Oz VeHadar Levushah
Pages 70/71
Items of other cultures/highly fashionable items:
1. It is ossur min HaTorah for a man or woman to conduct themselves in a way that is typical of the cultures of the Umos HaOlam.
2. The issur applies to three types of garments:
(a) Strange looking garments
(b) Garments that project a feeling of superiority
(c) A garment that is pritzusdik:
The poskim write that a garment for females that onlooker to gaze at the wearer is subject to the issur of b’cholkoseihem. Being a pritzusdik garment, it belongs to other cultures and is foreign to Yiddishkeit (mekoros in appendex 46:7 and Responsa Divrei Chaim 1:30.)
It follows that all forms of alluring dress, jewlery, makeup, and perfume are doubly forbidden (except when a woman is alone with her husband.) Firstly, it is pritzus to go around in such a way, and one who does so transgresses the issurim of “And your camp shall be holy” Devarim 23:15 AND Lifnei Ivur “Not to cause others to sin.” Secondly she transgresses the issur of b’chulkoseihem – the issur of dressing in garments that are distictly designed to fit in with the pursuits of other societies.
Chazal say (Sanhedrin 37a) that the word “Beged” could also be read as “Boged” (traitor). With a garment a woman can either adorn herself, or chas v’shalom turn traitor to her people. See Yeshaya 24:16 where this tragic misuse of garments is spelt out in no uncertain terms.