Fashion label sells high-end ‘poncho’ inspired by tallit
High street clothing adorned with fringe and banded stripes recalls prayer garments of observant Jews.
Apparently, everything old is new again — again.
In recent months, fashion retailers Old Navy and H&M both made waves on social media by selling items that looked remarkably like a tallit, or traditional Jewish prayer shawl.
And now, high-end hipster label rag & bone is hawking its “Ines Poncho,” a wool-blend garment adorned with fringe and banded stripes that recall the prayer garments of observant Jews.
Nordstrom’s, the department store, describes rag & bone’s “oversized” and “bohemian” poncho as something “that offers effortless layering in transitioning seasons.”
It retails for the very un-boho price of £275.
Last summer, Old Navy sold a women’s cardigan (£26) that strongly resembled the religious garment.
Then, in January, H&M sold a seemingly tallit-inspired beige scarf with black stripes (£11), along with a matching fringed poncho (£25). It wasn’t even the Swedish retailer’s first foray into synagogue-friendly garb; they sold a similarly striped poncho back in 2011.
H&M quickly apologized for marketing the Jewish-inspired garb and pulled the garment from stores in Israel.
Despite the kerfuffle, the tallit has quietly edged its way from religious garb to High Fashion. In February, in the days leading up to New York Fashion Week, Vogue street-style photographer Phil Oh snapped a pic of a dapper man wearing a black wool coat, a black beanie and, to top the ensemble off, an actual tallit.
And now, with this latest tallit-inspired design from rag & bone, it’s clear. The Jewish prayer shawl is so 5777.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
