nytimes.com

By Joseph Berger

When the mercury passes 90, most New Yorkers start to wilt. Many resort to shorts and tank tops, even in the office. More than a few bankers and lawyers reach for their seersuckers.

Yet amid all the casual summer wear, in some neighborhoods more than others, Hasidic men wear dark three-piece suits crowned by black hats made of rabbit fur, and Hasidic women outfit themselves in long-sleeved blouses and nearly ankle-length skirts. To visibly cooler New Yorkers, they can look painfully overdressed.

Some New Yorkers who are not Hasidic surely ask themselves: How on earth do they stay cool?

The answer is a mix of the spiritual and, yes, the creatively physical. The Hasidim will tell you they have learned to live comfortably in all seasons with their daily attire.

‘I think I’m not as hot as other people because the sun is not on me,’ said Chany Friedman, who was shopping recently in Borough Park, Brooklyn, with two of her five children in tow, wearing a sweater and dense stockings in addition to other concealing clothing. ‘If I’m covered, the sun is not on me. I’m happy that I’m not exposed to the world.’

Using a Hebrew name for God, she added, ‘That’s what Ha-Shem wants from us.’

In the Hasidic world, the traditional fashion code and interpretations of ancient Jewish law dictate modesty for a woman — a concept known as tzniut — so even on sizzling days women conceal their necks, arms and legs, and married women don wigs, head scarves or turbans to hide their real hair. While Hasidic men do not feel the modesty obligation to the same degree, they believe that it is a mark of humility and respect for others to dress formally when encountering the world.

Read more at NY Times.

The dress code at work was suspended today so that they can turn up the thermostat on the air conditioning. But they can’t turn it up too high or it will damage all the electronics in the building. Guys are walking around in shorts and flip-flops. I just overheard some guy joking that he wanted to wear a loin cloth consisting of the corporate logo. But he didn’t, because some sweaty bare-chested dude in an office cubicle is just gross.

Babushka would be happy just to wear a babushka in this weather instead of a sheitel (wig).

In Bnai Brak, where it gets very, very hot in summer, they wear bekishe of lightweight, loose-woven cotton. I am sure these garments are imported and sold in NY as well.