Glamour magazine and Torah have become my recent nighttime reading choices. They have become neighbors on my bookshelf, best friends in fact. I am not sure where my recent fascination for glitz and glam came from – something I always found to be a bit superficial, and unimportant – but here I am, fascinated. What are the 50 must-haves of the season? I want to know.

Concerned about my new hobby, I took the liberty of conducting a little research (via google) if there was in fact a connection with fashion and religion. I was pretty impressed with what I discovered.

From the history of religious dress, to Models for Christ, to “Fashion Gods,” to religious-inspired fashion lines, there was a whole world out there I never even tapped into – until now. And, some really cool items I found along the way… like this shirt, with Torah scroll imprinted onto the cloth.

Dress is explored a lot more than I assumed in religion. I should have figured considering the laws of modesty – and the requirements to wear certain items, especially for religious leaders. Robes, collars, yarmulkes, turbans, they all have some purpose and biblical reason. I remember having lunch with a woman who became religious later in life, and she said modest dress was the last commandment she took on before officially become religious “because when you look like you are religious,” she said, “you can no longer dance on bar tables.”

How does the way we dress reflect who we are religiously? Does it feed us? Hinder? Elevate or suppress us? Glamour writes a lot about confidence, self-expression, creativity and potential. For me, figuring out my style is not so far removed from figuring out my self. If my soul feels good in what I’m wearing, then I’m good to go.

Do you consciously make fashion choices based on your faith? Or have some interesting items of clothing that reflect your faith? Please share! You might be my next blog post. Comment or write to findmyjewspot@gmail.com.