“so you dont mind if your son wore ripped jeans falling off and a sleeveless t shirt with flip flops and a du rag?”
Oh please, Flatbush! What on earth would possess you to think that my son dresses that way just because he doesn’t go around 24/7 in “The Levush?” That is pure hysteria speaking, and does not even merit a response, but I felt compelled to, anyway. If my son ever dressed like that, it would clearly be Purim! Why do people who express the same opinion you just did, seem to feel it is an either-or situation? Have you never heard of the shvil hazahav?
The clothing manner that you prize so highly was once SOLELY the manner of dress of non-Jews. The fact that Jews wear it now, does not make it anything less than what it once was. I am so tired of hearing how important it is for a Yeshivah bachur to dress this way or he is not going to behave as well as he should. An awful lot of very frum-looking men dressed in the so-called proper manner have been found in extremely compromising and disgusting places committing unbecoming actions. I said it before and I will say it again – it has to do with what is inside, not what is on the outside.
It also sounds just a teensy bit arrogant to make comments no matter WHO is making them, that suggest that a person is not on a high enough level compared to another, based solely on what he is wearing. That is an offensive and divisive belief, and after 120 years, I sincerely hope that Hashem sets us all straight as to whether or not He ever felt that way. I wonder if Hillel Hazakein would agree with you. He was as poor as poor can be, and I doubt he owned “the levush.” His eagerness to learn Torah and impart it to others had nothing whatsoever to do with his clothing.