'though hats may not be in vogue for
society at-large, they're big fashion
in the Orthodox and Conservative
communities. Women routinely
wear them to synagogue, and many don a
cap daily, as part of their observance of
Jewish law.
With that in mind, Cillia Kleiman and
the Friends of Akiva sponsor two hat sales
yearly as a way to introduce the latest
designer styles to a community that does
not support a veritable hat store.
Kleiman will display hundreds of hats
provided by Brooklyn proprietress Hedy
Needle at Akiva Hebrew Day School on
Sunday, March 17, 1-4 p.m. (A $50-per-per-
son presale runs from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. for
"Special Friends.") Proceeds of several
thousand dollars benefit the school.
Kleiman will have designs of haute cou-
ture hatters such as Kokin, Louise Green,
Eric Javits and Gabrielle Sanchez, as well
as smaller companies like Ophelia and
Andre. This year, smaller brims and
brighter colors are in. The benefit of buy-
ing from Akiva lies in the abundance of
options.
"They're hats you'll find in department
stores, but we have hundreds," says
Kleiman. "Most stores don't stock that
assortment."
In larger communities where more
women cover their hair out of deference to
the Torah prohibition of married women
exposing their hair in public, hat stores
abound. Locally, several women sell hats
out of their homes, including designs from
Israel and New York. This is the communi-
ty's only regular, public hat sale; prices
range from $25 to more than $200.
"While fulfilling the mitzvah, wearing
hats allows Jewish women to look put-
together and feel feminine," says Beth
Raz, a Young Israel of Oak Park member
and former Akiva student who owns many
hats. "It gives versatility to outfits."
Lynne Meredith Schreiber is editor and author of a forth-
coming book on Jewish laws of hair-covering, Hide and
Seek, set to be published next fall by UrimPublications.
Hats modeled by Shoshana Katz, Sherri Weil and Cillia
Kleiman.
STYLE AT THE JN • MARCH 2002
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