Allison Josephs

The idea behind modesty, or tznius (in Hebrew), in the most basic sense, is about privacy. It’s not about shame or looking unattractive. It’s the idea that some things are not meant for public consumption. Because of that, Jewish modesty is not just about how we dress, but also about how we behave, what information we share or don’t share with the larger world. It’s a sense of discretion that seems to have been lost on a society full of reality tv shows!
Modesty is for both men and women, though the rules are not exactly the same for each gender and I think it’s because Jewish law understands something about the female and male condition when it comes to sexuality. Women are generally more interested in showing off their bodies (think tank tops, miniskirts, and plunging necklines) than looking at scantily clad men. Men are generally more interested in looking at women’s bodies (ask yourself which magazine has more readers – Playboy or Playgirl) than showing off their own. (Most men – even in the heat of the summer wear shirts to around their elbows and shorts to their knees.)
Because of these natural inclinations, while women have some restrictions on what they can see of a man’s body, they’re more restricted in what they can show of their own. Similarly – although men can only show more of their body than women can, they’re allowed to see less of women’s bodies than women can see of theirs.