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Long skirts. Long-sleeved shirts with necklines that go up to the throat. Hats, scarves, caps, snoods, hijabs, or wigs. This is my constant attire. In the summertime, I definitely stand out as unusual.

Then the seasons change. Summer's heat turns to autumn's chill and then winter's biting cold. All of a sudden, I'm in style. Everyone around me is similarly covered. My long sleeves don't bring about puzzled looks; my scarves don't elicit questions like, "Aren't you hot in that?" My skirts, rather than seeming unnecessarily frumpy, are seen suddenly as a charming alternative to trousers, and people think (and often say) "You look so elegant, even in the wintertime." What they mean is that I'm not wearing the bulk of long underwear, trousers, and then sweatpants over the trousers just to keep warm. They've got no idea that I'm wearing the long thermal underwear and a layer of exercise leggings; I look the same as always. My scarves turn from light, gauzy cotton, rayon, or chiffon to a heavier cotton or rayon or sometimes wool, and my hats and caps turn from straw and light cotton to corderoy and suede, but essentially, my look isn't much different. The only new thing is a sweater in place of a light blouse over my colorful undershirts, and of course a coat and gloves when I'm outdoors.

I'm covering... undercover. I'm like a modesty spy. I feel very James Bond all of a sudden, and it's all because of the frost in the mornings. smile

Does anyone else feel better when it's colder out, and the covering isn't even noticed, much less a topic of curiosity or conversation?

Speaking of which, Shukr, my favorite online clothing store, is having a sale. They've got some great corderoy and wool items for winter. Check them out.

My mother once asked me whether there were any non-religious benefits to covering. I came up with several.

1. Far less risk of sunburn, particularly when I wear a brimmed hat that shades much of my face.

2. Less moisture loss due to skin exposure to air; less likely to succumb to heat stroke and dehydration. I only have to carry one full water bottle when I go out for a couple of hours, instead of two, and I can usually drink it before it becomes body-temperature from me holding it.

3. People seem to treat me more like a person and less like a great rack and a set of legs.

4. Less hair damage for many reasons. My hair gets less tangled from wind, less gritty from city grime, less smelly from being near smokers or that horrible subway sweat-and-urine stench, less bleached from the sun, less dry and brittle from moisture loss, less broken and frizzy due to all those things.

5. A hat, scarf, cap, or snood is another opportunity for color and interest in my outfit. More opportunity to express myself through fashion.

Next time your mother nags you about your fashion choices, mention these. You might also ask her whether she'd be less irritated with you if you wore a mini-skirt and eye-shadow, and then ask her why she'd rather have you impersonating a hooker than a religious woman.

The object is to be hidden from the eyes of men, right? Not to be hidden from nature and God. There are private, secluded places where a girl can get some sunshine on her bones.

When I was on that cruise this past summer, our room had a balcony that was private, with a wall between our balcony and our neighbor's balcony on either side. I used that opportunity to get all the sunshine I wanted, since the only things that would notice were the seagulls. It was great. You can find something similar on a rooftop, in a fenced back yard, in a walled courtyard, or out in the woods with no one nearby.

Speaking of undercover covering, I'll be in France from Monday the 24th until Tuesday the 1st. That's Christmas through New Year's for those of you who celebrate them; for me, that's just the two cheapest days of the year on which to buy plane tickets.

I mention it in this thread because where I'm going is France, and I've been hearing some rather nasty news stories and personal tales of anti-Semitic sentiments and behaviors (including violence). I've been wrestling with myself over this for a while. Do I want to wear hats and scarves that look like they're there purely for fashion, so that I am not identified as Jewish? Or do I have the kishkes to be visually identifiable as a Jew, and to face with strength whatever comes after me?

I've decided that I don't have the spare cash to buy a bunch of hats that don't look Jewish. I also don't have the kishkes to try to lie about who I am; I think lying takes so much more work, energy, and bravery than simply being true to myself. Finally, I don't have the kishkes to enter Europe, which saw the Nazis and other anti-Jewish crowds firsthand, dishonestly. I don't have it in myself to (effectively) tell all those who died there, and all who were left behind, "Your legacy inspires me when I'm safe on home soil, but not when I'm this close to where you suffered for being one of our people. I'll talk a big game at home, but when I go somewhere else, I'm going to shut my mouth and pretend I don't know you."

So, both by circumstance and by bravado, I've pretty much got to do it. Undercover is not my style. I'm coming out with my chin up and my head covered.

have a great time in France!i'm sure you could look jewish and not muslim you should be okay,but it is awful what they are doing in France.*mutters* do you celebrate anything religious at this season?

Yes, we do. Chanukah, also called Chag ha-Orot (Festival of Lights), is celebrated around the beginning of winter. It's by the Hebrew calendar, which doesn't match up exactly with the Gregorian (Catholic) calendar, so it moves in relation to the Gregorian months. For example, last year Chanukah came in very late December and this year it started in early December, but in the Hebrew calendar it begins every year on the 25th of the month of Tevet. My holiday's over this year, and there won't be another holiday until Purim, which comes near the middle or tail-end of winter.

I'll answer that via PM, so as not to distract this thread and guild, which are all about covering. Back to your regularly scheduled Undercover Covering.