Hatboxes glossary: hats/head-coverings/tzniut

Tzni'ut is an encompassing Jewish conception of modesty and humility that emanates from the Torah  (Micah 6:8, Numbers 5:18) and Talmud (Tractate Sanhedrin 97b; Tractate Sukkah 45b) as a bedrock value.  

Tzni'ut can be observed in mystical tales of the Tzadikim Nistarim, 36 righteous individuals whose very existence is said to secure the world against destruction.  Exemplars of humility, the Tzadikim themselves may not know they are among the 36, and if they do, they would never call attention to their special status.

Observant Jewish men cover their heads as a sign of their reverence for and obedience to a higher power, a practice which dates to biblical times. A man may wear a yarmulke (Hebrew: כִּפָּה‎ "kipa"), a cap, or one of many different broad-brimmed hats, depending on his sect or community.  Sometimes, men wear both a yarmulke and a hat.

Observant married Jewish women keep their hair covered as a mark of modesty, though variations from hats through scarves to wigs exist across different communities.   Modest clothing—skirts reaching at least to the knee, blouses covering the elbows, and no trousers—are strongly encouraged, as well.

Miriam with two of her customers at her millinery in Hatboxes

In Hatboxes, Miriam is a milliner—a hatmaker—but she wears vibrant scarves instead of hats throughout Hatboxes.  Maybe she's a bit at arms-length from her community, or maybe she's coloring inside the lines, but with the colors that suit her personality.

How do you color outside the lines?