Parshat Tetzaveh starts with a command that Aaron and his sons will serve as priests and then a lengthy description of the clothing they will wear and the ornaments on them. As an artist this description is fascinating, as someone with a questionable relationship with “fancy” clothes this is a bit distressing.
I do want to look my best and dress up, but as someone with a body that is not exactly typical I hate clothes shopping and so dress clothes are a touchy subject.
When I was in grad school I would go to visit my grandmother in NY, and she would take me to Leohmans to try and solve this problem. I loved shopping with my grandmother. She had the best taste and an intuitive way of knowing that was pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone so that I would be willing to try it on.
I bought my first pantsuit with her for job interviews and countless dresses for family events and celebrations.
She may not have been dressed in the clothing of a Cohen gadol, a high priest, but she always looked polished and well dressed. In her, usually black, outfit she was the leader of our family. I have a few of her hats and other clothing items and I hope that I will wear them just as well as she did.