fitting the style (ala the infamous bridesmaid dresses in modern society), who had more of each item, etc. Without a uniform, each can buy or make what they like and can afford and what fits well while focusing on modesty and functionality. When we pray, we must read the prayer aloud, not reciting by heart or silently. This means we are forced to be conscious of every word — an overt declaration of our faith with every syllable — but we’re not robots, just reciting the same memorized prayer. Clothing is similar. Modesty, yes, which shows our shared faith. But we’re each created as an individual within that shared faith. Anyway, I found the subject you discuss very interesting even though I am not of your faith or even Christian.