Some years before the Rebbe Rashab passed away, his brother, the Raza, moved from Lubavitch to Vitebsk, where he dealt in logs. Vitebsk was a big, modern city, and his daughter began to dress in a more modern fashion. Word of this reached her grandmother, Rebbetzin Rivkah, and it brought her to tears. When the Rebbe Rashab asked her what had happened, and she told him, he was surprised: “Even when Father (the Rebbe Maharash) passed away you did not cry like this!”
To which she replied, “That was HaShem’s will, but this is against His will!”
(בת מלך פנימה ע' 22)
The Zohar warns that the Yetzer HaRa begins its influence on a person by targeting his clothing, as with Yosef HaTzaddik, who was grabbed by his garment. One must strengthen himself to escape, exactly as Yosef did.
(זהר ח"א ע' ק"צ ע"ב)
The chossid Reb Peretz Chein once traveled to the Tzemach Tzedek together with another chossid, who had the zechus of having seen the Alter Rebbe, yet was now dressed in a more modern fashion. The Tzemach Tzedek did not recognize that chossid and asked Reb Peretz who he was. After being told, the Tzemach Tzedek said in wonder, “Is that so? Had I known that clothing could have such an effect on a person, I would have had mesirus nefesh for it!”
(למען ידעו ע' 273)
Once, when questioned about the importance of distinctive Yiddishe clothing, the Rebbe expressed surprise that there could be any doubt in this matter, for it can clearly be understood from many of the teachings of Chazal and from halacha. The Rebbe mentioned the possuk in Navi which says that HaShem will judge those who wear goyishe clothing, and also noted the writings of the Tzemach Tzedek against such dress.
(אג"ק ח"כ ע' שיב, צפני' א,ח)
Once, one of the children waiting to receive a coin from the Rebbe was wearing a Tzivos HaShem cap and was dressed in a shirt that had a childish, secular character on it. The Rebbe asked him if he was in Tzivos HaShem, and when the boy nodded, the Rebbe inquired why he was wearing such a shirt...
On another occasion, in תשמ"ג (1983), when the Rebbe was shown pictures of a winter camp in Morocco, he noted that in one photo a child was dressed as an Arab and said, “It is not appropriate to dress like this.”
(קובץ פניני העשור ע' 42, תשורה ראסקין טבת תשנ"ט)
Yidden have always been particular that the right side of their garments go over the left. The Rebbe mentioned this a number of times, and explained that this is done so that kedusha and chessed, which are associated with the right side, should be the prevailing influences in one’s life.
(י"ב תמוז תשכ"ג, ש"פ אמור תשד"מ ועוד)
Distinctive Dress
During the time of the Alter Rebbe, a new fashion in Russia dictated that jackets should henceforth have collars. When his grandson Reb Nochum, son of the Mitteler Rebbe, was preparing for his chassuna, the Alter Rebbe called for him and asked him about his silk kapota: would it be made in the traditional way, or would it conform to the new fashion?
“It’ll have a collar, of course,” Reb Nochum replied. The Alter Rebbe requested that he have it made without one, but Reb Nochum, then still a young bochur, argued, “Everyone else will have one, and I’ll be embarrassed.”
The Alter Rebbe then promised him that if he would wear a kapota without a collar, he would be together with his grandfather in Gan Eden. He then asked Reb Nochum that when his kapota was ready, he should come to him dressed in it.
Before the chassuna, the young man entered the Alter Rebbe’s room, dressed in his new kapota... which had a collar. The Alter Rebbe then tore off a small piece of fur from the inside of the coat. Years later Reb Nochum commented, “I was young and did not appreciate the greatness of the promise I had been given.”
The Rebbe explained that at that time and place, the challenge of clothing was extremely difficult. Had the Alter Rebbe been successful, that challenge would have been removed for generations to come. And that explains why he offered his grandson such a rich reward.
(רשימו"ד החדש ע' 97 , תו"מ חל"ה ע' 278 ועיי"ש)
Reb Hillel Paritcher wore a winter hat all year round, because during his time it was decreed that all summer hats must have a visor. Reb Hillel, not wanting to follow the gentile style of dress, wore his winter hat, which had no visor, throughout the summer months.
(רנא 'ע א"ח דברים רשימת)
Consider
Why is it so important to dress distinctively if it is only an externality?
What is defined as goyishe dress?
